The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert Late Show Vocab | Ocean Vuong
May 11, 2026
Ocean Vuong, poet and bestselling author and MacArthur 'Genius' Grant recipient, joins to talk about his novel The Emperor of Gladness. He reflects on life after a near-death choice and how fiction asks the questions we do not. Conversations also explore kindness in low-wage work, hope, and cultural access through media like Oprah.
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Origin Of Brap It On The Poof
- "Brap It On The Poof" names the show's cold-open ending cue.
- Stephen recounts John Batiste's musical "brap" and a smoke-bomb "poof" that became the written motto in the rewrite room.
Dollar Sign Marks A Joke To Replace
- "Dollar sign" marks spots in scripts that need stronger jokes.
- The staff inserts a $ symbol (or TK) as an easy-to-find placeholder during writing and revision.
The Sack Dollar Draw Tradition
- "Sack, sack, sack, sack, sack" is the ritual that starts the weekly dollar-draw tradition.
- An intern collects $1 from staff in a bag, Stephen theatrically names a loser then a winner, and rules like no loops evolved over 20 years.
