Did you watch Stephen Colbert's performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner? I love Colbert, but it was a little scary watching him do his "Colbert Report" character outside of his brilliantly comical studio set that frames him as a ridiculous right-wing blowhard. We love the humor in context, but when the targets of the humor are there in the room with him, we can't dissolve into hilarity. We're completely distracted by thinking about how the live audience is reacting and whether Steve the actor has the -- well, as Stephen Colbert would say -- balls to stay in character, to stay pompous and righteous when he knows he's sticking it to the people Steve the comedian would normally depend upon to buoy him up with laughter.
Colbert could have tried to go on as a decent guy being a nice guest and supplying some perfectly pitched stand-up humor, the way Drew Carey has done in the past. But Colbert really isn't a stand-up comedian, and his humor is always set inside a character who is not him. He's an actor, and how hard, how monumentally awkward, it must have been to stay inside his character with such intimidating people around him. Wouldn't the sheer instinct for self-protection make him want to twinkle and say I kid but I love?
Wasn't it awful to perform without laughs? Maybe he should have filed the edges off a couple of jokes, but, basically, he did what he had to do to maintain his credibility with his real audience, those who watch "The Colbert Report." And we'll remember the horrible laughlessness of that night and marvel at the steely nerve of Stephen Colbert.
April 30, 2006
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23 comments:
I only read the text at editorandpublisher.com, but superbly done, I will scan for the c-span replay today.
I can imagine it was strange, when the studio audience usually laughs and applauds for Steve, and as you say that was lacking at the correspondents dinner.
Great fun, a true roast.
Sock: There's video of the performance at my link.
I was hoping you would mention something about the Correspondent's Dinner, as I caught the tail end of it (or part of it, it seemed to be the end) on CSPAN last night (Saturday).
I did a double take seeing two Bushes up on the dais. Bush, and an impressionist, seemed to be doing some sort of "what you hear me saying/what I am really saying" act that was kind of fun.
I wish these types of events would be broadcast on the networks at night, so that the average citizen could see the human side of Bush (or any president).
Also, it would let people see that while two groups can be antagonistic toward each other, that it is still possible to laugh and enjoy each other's company.
(In other words, it would fight the impulse among people to assume that issues/opinions trump relationships, or that "others" (whether politicians/lawyers/journalists/police/etc.) are somehow less human, or more corrupt, or less intelligent than the average person).
Hey, why did we invade Iraq?
What passes for humor these days makes me laugh.
You've got to admire Colbert. With his performance at the Correspondent's dinner, he officially reached "I'm Keith Hernandez" status, for having the nerve/confidence/balls to say anything he wants and have the game to pull it off.
He wasn't the MVP in '79, but he played the WHC dinner in '07.
Colbert doesn't do live as well. He did a good job a couple of years ago at the Chevy Chase roast which was more of a monologue than a cross between his show/stand-up. Ballsy is fine, but my 3 year old daughter is the most courageous thing on 2 feet -- which is why I'm always getting her off of things.
I'm his audience -- I liked it though it wasn't as funny Anne (you are correct) without the Word, etc. He should've done a tip of the hat wag of the finger thing and perhaps one of his awesome interviews (a taped segment) with someone -- John McCain, Laura Bush, -- wouldn't one with Scalia be incredible?.
Only a kool-aid drinker who thinks Bush is Hitler and that the media is conservative (MA and quxxo perhaps?) would whole-heartedly love it, though I do admire the chutzpah and whomever booked him should've known basically what they were getting.
Perhaps next year they can have Louis Black. I would pay for that.
Glenn Greenwald: ...a commenter at the site of Jonah's mom, Lucianne Goldberg, said that "Steve Colbert was utterly disgusting. . . He was rude, snarky and unpatriotic toward the President and First Lady." One can be unpatriotic towards one's country, but not to the Leader, and certainly not by expresing criticism of the Leader, even to his face. The efforts to shield the President from criticisms of any sort has been one of the most significant factors enabling the lawbreaking pathology of this president, who clearly has come to see himself as a shielded king. The belief that an American citizen is unpatriotic by virtue of criticizing and opposing the president is one of the most pernicious ideas to take hold in some time. What Colbert did took real courage and - like Savage - he should be commended for reminding us of the kind of country we are supposed to have, and the kind of country we aren't supposed to have and, until this administration, never had.
and ...
