“THAT’S WHY YOU GOT FIRED, OLD MAN.” Sweeney’s on‑camera jab was pure gasoline, and Colbert’s reply was the spark—one razor line that turned a playful dig into a viral freeze‑frame. The culture‑war ledger lines up fast: critics say Colbert’s sermon‑over‑setup style drained CBS’s wallet, as social posts gush that Sweeney’s jeans ad juiced American Eagle by roughly ten percent and hundreds of millions in market cap. Are those numbers airtight? Depends who you ask. But the optics are ruthless: one host accused of losing laughs, one star credited with minting money—and a clip that won’t stop trending.