Link: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/11/28/051128crte_television
The New Yorker, world renowned for setting a high bar for pretentiousness, reviewed The Colbert Report when it debuted in the fall of 2005. Television reviewer Nancy Franklin takes time to highlight everything about Colbert’s show that people like and deem it ‘not serious.’ In her article she tells us how she much prefers Jon Stewart for his intelligence and politeness to his guests (which doesn’t always hold true, he has been uncomfortably merciless in the past). But I feel the thing that was getting old about Jon Stewart is that he makes sure to emphasize the big words he’s using while still slipping in fart jokes. Colbert is completely satirical, and instead of outright yelling at the politicians he’s trying to take down a notch from an ivory tower made of thesauruses, he holds a mirror up to them and shows them how ridiculous they are acting. I love Jon Stewart, but the high-handedness gets old, and instead of giving the people that are hurting the country someone or something to fight against and possibly gain momentum, the only thing Colbert offers them is themselves. The title of her column is stupid too.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
A Colbert Nation
“Hey, Mom, check it out, I’m on T.V.” Stephen exclaims giddily into a raised camera before he returns to his stoic anchor/pundit face and points, declaring, “This is the Colbert Report!” Stephen Colbert has exploited the 11:30 spot on Comedy Central four nights a week, almost every week since late 2006, immediately following his previous satirical occupation of Jon Stewart’s Daily Show. He has interviewed the most influential people in the world, and is running a four hundred thirty four part series profiling each district in the United States, and their respective congress people (the four hundred thirty fifth district, is one of southern California’s which he will not profile because it is ‘dead to him’). In his first year of broadcasting he became one of Time magazines 100 most influential people, and has garnered the viewership of millions worldwide. His nation of viewers is hooked because it is enjoyable to see a self-indulgent and overly serious system of government brought to a more relaxed level.
Having honing his craft, especially as an interviewer, on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he didn’t get into comedy until his late twenties, joining improv comedy troupe Second City, after being classically trained as an actor at , attending college at , and even doing a one story stint for Good Morning America. He then moved onto Amy Sedaris’ comedy show Strangers with Candy, before being picked up as a correspondent for the Daily Show, alongside Steve Carrell, current star of the popular American version of The Office. There he gained recognition, being involved in many popular attempts to keep the political world in check, especially during the 2004 elections, which was covered by The Daily Show’s segment entitled INDecision 2004. Finally in October of 2006 he aired his new show, produced by none other than Jon Stewart, with the sole purpose of doing for punditry and Fox News’ lineup of screaming heads, what The Daily Show does for the nightly news. He ended up donning a persona, that is not lifted throughout the show, he often goes to interviews in character (despite apprehension of staying in character for a career that he voiced when the show started). In 2007 he was invited to speak at the White House Press Association Dinner, and he arrived in character, claiming that the President had accepted an invitation to appear on The Colbert Report, before asking him if Tuesday worked for him stating, “We’ve got Frank Rich but we can just bump him… And I mean bump him. I know a guy, say the word.”
Despite this appearance going down in White House history as uncomfortable and provocative, many saw it as a man of the people, that openly mocks everybody in the press and government for taking themselves too seriously, going into the lion’s den and proclaiming, “I believe that it’s yogurt, but I refuse to believe that it’s not butter.” For many, this event has become that of YouTube legend, with over hits, due to his sheer bravado, or how he’d put it in a gravitas filled baritone and twin cupping motions of his hands, “Balls.” Through his repertoire of complete insincerity, irony, and satire, he has gained the praise of those on all sides of the spectrum, from Ben & Jerry to Mike Huckabee. Everybody is willing to indulge in the peddling of his persona because it’s all for fun. His viewers, myself included, are more inclined to make a mockery of the uber-masculine, uninformed, blowhard egos that are so pervasive in media and politics, than actually indulge those who aren’t kidding. And those politically involved people that go on the show are considered in tune with the populous as a whole, and thus gains credibility, a phenomena best illustrated through the success of Mike Huckabee, disregarding his ultimate failure. A relatively underdog type of candidate, catering to the far right on social and foreign policy issues, suddenly appears level headed and almost as grounded as John McCain by simply asking Mr. Colbert to be his running mate, before offering to actually be Mr. Colbert’s running mate. To be sure, it was chemistry of certain events that had to transpire to create a person that is overtly satirizing all that has made the majority of this country apathetic and cynical.
The youngest of eleven children he lost his two oldest brothers and his father when he was ten in 1974. He says his comedic talent was sparked by a desire to cheer his mother up. He also says in an interview with 60 Minutes that the world of a child was trivialized, and he started to have a much larger perspective. His experiences as a child have given Colbert a critical and comedic edge, as well as a joie de vivre that he passes on to his audience. Even his name reflected a willingness to change personalities and appearances. He says in an interview with Rolling Stone that he sat next to an astronaut on a plane to Chicago where he was to join Second City, and the astronaut said, “You could really reinvent yourself out there.” And according to Stephen, “I was Col-bert when that plane took off, and when it landed I was Col-bear.”
