James Corden: Colorado's the Coolest for Legal Pot, Great Beer, Electing Polis

The Late Late Show host James Corden is among the celebrities saluting the election of Colorado's Jared Polis as the nation's first openly gay governor.

By Michael Roberts

November 9, 2018

Image: James Corden as seen in a monologue bit saluting the gubernatorial election of Colorado's Jared Polis.

James Corden as seen in a monologue bit saluting the gubernatorial election of Colorado's Jared Polis. CBS via Twitter

What happens on the ground matters — Your support makes it possible.

We’re aiming to raise $17,000 by August 10, so we can deepen our reporting on the critical stories unfolding right now: grassroots protests, immigration, politics and more.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal

$17,000

$3,700

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "23668565",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "23853568",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "17242653",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "24956856",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25 
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17676724",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

As we noted in our post about this week's election results in major state races, the campaign for Representative Jared Polis downplayed the history he would make as the first openly gay man to serve as Colorado's governor. But after he triumphed at the ballot box, prominent observers cheered this achievement, as have plenty of celebrities.

Prime example: In a monologue this week, James Corden, host of The Late Late Show, suggested that voters here had proven once again that no state in the nation is cooler than Colorado.

In a snippet shared by CBS4 news director Tim Wieland, Corden said, "Another first: Democrat Jared Polis won his election in Colorado, making him the nation's first openly gay man to serve as governor. The first gay governor. Finally, finally, an American politician who knows about my Tony Award."

After a pause for applause, Cordon added: "Think about this, though. Colorado has legal marijuana, great beer and now a progressive gay governor. Is it just me, or is Colorado becoming the coolest floor in America's dormitory?"

Here's the clip:

"Is it just me, or is Colorado becoming the coolest floor in America's dormitory?" via @latelateshow #copolitics pic.twitter.com/EuDYJ0pYxD
— Tim Wieland (@CBS4Tim) November 8, 2018

Corden is among the notables who tweeted about the Polis win on election night, writing, "This is incredible! Massive. Congratulations Jared Polis. You did it!"

So, too, did comedian Billy Eichner, who wrote, "Wow!! Congratulations @jaredpolis of Colorado who just became the first openly gay man to be elected Governor in US History!!!"

Eichner's message was followed by three rainbows, which seems like a lot until you see the tweet of actress Piper Perabo. After she exclaimed, "Congratulations Governor elect of Colorado @jaredpolis just became the first openly gay man to be elected Governor in US History!!!," she added twelve rainbows.

Colorado-based Olympian Gus Kenworthy shared this thought: "Extremely proud of my home State of Colorado for becoming the first state in history to an elect an openly gay Governor! Congrats."

And then there was this from former CBS News anchor Dan Rather: "I know there is a lot of worry on the Democratic side, but I think there are some interesting storylines that may not be getting enough attention. For example, Colorado was once a pretty solid red state, but now just elected an openly gay Democrat — Jared Polis — as governor."

Clearly, the downplaying is over.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

A message from Michael Roberts: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of essential stories and to investigate issues that matter.

Support Today