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Stephen Colbert enjoys playing a jerk
Stephen Colbert was raised in South Carolina to be a Southern gentleman. But he spends his days being a jerk. It must be tough.
Not really, says the Comedy Central star.
“I was taught to be nice, so it’s not in my nature to be a jerk,” he told a crowd of fans over the weekend at the New Yorker Festival. “But I do enjoy it.”
Colbert figures that’s because he’s embarrassment-proof. “There’s an essential embarrassment to being a jerk, and I just don’t get embarrassed about things,” he explained.
The host of “The Colbert Report” spent 90 minutes out of character, regaling interviewer Ariel Levy about how his career was launched and deconstructing the process of playing the right-wing blowhard pundit named Stephen Colbert.
Before every interview, he said, he explains to his guest exactly what he’s doing. “I tell people, ‘He’s an idiot,”’ Colbert said, referring to his alter ego. “I say, ‘Disabuse me of my ignorance.”’
Still, there have been a few people who didn’t quite get the joke — or at least didn’t laugh. Colbert says he knows he has offended Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and early in the show’s run, Bob Kerrey, the former governor of Nebraska who is now president of The New School, a university in New York, didn’t seem to get that he was fake.
The comedian added that he does care about how people feel they’re treated on the show.
“I don’t care what they think of ME, but I am worried about their feelings,” he said.
Colbert, who lives in New Jersey with his wife and kids, also touched upon one of his hobbies: teaching Sunday school. He’s done it in the past and hopes to again next year.
“The great thing about teaching Sunday school is that these kids ask questions that even in college we thought were so deep,” he said. Examples: What’s beyond time? What came before God?
Then again, he said, sometimes they’re just asking to go to the bathroom.
“And I say no.” Stephen Colbert was raised in South Carolina to be a Southern gentleman. But he spends his days being a jerk. It must be tough. ... more -
Colbert: The free market is ‘a blindly vengeful god’(VIDEO)
Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert was prepared in his fake-pundit persona to cheer on the House Republicans who, he explained, had said, “Thanks but no thanks on that bailout to nowhere.”
But even Colbert had to acknowledge that “the supporters of this bill wouldn’t shut up about how this is the end of the world.”
“So just why did a free market president like Bush propose a government bailout in the first place?” asked Colbert.
“The market is not functioning properly,” Bush stated in a recent appearance.
“The market is fine,” Colbert objected. “We are the ones who are not functioning properly.” He went on to explain that “the free market is not just some economic theory we can abandon when things get rough. It requires faith.”
Colbert continued expanding on the idea of faith, saying, “It is a lot like believing in another all-powerful being — God. The market is all around us. … It guides us with an invisible hand. … Like God, if we have faith in it, the free market is the answer to all our problems — but if we doubt it, it will withhold its precious gifts.”
“Some out there, folks, are going to say that this financial meltdown shows the market is fallible — that it is, in fact, not God,” cautioned Colbert. However, he insisted, “It does not mean that the market is not God. It means that the market is just a dangerous and destructive god. …Maybe the market isn’t like the Judaeo-Christian god at all. It might be a blindly vengeful god, with a thousand hungry mouths.”
“We must believe even harder!” thundered Colbert in a sermon-like conclusion. “Our god demands sacrifice! And I don’t mean regulation, I mean human flesh!”
“It’s gobbling Wall Street firm by firm, and it’s still hungry,” he proclaimed. “I say we feed it Main Street! … Being eaten alive by the market is better than admitting the government should have any role!”
“Thanks to the House Republicans, we are in the market’s hands,” concluded Colbert, “and it will take care of us only if we trust it.”
This video is from Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, broadcast September 29, 2008 Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert was prepared in his fake-pundit persona to cheer on the House Republicans who, he explained, had said... more -
Comedy Done Right
In a world full of "liberal" news media and "liberal" news satire, Republicans want to laugh too! In a way that is both funny and conservative! And that's pretty hard to find!
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Sarah Haskins, Ben Hoffman, and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern and Pacific Times and can be found online at current.com/infomania. In a world full of "liberal" news media and "liberal" news satire, Republicans want to laugh too! In a way that is... more -
Colbert's DNA shot into space
Should this world ever cease to exist, Stephen Colbert will live on. The comedian's DNA will be digitized and sent to the International Space Station, Comedy Central was to announce Monday. In October, video game designer Richard Garriott will travel to the station and deposit Colbert's genes for an "Immortality Drive."