Planet Doug: "Man, this was funny but really edgy. It's like doing comedy about Iran in Iran in front of clerics."
Andrew: Thanks for bringing up Scalia. I forgot to write that: Scalia was cracking up. Wonder if he watches the show. I think the show is enjoyable whether you support Bush or not.
Troy: Good idea! Scalia should go on the show!
Ann (I mistakenly gavethe dreaded "e" earlier -- sorry.),
Scalia would be genius TV -- if his ego would allow the prodding (and I think it would).
I can't wait for Better Know a District with McKinney's district -- Colbert may get bitch-slapped if he doesn't watch it.
Ver. Word: "azcoc" (There's a McCain joke in there somewhere but it would be too crass
Le Colbert' Reporrr'!!
*Points pen at the camera a.k.a your direction*
I was so nervous for him. The audience was cruel indeed. But I am glad he did it. Did you notice when it was over just as many people came up to him as they did George Clooney.
Colbert is definitely Keith Hernandez.
gutsy.
"I wasn't pushing you away. I was pulling me toward myself."
Yay!
Johnny Nucleo (or is that "nukulo"?)
Amen! The "ballsiness" of any of our entertainment elites is akin to the unsmiling irony of that great band "Rage Against the Machine". If they had ever raged against a real machine they would've found themselves blindfolded against a wall with their families getting a bill for the bullets. Green Day is another of my favorite "punk" bands with their multi-album Multinational corp. contract. They are exceedingly brave.
I do like Stephen Colbert, but he ain't brave. If he took his Christianity to China and spread the Word or supported those who do -- that would be bravery.
Troy - Oh please. It takes calls to stand ten feet away from the most powerful man in the world and say that he should ignore his low poll numbers because polls are based in reality and reality has a well-known liberal bias. The fact that he won't shoot you in the back of the head and bill your family for the bullets doesn't change that.
As for the bands you mention, I don't know if you've noticed, but over the past couple of years the pro-establishment country types have been branding themselves as rebels. Being a rebel is cool, even if you're 100% behind a President who's the son of a President who's the song of a senator who's the son of a millionaire.
Terry, I have to ask...do the Kennedy and Kerry (and now Clinton) millions bother you as much as the Bush Millions?
Thecla - Read my comment again, maybe you'll get the point this time.
Following Joe's link, I can hear much more audience laughter than I heard the first time I watched this. Perhaps, as in the Howard Dean scream, so much depends on the mic.
I suspect that the audience came expecting humor, which they got from Bush. But humor is not the same thing as satire. Perhaps the lack of Colbert coverage came about because most people don't enjoy being satirized. See the NYT report of the event as an example.
Johnny Nucleo, you cannot be serious. It takes a lot of guts to do what he did just a few feet from the POTUS. And its priceless to watch Bush just sit and have to take it. And Walt is right about the media squashing it. They've squashed it because the punishment was meted out against them as much,if not more so, than the President. Walt isnt saying they are covering for the President. They're covering for themselves. And anyone who doesn't realize he never thought he was going to get laughs has missed the point. Those pauses were CALCULATED for effect. Brilliant! If anyone wants to see the ineptitude that surrounds this administration....this is it. I guarantee the person who invited Colbert just didnt get the jokes and thought he was really right wing. Sad, but I guarantee true.
Johnny Nucleo, you cannot be serious. It takes a lot of guts to do what he did just a few feet from the POTUS. And its priceless to watch Bush just sit and have to take it. And Walt is right about the media squashing it. They've squashed it because the punishment was meted out against them as much,if not more so, than the President. Walt isnt saying they are covering for the President. They're covering for themselves. And anyone who doesn't realize he never thought he was going to get laughs has missed the point. Those pauses were CALCULATED for effect. Brilliant! If anyone wants to see the ineptitude that surrounds this administration....this is it. I guarantee the person who invited Colbert just didnt get the jokes and thought he was really right wing. Sad, but I guarantee true.
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