Althouse: Stephen Colbert revives his "Colbert Report" comic-conservative character on the occasion of the GOP convention.

July 19, 2016

Stephen Colbert revives his "Colbert Report" comic-conservative character on the occasion of the GOP convention.

The comedy includes stuff like: "A lot of people are wondering how America, God’s girlfriend, ended up in relationship with this guy" (i.e., Trump).

37 comments:

CJinPA said...: I remember on his old show this guy once did a great mimic of a Bill O'Reilly type of conservative blowhard. But then they kept repeating the same episode. Wish he would have gotten the chance to show what else he could do.; 7/19/16, 8:39 AM
Amichel said...: Such tired shtick. Colbert hasn't been fresh since 2008 at the latest.; 7/19/16, 8:40 AM
rhhardin said...: The old Colberts on youtube don't seem to me as mocking conservatives so much as provoking amusing astounded responses from the liberal counterparty.

That is, the comedy actually goes the other way, politically.; 7/19/16, 8:44 AM
Hagar said...: Colbert tries too hard to be funny and is too anxious to be liked.; 7/19/16, 8:47 AM
Matt Sablan said...: Mean spirited parody is so draining.; 7/19/16, 8:47 AM
Matt Sablan said...: Add on: It's also usually... not very funny. I mean, how funny is it when a bunch of popular kids make fun of the unpopular kids using fake voices and over exaggerated caricatures? It's like when the jock fakes breathing hard to make fun of the fat kid who can't ruin.

It might be delivered well, and he might say something smart, but the underlining mean spiritedness of it just drains it of a lot of the comic value.; 7/19/16, 8:49 AM
Jim said...: If Citizens United had gone the other way, would this be allowed?; 7/19/16, 8:52 AM
David Begley said...: Could this guy just go away?; 7/19/16, 8:53 AM
Humperdink said...: Never understood the attraction to watch this guy. Not funny at all. But then I am old and still dance to roll 'n roll.; 7/19/16, 8:53 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: The commercials during reruns of The Big Bang Theory tell me that Conan O'Brien is still on TV.

Would not have thought that possible.

Did you know he can play the guitar?

That's so awesome!; 7/19/16, 8:54 AM
tim maguire said...: It's always sad to see a worn out star trying to relive his glory days by rehashing an old routine. George Bush's retirement is the worst thing that ever happened to Colbert.; 7/19/16, 8:56 AM
Inga said...: Of course mean spiritedness directed toward your favored issue or candidate is unpleasant, but give the guy a little bit of credit, that swallowing a "Bitter Hill" line was funny too. Lighten up.; 7/19/16, 8:57 AM
motorrad said...: Is this guy still a thing?; 7/19/16, 9:02 AM
TWW said...: A one-trick pony with marginal talent, bombing as Letterman's replacement tries desperately to stay relevant. His sophomoric stunt last night was embarrassing but he did finally draw a respectable audience. Demos weren't very good though. Embarrassing, juvenile.; 7/19/16, 9:06 AM
Matt Sablan said...: "Of course mean spiritedness directed toward your favored issue or candidate is unpleasant,"

-- I'm not a Trump fan. There's a way to be funny about things you don't like without devolving to Colbert/Stewart levels. Like I said, sometimes they can be legitimately funny, but the problem is that you have to wade through a lot of mean crap meant to signal to their fans, "I hate these guys too! Don't worry, our two-minute hate will happen soon!" to get to it.; 7/19/16, 9:07 AM
Inga said...: Somebodies are feeling very defensive this morning. Things not working out as you expected? It's not truly a "devolvement" until it falls to the level of Ann Coulter or Ted Nugent. What Colbert said was mild in comparison.; 7/19/16, 9:12 AM
Inga said...: Sarah Palin's insane ramblings also come to mind when speaking of devolvement.; 7/19/16, 9:15 AM
Ron said...: Haven't we broken through the parody barrier yet? Things are going to hell and these clowns are terrified of making fun of who SHOULD be made fun of....those in charge. That sure ain't Melania Trump. Around now these clowns have beclowned themselves. The best we can do now is to ignore them.; 7/19/16, 9:21 AM
n.n said...: First, they excised Posterity from The Constitution and disarmed, recycled the babies...

