--- title: Colbert Gives Us A Glimpse of an America Without Avocados description: The trailer for "Mad Guac: The Avocado Warrior" is as bleak as the avocado-less future canonical: https://time.com/5563401/colbert-avocado-trump/ author: Melissa Locker article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-04-03T15:02:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:02:48.169Z og:title: Colbert Gives Us A Glimpse of an America Without Avocados og:description: It's a bleak, dark place. og:url: https://time.com/5563401/colbert-avocado-trump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc54f9155126379b6/6988d1cdfb4eac956b89277b/avocado-attack.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5568 og:image:height: 3132 og:image:alt: GERMANY-FOOD-FAIR-FRUIT-LOGISTICA og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Colbert Gives Us A Glimpse of an America Without Avocados twitter:description: It's a bleak, dark place. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc54f9155126379b6/6988d1cdfb4eac956b89277b/avocado-attack.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Holy Lack of Guacamole.' Stephen Colbert Gives Us a Chilling Glimpse of an America Without Avocados > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Why You Should Eat More Avocado [Watch (HLS stream): Why You Should Eat More Avocado](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dWdExSxc.m3u8) (1:03)  _Published 2017-04-13. Here is some very good news for guacamole lovers everywhere: A new review of scientific literature suggests that eating avocado may help prevent metabolic syndrome_ by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Apr 3, 2019 3:02 PM UTC  Avocados are on display during the opening day of the "Fruit Logistica" trade fair in Berlin on February 8, 2017\. The fair on the fresh food produce business and the latest innovations, products and services in the international supply chain is running until February 10, 2017\. / AFP PHOTO / Tobias SCHWARZ (Photo credit should read TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images) Avocados are on display during the opening day of the "Fruit Logistica" trade fair in Berlin on February 8, 2017\. The fair on the fresh food produce business and the latest innovations, products and services in the international supply chain is running until February 10, 2017\. / AFP PHOTO / Tobias SCHWARZ (Photo credit should read TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images) TOBIAS SCHWARZ—AFP/Getty Images by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Apr 3, 2019 3:02 PM UTC President Donald Trump [has been threatening](http://time.com/5563366/trump-health-care-border-pivot/) to close off the border between Mexico and the United States in response to migrants and asylum seekers. While the implications for the nation’s immigration policy would be dramatic as well as the impact on five million American manufacturing jobs, one “issue” has really captured national attention: America’s steady supply of [avocados](http://time.com/4832655/avocado-american-history/) could be at risk. “Holy lack-of-[guacamole](http://time.com/5373190/is-guacamole-healthy-experts/),” Stephen Colbert said on Monday night’s [episode of _The Late Show_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dZNl0xhFAg&feature=youtu.be). “What are we supposed to put on our toast now? Jelly? You go to Concord Grape hell, old man.” Colbert wasn’t done with the subject, though. On Tuesday night’s episode, _The Late Show_ unveiled a trailer for a new movie that paints a bleak picture of an avocado-less America. In _Mad Guac: The Avocado Warrior_, “renegade gangs of health conscious millennials roam the landscape looking for green gold”. It’s a dismal glimpse of the all too possible, very near future. While late night jokes about an avocado shortage, Americans eat more fresh avocados (7.5 pounds) per capita each year than they do peaches, pears, plums, prunes and nectarines combined, [_The Washington Post_ reports](https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/business/2019/04/02/how-us-mexico-border-dispute-could-make-avocadostoast/?nid=menu%5Fnav%5Faccessibilityforscreenreader&outputType=accessibility&utm%5Fterm=.894a5851cda2), adding that avocados make up 6 percent of the amount of fresh fruit the average American eats in a given year. When word of Trump’s threat spread, the price of Mexican Hass avocados [jumped 34 percent](http://time.com/5563175/mexico-avocado-price-trump-border-threat/) on Tuesday. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5563401/colbert-avocado-trump/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5563401/colbert-avocado-trump/"},"headline":"'Holy Lack of Guacamole.' 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