I'm checking out various websites, trying to get a read on opinion. Are righties slamming him and lefties exulting? Sorry, I'm in the middle on this one. I like the Colbert character, but think it works better in his studio, which symbolizes his cocoon and his self-love. Surrounded by others, he can't really play such a pompous and insular character. It seems desperate, and we worry about him, standing so close to people who must be quite intimidating. It's damned hard to be that good of an actor, but he did pretty well, and it took a lot of nerve.
I'm on around 7:20 Eastern, after Helen Thomas and Noam Scheiber, and along with Michael Scherer of Salon.
But first up is Jay Rosen of PressThink.
Noam Scheiber, who was also in the room, thinks Colbert was just off that night. He thinks Colbert didn't quite have a grip on his character, and he slipped into ranting criticism of the President, and just didn't have good enough jokes. He notes that Ed Helms (of "The Daily Show") wasn't finding much to laugh at. Only people who "put politics ahead of comedy" are finding a lot to laugh at.
Helen Thomas is saying that one reason people in the room didn't laugh is that they think it's not right to laugh in the President's face.
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That was fun! Did you listen? And, more importantly, did Steve listen?
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Now, Robert Thompson is on. He's a TV & pop culture professor. I'm jealous of that job! "The President has now been roasted by one of the coolest, hippest guys in the country," and the President "didn't blow," so "in an odd sort of way," the hipness rubbed off on Bush. Was Bush hurt? No! He got an injection of coolness!, says Thompson.
Then, I got back in at the end. I had to disagree with some assertions about what a new thing criticizing the President and the press is. It might be new to criticize the President when you're a guest at a big event and standing a few feet away from him, but it seems to me Americans have been mocking the powerful and piercing phony rhetoric since before we were a country.
UPDATE: You can stream the show here.
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20 comments:
Go with your gut Ann, be a gut goer.
Obviously Dave must live in a cocoon, or a backwater someplace where they don't have cable yet.
I have to chuckle about some of the people that don't understand, or think he's a republican. Precious.
I watched the DVR (Tivo) again and thought it gratingly unfunny. I watch the Colbert Report regularly and even check out the Colbert Nation every so often so I'm a fan -- and I'm conservative. His jokes came off as too one-sided. They were neither good-natured enough nor contained enough universally recognized truth (truthiness?) to be funny. In the end it came off as a screed -- almost no different than a Janeane Garafolo/Al Franken roast of George Bush -- and Colbert is better than that. It was slightly better than an Ann Coulter monologue at a WHCA Dinner during the Clinton era would've been.
I agree. It just wasn't that funny of a routine. I'm a strong supporter of the President, yet I've laughed at plenty of Saturday Night Life skits which absolutely skewered him. "Strategery" is funny.
I think the problem is that too many people in this country confuse humor with legitimate political criticism. The fact that a professional comedian like Jay Leno or John Stewart can make fun of some program, policy, or speech of the President's does not mean that the program, policy, or speech was actually bad or stupid. Professional comedians can make fun of just about anything. Likewise, the fact that some routine criticizes the President does not, ipso facto, make it funny.
The bit with Helen Thomas COULD have been funny, but the timing felt off. It would have been classic WH Correspondents dinner material, poking fun at both the press and the President. But it was just off, and it fell flat.
I listened (to Noam Scheiber and you, anyhow)! I thought you had the most salient points. It's a funny routine that works much better in its cocoon. Outside of it, the bit falls flat.
Even the meanest dog on the block gains sympathy after being kicked 20 times in a row w/o a breather.
Half of Colbert's problem is he should have spread the wealth around. Started in on the Prez, then sawed into the press + dems who were by then fat and happy.
Finally, this event is more of a roast. Fair game to pick on a guy's mannerisms, etc., but when it ends up being all about policy -- bleh.
Ann: Correction: I was not at the event. Noam was. I do watch Colbert (not every night, but semi-regularly) and I did mispronounce his name, and also Noam's name.
Too excited I guess.
You said "His theory is that people weren't laughing because the subject of the routine was the administration's disregard for evidence." I haven't been able to listen to the show, but what I think I said was that if press people weren't laughing, it's because they didn't think it was funny.
I also said the theme of Colbert's routine was the disregard for evidence.
smasha said: "It is supposed to make you think . I know we hate to do that here in America."
...except for you, of course... you're a real THINKER.
Not a speller, though, apparently. Hard to spell with all that thinkin'...
Jay: Sorry, I've made the correction. I want to hear the recording, but it seemed to me that you said that people weren't laughing because of what he was saying, which was about the disregard of evidence. Either you connected two thoughts you didn't mean to or I misheard that.
Not a speller, though, apparently. Hard to spell with all that thinkin'...
Now THAT'S funny! Ha ha funny, even.
It's possible I did connect them, or left that impression. I will have to listen to know for sure. I know I said the press wasn't laughing because the press didn't think it was funny. Thanks for the correction.
He's a TV & pop culture professor. I'm jealous of that job!
Very seriously Ann, you should consider this. With your art degree and your law experience you have the background, and frankly, it's clear from your day to day posts, that it is where your heart lies.
You have tenure. What better way to make use of that than to find something interesting for yourself, your students, and society. Not everyone can make the jump, but you can.
Go with your gut.
Even for those who lean to the right, wouldn't you relish in an opportunity to sit with George W. Bush and together watch a rousing episode of the Colbert Report? Wouldn't it be a much more entertaining experience than watching, say, Everybody Loves Raymond or America's Funniest Home Videos?
Those of you who might not have thought that Jay Rosen watches the Colbert Report probably don't remember his appearance on the Daily Show. Sorry Professor Rosen, this is something no NYU journalism student will ever forget.
Steven: Thanks! I'd forgotten that one myself and certainly wouldn't have remembered Rosen in connection with it. But I'd apply Robert Thompsons hipness-coolness theory to that appearance.
Ich: How hard do you think it would be for me, in my current job, to have one of my classes next year be "Law and Popular Culture"?
Ich: How hard do you think it would be for me, in my current job, to have one of my classes next year be "Law and Popular Culture"?
I truly have no idea. I don't know if it as simple as build it and they will come, or what any of the complexities are.
I suspect it's easier than my becoming a Rockette (my own personal dream job.)
Except Walt -- that if anyone who really cares about WHY we wnet to war -- all they have to do is go to the various clearinghouses where the transcripts of the speeches are stored and Bush et al. laid exactly the multiple reasons why we went to Iraq.
The real tragedy is that the media ignore all of the other reasons given (and with some help on the Bush admin. part focus entirely on WMD). Just because people SAY that WMD is the only reason we went to Iraq doesn't make it any more TRUE. That is called the BIG LIE -- tell it enough and it becomes the accepted version.
Did Bush emphasize WMD over the other reasons -- most certainly he did, but was it the only reason? No it was not -- and verifiably so.
Was oil the reason? I don't think so -- it would've been cheaper and easier to invade Norway and mexico to get oil. Bush's supporters have a nuanced view of him -- he does some good some bad. Bush haters have a fundamentalist view -- he is McChimpy Hitler -- all evil all the time -- which is funny from a group who never sees evil in anything other than Bush-Cheney.
Very refreshing to hear from someone who has more than a two week memory of current events and context. Thanks Troy.
It seems very obvious to me that the liberal media is attacking Colbert because of his conservative views.
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