Why It's Time for a Female Late-Night Host

Stephen Colbert replacing Dave Letterman

as host of "The Late Show" is not just happy-sad news for their respective fans, but also a missed opportunity to usher in some female-friendly talent.

White male comedians, most notably Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Carson Daly, and Craig Feguson currently dominate the late-night scene, and dudes have dominated the late-night scene so for decades. Currently, the only woman in the hot seat is Chelsea Handler, host of E!’s “Chelsea’s Lately,” who, most recently, was rumored to replace Ferguson on CBS’s “The Late Late Show” if he had taken Letterman's seat.

While Colbert taking Letterman’s spot is big news, the excitment surrounding his replacement was even bigger — before Colbert was announced, the Internet was buzzing with possible female replacements, including Amy Schumer, star of the Comedy Central series “Inside Amy Schumer,” "SNL" alums Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Emmy-award winning comedy writer Wanda Sykes — women with hefty comic portfolios that include pretty big-deal gigs such as hosting the Golden Globes.

All notable choices except for one thing: Aside from Handler, female late-night hosts have been few and far between. (Joan Rivers had a short-lived show in the '80s, but that was nearly 30 years ago at this point.) And, as Ann Marie Houghtailing founder of women’s financial planning website Millionare Girls’ Movement points out on the Huffington Post, bypassing a major opening to diversify the late-night scene means, “We are more likely to see a woman president than a woman late night host in the coming decades.”

At a time when female comics are in the spotlight more than ever — "Girls" creator and star Lena Dunham (who is currently writing a new four-part series for Archie comic books), Mindy Kaling, Kristen Wiig — and shows like "New GIrl" and "Orange is the New Black," are thriving, a female late-night host is long overdue. Until then, we'll have get our fix on daytime TV ...