'''The Colbert Report''' () is an
American satirical television program that airs from 11:30 p.m. to 12:00 a.m (10:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. central time) each Monday through Thursday on
Comedy Central. It stars comedian
Stephen Colbert, a former
correspondent for ''
The Daily Show''.
''The Colbert Report'' is a
spin-off and
counterpart of ''The Daily Show'' which, like ''The Daily Show'', critiques politics and the media. It
satirizes personality-driven
political pundit programs, particularly
Fox News' ''
The O'Reilly Factor''.
[1][2] The show focuses on
Stephen Colbert, a semi-fictional anchorman character, played by Colbert. The character, a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-
status idiot", is a caricature of televised
political pundits.
[3][4]
Several recurring themes shape the show. "
Truthiness", the quality by which one purports to know something emotionally or instinctively, without regard to evidence or intellectual examination, is a central theme. The term is used to satirize rhetoric in contemporary socio-political discourse which appeals to emotions and ignores facts. The show also mimics ''The O'Reilly Factor'' both in its format and in references within the program.
Greenscreen challenges are also a recurring theme.
''The Colbert Report'' has received award nominations from several organizations; it was nominated for four
Emmys in both 2006 and 2007, two
Television Critics Association Awards, two
Satellite Awards, and was given a Special Recognition award at the 2007
GLAAD Media Awards. It has been presented as non-satirical journalism in several instances, by the
Tom DeLay Legal Defense Trust, and following
Robert Wexler's interview on the program. ''The Report'' received considerable media coverage and following its debut on
October 17,
2005, for Colbert's coining of the term "truthiness", which
dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster named its 2006 "Word of the Year."
''The Report'' has had cultural influence in a number of ways. In 2006, after Colbert encouraged viewers to vote online to name a
Hungarian bridge after him, he won the first round of voting with 17,231,724 votes.
[ A seggfej Zrínyi előtt amerikai humorista nyerte a hídnévversenyt ] The Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary presented Mr. Colbert with a declaration certifying him as the winner of the second and final round of voting, though it was later announced that the bridge would be named the
Megyeri Bridge. In 2007, the Democratic Caucus chair instructed incoming freshmen not to do appearances on the show in response to the 'Better Know a District' segment.
[5] ''The Report'' has also coined several
neologisms, such as "freem" and "wikiality". It has also made repeated references to
Wikipedia and has influenced activity on the site.
Production
Colbert on "''The Colbert Gang''"
In 2004, ''The Daily Show'' was highly successful at the
Emmy Awards, and Comedy Central wanted to expand the franchise.
[6] Stephen Colbert had been a correspondent on, and co-writer for, ''The Daily Show'' for six seasons.
Jon Stewart and
Ben Karlin (''The Daily Show''
's executive producer) supposedly came up with the idea for ''The Colbert Report'' after watching coverage of the
sexual harassment lawsuit filed against
Bill O'Reilly. Jon Stewart's production company,
Busboy Productions, developed ''The Report''. Colbert, Stewart, and Karlin pitched the idea of the show (reportedly with one phrase: "our version of ''
The O'Reilly Factor'' with Stephen Colbert") to
Comedy Central chief
Doug Herzog, who agreed to run the show for eight weeks without creating a pilot.
[7]
''The Colbert Report'' first appeared in the form of three
commercials for itself which aired several times on ''The Daily Show'', although the themes that form the basis for ''The Report'' can be seen in the reports of Colbert's correspondent character on ''The Daily Show''. The show debuted
October 17,
2005, with an initial contract for an eight-week run. On
November 2,
2005 based on the strong
ratings for the show's first two weeks, Comedy Central and Colbert announced they had signed for an additional year, through the end of 2006.