America became the battered wife of the Twilighters after joining the Pro-Choice Cult with promises of wealth, pleasure, leisure, and narcissistic indulgence. Trump caught her on the rebound and promises to restore her dignity and Posterity, too.; 7/19/16, 9:24 AM
Fred Drinkwater said...: Did Colbert really pull that podium stunt I read about last night?
Whatever possessed the RNC to give him press credentials?; 7/19/16, 9:26 AM
Matt Sablan said...: "Whatever possessed the RNC to give him press credentials?"

-- Because they keep thinking that the people who screw them over won't screw them over again.; 7/19/16, 9:29 AM
n.n said...: It was a roast. The babies were sacrificed in the privacy of chambers. The court jester performed up to expectation.; 7/19/16, 9:47 AM
damikesc said...: The commercials during reruns of The Big Bang Theory tell me that Conan O'Brien is still on TV.

Would not have thought that possible.

Conan is actually funny.

What Colbert said was mild in comparison.

Colbert hosts a nightly show on CBS to terrible ratings. Coulter and Nugent do not.; 7/19/16, 9:50 AM
damikesc said...: "Whatever possessed the RNC to give him press credentials?"

-- Because they keep thinking that the people who screw them over won't screw them over again.

I'd have pulled ALL of CBS' credentials over it.; 7/19/16, 9:50 AM
Humperdink said...: Unknown said: "Sarah Palin's insane ramblings also come to mind when speaking of devolvement."

Pot calling the kettle a person of color?; 7/19/16, 9:57 AM
SteveR said...: Seems like he needs to move on. Well he did but...

The Colberts of this country will try to play an role in this election but that was 2008.; 7/19/16, 10:26 AM
HoodlumDoodlum said...: I think this reinforces my point that Leftist hyperbole over the last few decades has left them lightly armed for against someone like Trump.
Colbert used this character against relatively benign non-Leftists like GWBush and Romney. His caricature of supporters for those two Republicans was broad and over the top, but the satire underneath argued that those Repubs (the candidates and their supporters) really are crazy and/or extreme. The reality, of course, is that those were mainstream, middle of the road candidates (same for most of their supporters) but the Left's characterization was successful - it stuck.

Comes now Trump. He actually is pretty extreme - he actually is out there. What does the Left say and do? Well, basically the same thing--he's crazy, a racist, a sexist, etc. But they said the same thing(s) about Romney, and about GWBush! Oh, but this time it's different, this time the Left MEANS it...; 7/19/16, 11:22 AM
Bilwick said...: Leftist comedic agitprop: stupid premises combined with unfunny jokes.; 7/19/16, 1:57 PM
Big Mike said...: What a stupid, stupid, petty little man. I cannot imagine for an instant that anyone with a shred of intelligence pays him the slightest bit of attention.; 7/19/16, 2:02 PM
Donn said...: What Big Mike said. . . .; 7/19/16, 3:03 PM
eddie willers said...: He bombed so badly as a late night host, I have to believe that CBS has quietly given him his walking papers...leaving Stephen free to be Stephen.; 7/19/16, 3:06 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: Blogger Unknown said...
Sarah Palin's insane ramblings also come to mind when speaking of devolvement.

7/19/16, 9:15 AM

"If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there's still a 30 percent chance we're going to get it wrong.”
-Joe Biden.
Like ducks in a barrel with Slow Joe, in'it?; 7/19/16, 3:08 PM
Achilles said...: Apparently Colbert's schtick is bad for ratings. Who woulda guessed..

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/06/03/late-night-ratings-may-23-27-2016-jimmy-kimmel-live-rises/; 7/19/16, 3:44 PM
Jim at said...: An unfunny person says unfunny things so that other, unfunny leftists can tell conservatives to 'lighten up.'

Got it.; 7/19/16, 4:49 PM
~ Gordon Pasha said...: "Un bon mot ne prouve rien." ~ Voltaire; 7/19/16, 5:11 PM
Dad/Geoff said...: Anybody wanna bet $10 that he will crash the Dem's convention? Hello?; 7/19/16, 9:46 PM
Scott said...: Memo to CBS: Stick a fork in him already.; 7/19/16, 10:27 PM