"I am thrilled to have my DNA shot into space, as this brings me one step closer to my lifelong dream of being the baby at the end of 2001," Colbert said in a statement, referring to the 1968 landmark science fiction film "2001: A Space Odyssey."
Garriott, one of few private citizens to travel into space, is collecting material for a time capsule of human DNA, a history of humanity's greatest achievements and personal messages.
The host of "The Colbert Report" will essentially be preserved so that aliens can clone him.
"In the unlikely event that Earth and humanity are destroyed, mankind can be resurrected with Stephen Colbert's DNA," Garriott said in a statement. "Is there a better person for us to turn to for this high-level responsibility?" Should this world ever cease to exist, Stephen Colbert will live on. The comedian's DNA will be digitized and sent to the Intern... more -
Colbert roasts the do nothingest Republican in Congress
This is the genius of Stephen Colbert. He interviews Lynn Westmoremorland and it is a pure roasting in the oven for the full five minutes. My favorite part is when Westmoreland admits "I have no idea..." He actually resisted acknowledging the sneaking suspicion that this Stephen Colbert character everybody has been talking about might be holding his tongue in his cheek. If he knew the word "fascicious," he might think that an apt description. It's a little embarrassing to get called out on something you are supposed to be representing and coming up empty.
Colbert should definitely do a follow-up interview with the do-nothingest democratic congressman. This is the genius of Stephen Colbert. He interviews Lynn Westmoremorland and it is a pure roasting in the oven for the full five minu... more -
Bill O'Reilly's 7 worst moments
Check this out. A great run down of the best and the worst of Mr Bill O'Reilly
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Stephen Colbert: HACK THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION! (Video)
As revenge for the Democrats sabotage of his own presidential aspirations, Stephen Colbert calls his minions to action!
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Rush Plays Rock Band Backstage at The Colbert Report
So, when Rush was backstage at The Colbert Report last week, they played "Tom Sawyer" on Rock Band and now there's video of it. I kind of expected it to be a funny demonstration of how unlike playing real instruments Rock Band really is, with these three seasoned pros failing the song about 30 seconds in. But as it turns out, they did pretty well, which is either a testament to Rock Band's accuracy, Rush's gaming skillz or my inability to correctly anticipate the outcome of web videos. (Hint: I thought Dramatic Chipmunk was going to be totally undramatic.) So, when Rush was backstage at The Colbert Report last week, they played "Tom Sawyer" on Rock Band and now there's vide... more
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Encore! YouTube - Colbert at the White House Correspondent's Dinner (2006) p...
So great. A classic moment...hear he is a Dartmouth graduate.
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The Colbert Report's "make-McCain-exciting greenscreen-challenge"
Stephen Colbert challenges you to 'make McCain exciting'. Here are a few of the entries. Please post any more that you like.
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Bill Cool for Comedy News... and CURRENT
Bill Cool is a fresh political comedian that is making waves wherever his videos, or his stand-up act is playing. He has recently started his own internet based comedy news show called Comedy News with Bill Cool. He is a former professor at a Miami, Florida college where he taught video production. Bill Cool is a fresh political comedian that is making waves wherever his videos, or his stand-up act is playing. He has recently star... more
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Steven Colbert Republican or not?
CollegeHumor's Sam Reich blogged about his visit to the set of "The Colbert Report," where his friend Barry is a writer. Reich reported that Colbert may be a conservative, according to the writers on the show, and that he voted for a Republican president at least once in his life. Reich also reported the interesting, but not surprising, tidbit that Colbert is a "great boss" who thanks his writers personally when they deliver a good monologue:
I asked Barry if any conservatives worked at the show, and he said he doubted it, although the jury was out on Colbert. He's a devout Catholic, goes to church every Sunday and teaches Sunday school. He's also voted for at least one Republican president. Still, there's no doubt where his politics lay at present. On the left part of the set, the part that we at home don't see, there's a banner that says "McCain '08: The Luck Stops Here." Before the show starts, Colbert does laps around his desk and then addresses his audience: "Does anyone have any questions that can help redeem me in real life for who I play on television?"
He's a great boss, too. When monologues go particularly well, he calls writers to thank them personally. Once, when calling New Zealand "Diet Australia" got a lot of laughs, he gave the author a bottle of wine. Barry was responsible for "The Word" when John Edwards took it over this past Thursday, and the reaction was so good that Colbert said, "What White House correspondents dinner?"