[8]
Program format
Typically, Colbert starts each episode with teasers regarding the show's topics and guest, followed by a verbal
metaphor that promotes the show — for example, "Go out ten yards and button-hook to the left. I'm going to hit you with a perfect spiral of the truth. This is ''The Colbert Report''." The show's opening title sequence begins with images of flag waving, Colbert striking poses and words describing Colbert flying by. Originally, the last word was ''grippy'', but it has changed to ''megamerican'', ''Lincolnish'', ''superstantial'', ''freem'', ''eneagled'', ''flagaphile'', and as of
July 16,
2007, ''good''. The sequence ends with a computer-generated eagle swooping toward the foreground.
Following the opening sequence, Colbert proceeds a run-through of the day's headlines, similar to that of ''The Daily Show'' but with a pseudo-
right-wing spin. The program proper then begins with Colbert addressing a specific topic. That topic will usually lead into a "The Wørd" segment, which juxtaposes Colbert's commentary with ironic bullet points on-screen, a satirical take on ''The O'Reilly Factor'' "Talking Points Memo;"
[9] though on occasion he will conduct a short interview with someone having to do with the topic. The format of the middle segment varies, but it is normally a visual presentation or skit. Often, these skits are parts of recurring segments, like "
Better Know A District", "Tip of the Hat / Wag of the Finger," "Stephen Colbert's Formidable Opponent," "Movies that are destroying America" and "The Threatdown". The final segment is always an interview with a celebrity guest, often an author or government official.
[10]
Colbert on the set of ''The Colbert Report''. Note the three instances of the show's title (four counting the desk).
Set
The studio in which ''The Colbert Report'' is taped was used for ''The Daily Show'' until July 2005. The set for ''The Colbert Report'' is called "The Eagle's Nest" and reflects and facilitates Colbert's self-aggrandizing style.
[11] The set has two main areas: the desk, from which Colbert hosts most of the show, and the guest interview area to camera right, where his guest for the evening is interviewed. On one wall, above an artificial fireplace, is a portrait of Colbert; it originally showed Colbert standing in front of the same mantel with another portrait of himself. On the show's first anniversary, the portrait was replaced by one of Colbert standing in front of the mantel with the first portrait above it; the original was auctioned off at a charity event.
Colbert claimed that the portrait will be changed every year to add another level of depth.
The graphics used throughout the show and the studio itself are saturated with
American flags,
Bald Eagles, and other patriotic imagery.
[12] The set contains many references to Colbert, and on the show's first episode he pointed out several examples: his name, initials and the name of the show appear on the desk's plasma screen, on the rafters above the desk, and the desk itself is shaped like a giant "C".
In an interview with ''
The A.V. Club'', Colbert explained that much of the design for the set was inspired by
Leonardo da Vinci's ''
The Last Supper''. "All the architecture of that room points at
Jesus' head, the entire room is a
halo," Colbert said. "On the set, I'd like the lines of the set to converge on my head. And so if you look at the design, it all does, it all points at my head...there's a sort of
sun-god burst quality about the set around me."
[13]
''Stephen Colbert'' character
Main articles: Stephen Colbert (character)
The Stephen Colbert character is a semi-fictional character portrayed by comedian and actor Stephen Colbert. The character is a caricature of news pundits such as
Bill O'Reilly,
Sean Hannity, and
Geraldo Rivera, whose shows focus on "bluster and personality".
74 Colbert's character, a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot", is right-wing, egomaniacal, fact-averse, God-fearing, and super-patriotic. He claims to be an
independent who is often mistaken for a
Republican, but uniformly despises
liberals and generally agrees with the actions and decisions of
George W. Bush and the Republican Party. This is evidenced by one of the questions that he asks of many of his guests: "George W. Bush: great President, or the ''greatest'' President?"
[12]
The character's self-aggrandizing style includes frequent promotion of an extensive range of fictional merchandising and products, including perfumes,
sci-fi novels, medications and other products, all of which are either produced or endorsed by Colbert. Colbert has also convinced his viewers, whom he addresses as "the Colbert Nation", to vote for him in various public naming polls: a
bridge in Hungary and the mascot of the
Saginaw Spirit, an
Ontario Hockey League team have been named after him.
6[15]
Colbert's character has been described as a "caustic right-wing bully".
