Lots of talk right now about "Late Show" host Sttephen Colbert's s Not Safe For Work rant against President Trump on May 1. For those who have been vacationing in the asteroid belt, Colbert called Trump, among other unprintable things,  a "holster" for a four-letter word that begins with a "c," ends with a "k" and belongs to Vladimir Putin. Colbert was apparently upset that Trump, appearing on "Face the Nation" on April 30, had told "Face the Nation" host John Dickerson that his pet name for the show was "Deface the Nation" and essentially consisted of "fake news."

Here's the Fox News report on Colbert's bizarre vent:

"Sir, you attract more skinheads than free Rogaine," Colbert said during his profranity-laced rant, which was bleeped during the telecast. "You have more people marching against you than cancer. You talk like a sign language gorilla that got hit in the head. In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is [insert phrase that includes "holster," a four-letter word, and a reference to the Russian president]….

He said as a member of the CBS family it was his duty to stand up for Dickerson.

“When you insult one member of the CBS family, you insult us all! Bazinga!” Colbert said, using a well-known “Big Bang Theory” catchphrase.

He continued, “Mr. President, I love your presidency, I call it ‘Disgrace The Nation.’ You’re not the POTUS, you’re the ‘gloat-us.’ You’re the glutton with the button. You’re a regular ‘Gorge Washington.’ You’re the ‘presi-dunce’ but you’re turning into a real ‘pr—k-tator.’”

Colbert also quipped, “The only thing smaller than your hands is your tax returns, and you can take that any way you want.”

***

So now, according to Fox News, there's a campaign amont outraged conservatives to persuade CBS to fire Colbert:

#FireColbert is on fire.

Talk show host Stephen Colbert is taking serious heat on social media for a vulgar joke he made about President Donald Trump that many fans are calling "homophobic."

Conservatives' wrath stems from their belief–a well-founded belief at that–that no "Late Show" host would have lasted longer than five minutes after leveling such a profanity at former president Barack Obama. But Trump seems to be ever fair game for the most vulgar of slurs.

Still, sympathetic as I am to the disgusted conservatives, I wonder if the word "homophobic" is really a fair description of Colbert's "holster" remark–wouldn't it be more accurate to call it simply a nasty insult like the more widely used ten-letter vulgarism "c–ks—-r"?

Colbert's real offense–and I think it's a firing offense–was his gross violation of the standards of decorum that ought to prevail on television, especially on network television, which any child who happens to be up during the wee hours can switch on. I'm no prude–make all the sex double-entendres you like–but for heaven's sake, watch your language. Colbert needs to have his mouth washed out with soap.

Finally, I'd say this: Vanify Fair says Colbert "went on a playfully incensed tirade." Well, how about that possibiity that Trump "went on a playfully incensed tirade" to Dickerson? "Disgrace the Nation" sounds a lot funner than anything Colbert said in his rather desperate-sounding rant.