Read Sam's entire account from his time at the "Colbert Report" here. CollegeHumor's Sam Reich blogged about his visit to the set of "The Colbert Report," where his friend Barry is a writer... more -
Segway Inventor Makes Water Regenerator - Geekologie
Dean Kamen, who invented the Segway and clearly loves himself some denim, has created a new water regenerator. It's called the Slingshot (?) and has no filters whatsoever. It works via vapor condensation distillation and runs on, get this, cow fudge! Not only can the thing crank out perfectly clean water from any source (sea water, mud puddle, sewage, peepee), but it generates enough electricity to power 70 energy-efficient bulbs! Kamen estimates the units will cost between $1,000 - $2,000 when they go into production and anxiously wants to get them into areas around the world with poor water quality. I'm all for it, and really do hope they reduce the rate of disease caused by nasty stuff in the water supply. While this waits to be seen, there is one thing known for certain -- I'd pee in it. Happy Earth Day everyone. Go out there and plant trees. Or smoke some (wait, that was Sunday). Well, do something good for this great big ball we call home. But hurry -- the robots are coming. Worthwhile video of Kamen showing off the machine on the Colbert Report after the jump or here. Dean Kamen, who invented the Segway and clearly loves himself some denim, has created a new water regenerator. It's called the Sl... more
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Science confirms 'The Colbert Bump'
With the intense competition between the two contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination, pundits have mused over whether Hillary Clinton’s appearance on "The Colbert Report" last night will give the former First Lady a so-called "Colbert bump," a surge in popularity which the show’s host claims will accrue to any politician that appears on the show.
Stephen Colbert first coined the eponymous term on his show after John Hall won in a close election to become a representative from New York in 2006 after an appearance on the "Report." Hall defeated incumbent Sue Kelly, who had declined to make an appearance on the show. Colbert himself commented on this after the election:
"And how did he beat Kelly? According to the American Prospect, quote, 'Her refusal to appear on cable's popular "The Colbert Report" may have also proved somewhat costly,'" Colbert reported, adding, "Somewhat? All what. She could've gotten the 'Colbert bump,' instead she got the 'Colbert dump.'" With the intense competition between the two contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination, pundits have mused over whether Hi... more -
Edwards stole the show last night
Hillary Clinton (to start the show) and Barack Obama (to end it) made brief (very brief) appearances on "The Colbert Report" last night. But it was the Democratic rival they left in the dust almost three months ago -- John Edwards -- who stole the show. Hillary Clinton (to start the show) and Barack Obama (to end it) made brief (very brief) appearances on "The Colbert Report"... more
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Clinton and Obama on Colbert Report: 'distractions' put on notice
Hillary briefly opened The Colbert Report, then later in the show Barack appeared to officially put news-media manufactured distractions on the notice board. He also confirmed Colbert's great nemeses - grizzly bears - to be the #1 threat facing America. Hillary briefly opened The Colbert Report, then later in the show Barack appeared to officially put news-media manufactured distractio... more
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Garbage Warrior - homes made of your garbage!!
Michael Reynolds, an architect from New Mexico, has an upcoming doc on the Sundance Channel about some pretty cool sustainable living. Here he is on Colbert talking about his projects and showing off some pretty rad homes.
I don't own a home yet, but a little more research into this, I'll probably settle down in a good 'ol plastic bottle home in my native San Antone! Michael Reynolds, an architect from New Mexico, has an upcoming doc on the Sundance Channel about some pretty cool sustainable living.... more -
Better Know A Gay, part 2
The conclusion of Stephen Colbert's 'Better Know a Lobbyist' interview
http://current.com/items/88836328_better_know_a_gay_par...
with Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign. The conclusion of Stephen Colbert's 'Better Know a Lobbyist' interview ... more -
Comedy Central's Presidential Campaign spot featuring Lee Camp
Comedian Lee Camp's brief but inspired run for the Presidency on Comedy Central. www.leecamp.net
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Daily Show, Colbert Report Seek Agreement With Guild
I'm happy these guys are coming back, but if the guild doesn't let them write their own material, that would seem unfair seeing as their shows don't rely as heavily on celeb interviews as the late night talk shows like Letterman's do. I'm happy these guys are coming back, but if the guild doesn't let them write their own material, that would seem unfair see... more
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