6 On the interview segment of the show, Colbert frequently attempts to "nail" his guest by using various
rhetorical devices, and often
logical fallacies, to prove them wrong.
Despite his bluster, Colbert's character suffers from , the
fear of
bears, which he refers to as "godless killing machines."
This bear phobia was inspired by Colbert's real-life fear of bears as a child.
[16] Colbert refers to Bill O'Reilly as "Papa Bear," a title with a double meaning, considering Colbert's hatred of bears.
[12] Colbert displays fear and suspicion of nearly any animal and is quick to declare they are "training" to attack humanity. He is also highly distrustful of technology, particularly robots.
Over the months of May and July in 2007, Colbert begged
Apple to give him a free
iPhone, and finally received one in July. Once he received it, however, he claimed the phone knew so much about him that he had become virtually dependent on it, and that the iPhone itself was a threat.
Colbert also despises the liberal media, the
New York Times in particular, but applauds
Fox News on a regular basis.
[18]
Recurring themes
''The Colbert Report'' presents various recurring themes that help define the show.
Truthiness
Stephen Colbert announces that "The Wørd" of the night is ''truthiness'', during the premiere episode of ''The Colbert Report''.
In "The Wørd" segment of the first episode of the ''Report'', Colbert featured the term ''truthiness'', defined as "the quality by which one purports to know something emotionally or instinctively, without regard to evidence or intellectual examination." Colbert said that, "I don't trust books, they're all fact, no heart. And that's exactly what's pulling our country apart today. Let's face it folks, we are a divided nation… between those who think with their head and those who know with their heart."
[19] In December 2005, the ''New York Times'' selected ''truthiness'' as one of nine words that captured the
zeitgeist of the year, and in January 2006, the
American Dialect Society announced that ''truthiness'' was selected as its 2005 Word of the Year.
[20]
Colbert has made frequent reference to the spread of the word ''truthiness'' since he introduced it, while carping on media accounts of ''truthiness'' that neglect to identify him as its source.
''Truthiness'' has since been discussed, sometimes repeatedly, in the ''
New York Times'', the ''
Washington Post'', ''
USA Today'', the ''
San Francisco Chronicle'', the ''
Chicago Tribune'', ''
Newsweek'',
MSNBC,
National Public Radio, the
Associated Press, ''
Editor & Publisher'', ''
Salon'', ''
The Huffington Post'',
ABC NewsRadio's ''Word Watch'' with Kel Richards and ''
Chicago Reader'', and on
ABC's ''
Nightline'',
CBS' ''
60 Minutes'', and ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show''. In January 2006, ''truthiness'' was featured as a Word of the Week by the website of the
Macmillan English Dictionary.
[21] In December of the same year,
Merriam-Webster announced that "truthiness" had been voted by visitors to its website to be the #1 Word of the Year for 2006.
[22] On
August 27,
2006, in an unprecedented move, the
Global Language Monitor named ''truthiness'' and ''
wikiality'' — both coined by Colbert on ''The Colbert Report'' — as the top television buzzwords of 2006.
[23][24]
Relation to ''The O'Reilly Factor''
The Stephen Colbert character and ''The Colbert Report'' are generally parodies of
Bill O'Reilly and ''
The O'Reilly Factor''. New episodes of ''The Colbert Report'' are scheduled in the same time slot as rebroadcasts of ''The O'Reilly Factor'', while ''Colbert'' rebroadcasts are scheduled during new ''O'Reilly'' shows.
[ Fear Factor Nicholas Lemann ] When O'Reilly appeared on ''The Daily Show'' before the second episode of ''The Colbert Report'' aired, he commented, "Before we get started, somebody told me walking in here, you got some French guy on after you making fun of me?", and made several references in the following interview to 'the French Guy'.
[ America's Anchors Maureen Dowd ][25] In a subsequent ''
Newsweek'' interview, O'Reilly said that he "feels it's a compliment" to have Colbert parody him because Colbert "isn't mean-spirited" and does not "use [his] platform to injure people." Later, Colbert replied on-air, "I like you too. In fact, if it wasn't for you, this show wouldn't exist."