Stephen Colbert has become one of those people who hasn’t given us hope of a better future, but somebody that can make the present a bit more bearable. Monday through Thursday he asks Congressmen if he can comb their moustaches, kisses the flirtatious Jane Fonda, and defends the president in all his poor choices because he feels it in his gut. He promises to feel the news at us, while others report the news to us, which is what so many have hated about the media for the past decade or so. Except Colbert does so with smiles in his eyes and an overall feeling of, “I’m just messing with you guys.” For years the loudest voices got the most airtime and were the most uninformed and the angriest. Now there is somebody to check Rush Limbaugh when he mocks Michael J. Fox’s affliction. When asked how he’d describe his character on 60 Minutes he said, “Well-intentioned, uninformed, loud, idiot.” And its those people that he is bringing down a peg or two.
Having honing his craft, especially as an interviewer, on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he didn’t get into comedy until his late twenties, joining improv comedy troupe Second City, after being classically trained as an actor at , attending college at , and even doing a one story stint for Good Morning America. He then moved onto Amy Sedaris’ comedy show Strangers with Candy, before being picked up as a correspondent for the Daily Show, alongside Steve Carrell, current star of the popular American version of The Office. There he gained recognition, being involved in many popular attempts to keep the political world in check, especially during the 2004 elections, which was covered by The Daily Show’s segment entitled INDecision 2004. Finally in October of 2006 he aired his new show, produced by none other than Jon Stewart, with the sole purpose of doing for punditry and Fox News’ lineup of screaming heads, what The Daily Show does for the nightly news. He ended up donning a persona, that is not lifted throughout the show, he often goes to interviews in character (despite apprehension of staying in character for a career that he voiced when the show started). In 2007 he was invited to speak at the White House Press Association Dinner, and he arrived in character, claiming that the President had accepted an invitation to appear on The Colbert Report, before asking him if Tuesday worked for him stating, “We’ve got Frank Rich but we can just bump him… And I mean bump him. I know a guy, say the word.”
Despite this appearance going down in White House history as uncomfortable and provocative, many saw it as a man of the people, that openly mocks everybody in the press and government for taking themselves too seriously, going into the lion’s den and proclaiming, “I believe that it’s yogurt, but I refuse to believe that it’s not butter.” For many, this event has become that of YouTube legend, with over hits, due to his sheer bravado, or how he’d put it in a gravitas filled baritone and twin cupping motions of his hands, “Balls.” Through his repertoire of complete insincerity, irony, and satire, he has gained the praise of those on all sides of the spectrum, from Ben & Jerry to Mike Huckabee. Everybody is willing to indulge in the peddling of his persona because it’s all for fun. His viewers, myself included, are more inclined to make a mockery of the uber-masculine, uninformed, blowhard egos that are so pervasive in media and politics, than actually indulge those who aren’t kidding. And those politically involved people that go on the show are considered in tune with the populous as a whole, and thus gains credibility, a phenomena best illustrated through the success of Mike Huckabee, disregarding his ultimate failure. A relatively underdog type of candidate, catering to the far right on social and foreign policy issues, suddenly appears level headed and almost as grounded as John McCain by simply asking Mr. Colbert to be his running mate, before offering to actually be Mr. Colbert’s running mate. To be sure, it was chemistry of certain events that had to transpire to create a person that is overtly satirizing all that has made the majority of this country apathetic and cynical.
The youngest of eleven children he lost his two oldest brothers and his father when he was ten in 1974. He says his comedic talent was sparked by a desire to cheer his mother up. He also says in an interview with 60 Minutes that the world of a child was trivialized, and he started to have a much larger perspective. His experiences as a child have given Colbert a critical and comedic edge, as well as a joie de vivre that he passes on to his audience. Even his name reflected a willingness to change personalities and appearances. He says in an interview with Rolling Stone that he sat next to an astronaut on a plane to Chicago where he was to join Second City, and the astronaut said, “You could really reinvent yourself out there.” And according to Stephen, “I was Col-bert when that plane took off, and when it landed I was Col-bear.”
Stephen Colbert has become one of those people who hasn’t given us hope of a better future, but somebody that can make the present a bit more bearable. Monday through Thursday he asks Congressmen if he can comb their moustaches, kisses the flirtatious Jane Fonda, and defends the president in all his poor choices because he feels it in his gut. He promises to feel the news at us, while others report the news to us, which is what so many have hated about the media for the past decade or so. Except Colbert does so with smiles in his eyes and an overall feeling of, “I’m just messing with you guys.” For years the loudest voices got the most airtime and were the most uninformed and the angriest. Now there is somebody to check Rush Limbaugh when he mocks Michael J. Fox’s affliction. When asked how he’d describe his character on 60 Minutes he said, “Well-intentioned, uninformed, loud, idiot.” And its those people that he is bringing down a peg or two.
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