4
''The Colbert Report'' features a commentary segment called "The Wørd", similar to O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo". Like the "Memo," "The Wørd" features the commentator asserting a political point of view with a text screen graphic next to him. However, while O'Reilly's text serves to emphasize his points, Colbert's text generally serves to provide an ironic counterpoint to his character's position. Other segments that can be juxtaposed with ''
The O'Reilly Factor'' are The Colbert Report's ''Inbox'' (compared to O'Reilly's "Factor Mail"); ''Stephen Colbert's Balls for Kidz'' which, unlike The Factor's "Children at Risk", tends to portray messages and lessons typically considered unsuitable for children; and ''That's The Craziest F#?king Thing I've Ever Heard'', which is comparable to O'Reilly's "The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day". Additionally, Colbert parodies O'Reilly's references to his program as the "no spin zone" by inviting viewers of his show to "take a spin in the no fact zone."
[26] O'Reilly and Colbert each appeared as a guest on the other's show on
January 18,
2007. O'Reilly seemed to regret this "crossover" before his time on The Colbert Report was through, stating as the audience reacted badly to him that it was "a huge mistake, me coming on here."
(As a souveneir, Colbert "stole" a microwave from the O'Reilly green room--in fact, he informed O'Reilly of his intention to take the microwave beforehand--later displaying it on his own show. He later sent over a replacement microwave, emblazoned with the Colbert Report logo.)
Greenscreen challenges
On the
August 10,
2006 episode, Stephen Colbert was shown wielding a
lightsaber in front of a
greenscreen, a parody of the
Star Wars Kid internet phenomenon.
[27] This was done as part of the "Better Know A District" segment, when Colbert visited
California's 6th congressional district, the home of
Star Wars creator
George Lucas. The greenscreen footage was subsequently edited by fans and their results were posted on the
Internet, primarily the website
YouTube.
[28] Colbert featured some of these clips on the
August 21 episode and issued the "Greenscreen Challenge" to the public — a contest to create the best video from footage shown in the
August 10 episode. Lucas himself made an appearance on the
October 11 episode to showcase his entry.
[ ‘Colbert Report’ celebrates first anniversary ]
When
indie rock band
The Decemberists shot a
music video for their single "
O Valencia!" in front of a green screen and asked fans to complete the video, Colbert accused them of copying his idea, and started his second green screen challenge, which called for fans to edit Stephen Colbert into The Decemberists unfinished music video. In response, The Decemberists challenged Colbert to a
guitar solo challenge.
[29] For a few weeks, the upcoming contest, which Colbert titled "Rock and Awe: Countdown to Guitarmageddon" ("The I-Rock War: Cut and Strum" and "The Axeman Cometh: Mourning Becomes Electric" were announced as alternate titles; Colbert added that he would find and fire the English major on his staff who created the latter title), became a focus of the show. On
December 20,
2006,
Chris Funk, lead guitarist for The Decemberists, came on the show for the guitar solo challenge. Once Funk finished playing, Colbert arrived on stage with a five-necked guitar belonging to
Rick Nielsen of
Cheap Trick. Colbert played two notes, pretended to cut his hand, and insisted that he could no longer play, so
Peter Frampton played a solo in Colbert's place. A panel of three judges,
New York governor Eliot Spitzer, Rock critic
Anthony DeCurtis, and chairman of the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at
New York University, Jim Anderson, voted to determine the best solo. DeCurtis voted for the Colbert/Frampton team, Anderson voted for Funk, and Spitzer withdrew himself from judging as Colbert tried to bribe him during the commercial break. The deciding vote was given to
Henry Kissinger, who had briefly appeared earlier in the show. Kissinger said that the
American people had won, at which point Colbert declared himself the winner.
[ Colbert slays Decemberists in Shred Off ] As a prize, Colbert received ''
The Crane Wife'', The Decemberists' new album, saying "The Crane Wife by the Decemberists? I love the Decemberists, they rock. In your face, Funk!"
Wrist violence and fictional addiction
On
July 26 2007, Colbert broke his left wrist while performing his warm-up for the show.
[30] Following the accident Colbert launched a new section of the show entitled "Wrist Watch", featuring news stories about wrists during which Colbert attacks what he sees as
Hollywood's glamourization of "wrist violence". Colbert wants to see all violent actions against wrists removed from
Hollywood films, and also attacks actors who glamorize it, for example,
Steven Seagal.
[31] On August 8, Colbert created the "Wriststrong"
wrist band, based on
Lance Armstrong's "
Livestrong" wrist band, in a hope to increase awareness of wrist violence.
[32] Colbert also orders those wearing the wrist bands to give to anyone they see who is more famous than themselves. Colbert also made the wristbands available to buy on colbertnation.com, and announced that all proceeds raised by the sales of the wrist bands would be given to the
Yellow Ribbon Fund.
[33].
Colbert has given bracelets to
Katie Couric who promised to wear it on ''
The CBS Evening News''. Colbert accused Couric as a "betrayer" when she appeared on air minus the wristband. Colbert then gave a bracelet to news anchor
Brian Williams, who was expected to pass it to news anchor
Matt Lauer. However, after a substitute appeared in place for Lauer on ''
The Today Show'', Colbert quickly launched a segment entitled "Where in the World is Matt Lauer's Wriststrong Bracelet?" Colbert asked any fan that sees Lauer wearing the bracelet to take a picture and send it in.
Besides his attempts to increase wrist awareness, Colbert has also started taking (and subsequently become addicted to) painkillers (which were revealed to be
SweeTarts on a close up) to deal with his injury, taking an absurd amount nearly every episode since the accident. Colbert states "I'm supposed to take these, 'take one once a'...I can't read [the bottle], oh, I'm gonna say once a minute". On August 13, Colbert ran out of pills and experienced
withdrawal symptoms of irritability and
hallucinations, which were only quelled once he found and eagerly consumed two pills on the floor behind his desk. On August 23 Colbert had his cast removed on the show.
[34] It was announced that Colbert would auction off his cast for the Yellow Ribbon Fund on
eBay. The auction began after Colbert's show on
August 23.
[35] Within minutes of the auction's start, bidding quickly rose to over $71,000. However, many bids were canceled because bidders failed to get pre-approved by the seller (which is required in the auction). It was sold for $17,200.
[36]
Recurring characters
★ 'P.K. Winsome' has had multiple appearances on ''The Colbert Report'' as a
political commentator,
entrepreneur, and
black Republican.
[12] He is played by former ''
Saturday Night Live'' cast member
Tim Meadows.
[12]
★ 'Luis' is Colbert's Nicaraguan
bookie, whom he has mentioned several times. On the April 26, 2007 episode, Colbert laments the loss of his turtle, Stephanie Colbertle the Turtle, in the Great Turtle Race. He says, "Of course I'm upset, as is my Nicaraguan bookie, Luis. Te voy a dar tu dinero Luis. I just need a week, amigo. And I need my thumbs."
[12]
★ 'Russ Lieber' is a satirical liberal radio talk show host from
Madison, Wisconsin and nemesis of Colbert. He is ultra-sensitive to political correctness, and often worries that his own words might be misconstrued as offensive. Lieber, played by
David Cross, has often appeared on the show to debate. As he is a liberal Jewish radio host from the Upper Midwest, Lieber appears to be a satirical take on
Al Franken.
[12]
★ 'Tad' is the building manager, portrayed by
Paul Dinello. Generally, he has hosted special segments, such as the building's fire drill. Other segments include his visit to a bank auction for
Randy "Duke" Cunningham's assets and his trip to
Colbert County, Alabama, to open The Stephen Colbert Museum and Gift Shop.
[12]
★ 'Bobby' is a stage manager, played by writer
Eric Drysdale. He frequently is called upon to do degrading things or to answer questions from Colbert. Bobby is also responsible for keeping track of the whereabouts of Colbert's "son", Stephen Jr.
[12]
★ 'Killer' is a member of Colbert's staff, a large man who never speaks. Due to his constant grimace, threatening stare, and probable criminal history, he is the only staff member that Colbert is afraid to abuse. He has also been described by Colbert as a "Demolitions Expert".
★ 'Jimmy' has only been seen on the show once, although Stephen frequently asks him to put up graphics and such, a reference to the show's director, Jim Hoskinson.
★ 'Meg' is a female intern. When the Democratic Party swept the House and Senate
elections of 2006, Colbert characterized the result as a victory for the terrorists, and showed Meg wearing a
burqa. Earlier in that same episode, to prove that the show was indeed live, Colbert demanded Meg have sex with him or be fired. Meg later appeared during Stephen's
homage to legendary Swedish Director
Ingmar Bergman, during which her mysterious appearance leaves Stephen concerned and distraught.
★ '
Wilford Brimley' is Colbert's "Spiritual Advisor" with whom he frequently has phone conversations. These conversations usually end up with Brimley's (voiced by Colbert) going off on angry go-nowhere tangents that he usually blames on his bout with "
The Diabeetus".
★ 'Esteban Colberto' is a
Mexican version of Stephen. He can be seen with two beautiful girls dancing around him whom he refers to only as "Chicas," and summons and dismisses them on command. He has been featured in an exhibit of "The Wørd" (where he was Cuban and not Mexican) and on Stephen's coverage of
President George W. Bush's visit to
Latin America.
[12]
★ 'Alan' is Stephen's ex-"black friend." Stephen demoted him to "black acquaintance" after seeing him march in an anti-war demonstration. Since Alan's demotion, Stephen has been searching for a new Black Friend but has been unsuccessful thus far. Alan is played by comedian
Jordan Carlos.
[12]
★ 'The Professor' is a homeless man who is mentioned as Stephen's "protégé" from time to time. This mention is usually accompanied by a picture of The Professor showing both a look of happiness and insanity.
★ 'Eliza' is a poor, apparently English orphan who acts as Colbert's camera person on occasion. She is typically referenced by Colbert as "practically being a slave."
★ 'Dr. Jerald Vizzone' is Stephen Colbert's doctor who appeared on the show shortly after Colbert's wrist breaking. He showed x-rays of Colbert's wrist and explained its (non)seriousness, and, in a later appearance, removed Colbert's cast on the air. Whenever Dr. Vizzone appears, he is accompanied by music and dancing medical interns, and is allowed to greet the crowd in a fashion that only Colbert himself is normally allowed to do.
[45]
Reception
''The Colbert Report'' drew an unusual amount of media attention prior to its premiere. It was featured in articles in ''
The New Yorker'',
NPR's ''
All Things Considered'' and ''
Fresh Air'',
CNN, and ''
The Washington Post''. ''
The New York Times'' alone ran three articles on the ''Report'' before its debut, and has made repeated references to ''The Colbert Report'' since then.
[46] Maureen Dowd, for instance, referred to Colbert's "Dead To Me" board as a metaphor in her column, saying that
Oprah Winfrey "should take a page from Stephen Colbert and put the slippery
James Frey on her 'Dead to me' list".
[47]
''The Colbert Report'' drew 1.13 million viewers for its premiere episode, a 47% increase than the average for that time slot over the previous four weeks, and 98% of the viewership of ''The Daily Show'', which has Comedy Central's second-largest viewership.
[48] Averaged over its opening week, ''The Report'' had 1.2 million viewers per episode, more than double the average for the same time the previous year, when the time slot was occupied by ''
Too Late with Adam Carolla''. The premiere week of ''The Colbert Report'' also coincided with the second-highest-rated week of ''The Daily Show'', behind the week leading up to the
2004 U.S. presidential election.
[49]
''The Colbert Report'' rapidly became an internet phenomenon, with a vast number of clips from the show being posted onto YouTube by fans. Subsequently references to YouTube were made in jokes on the show, which also launched the first "
green screen challenge". On
October 27,
2006, however,
Comedy Central asserted its copyright over ''The Colbert Report'' clips, and YouTube removed all clips over 5 minutes in length. In February 2007, at
Viacom's request, they removed all remaining ''Colbert Report'' clips.
Criticism
Transphobia
Jokes targeting transgender people, particularly transwomen, are a recurrent theme in Colbert’s repertoire. Examples of this include warnings about gender-variant pandas,
[50] suggesting that a woman guest was a “she-male,”
[51] and a reference to “trannies” as “dangerous characters” from whom soldiers need to be protected.
[12]
Members of the trans community have spoken out about these and other negative impacts of Colbert’s show,
[53] but there has been no response from Colbert himself. The transphobic jokes often rely on the myth of the deceptive transwoman who lures heterosexual men into danger. Author Julia Serano has described how many in the media use this image as a plot twist, and how this portrayal affects transwomen’s lives.
[54]
Presented as non-satirical journalism
Tom DeLay Legal Defense Trust
In May 2006, the
Tom DeLay Legal Defense Trust posted a video of ''The Colbert Report'' on its website and sent out a mass email urging DeLay supporters to watch how "Hollywood liberal"
Robert Greenwald "crashed and burned . . . when promoting his new attack on Tom DeLay."
[55] The video featured Colbert asking questions such as, "Who hates America more, you or Michael Moore?"
[56] The Trust's email describes its content as "the truth behind Liberal Hollywood's" , and characterizes the ''Colbert Report'' clip with the headline, "Colbert Cracks the Story on Real Motivations Behind the Movie." On
June 8,
2006, Colbert responded by conducting an "Exclusive Fake Interview" on his show with DeLay. Three different interviews with DeLay on different networks were spliced for humorous effect, and Colbert ended the "interview" by saying "I do hope you enjoyed my manipulation of your words." DeLay has since appeared as a guest on the program.
Robert Wexler
On
July 25 2006, Colbert responded to television networks — specifically
Fox News, NBC's ''
The Today Show'' and ABC's ''
Good Morning America'' — which took comments made by
Florida Congressman
Robert Wexler on ''The Colbert Report'' out of context (e.g., "I enjoy cocaine and the company of prostitutes because they are a fun thing to do."). Wexler, who ran unopposed in the then-upcoming election, made the comments in response to a suggestion by Colbert to "say some things that would really lose the election for you if you were contested."
[12]
Awards
In 2006, ''The Colbert Report'' was nominated for four
Emmys, one more than its parent, ''
The Daily Show''.
[58] However, ''The Colbert Report'' lost two of its Emmy opportunities to ''The Daily Show'' — Colbert received one as a then-member of ''The Daily Show's writing staff. Colbert also lost Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program to
Barry Manilow, who was nominated for a one-time
PBS special, as Colbert jokingly noted while presenting an Emmy later that night. Manilow later appeared on ''The Report'' to sign a peace treaty with Colbert, in which they agreed to
joint custody of the award. The two then sang a duet of Manilow's classic "
I Write the Songs".
It was nominated for:
★ Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program, Episode #110
★ Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program, Stephen Colbert
★
Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
★ Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program
Additionally, the show was nominated for two
Television Critics Association Awards:
[ Awards for "The Colbert Report" (2005) ] Outstanding Individual Achievement in Comedy (Stephen Colbert), and Outstanding New Program of the Year ''The Colbert Report'' was also nominated for
Satellite Awards in two categories in 2005 and 2006:
[ Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical (Stephen Colbert), and Television Series, Comedy or Musical. It was also given a Special Recognition award at the 2007 GLAAD Media Awards.[59]]
In 2007, ''The Colbert Report'' was again nominated for 4 Emmys for the second consecutive year. It has been nominated for, "Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program", "Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program", "Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series" and "Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program".[60]
Other honors
Colbert has received other several honors and distinctions. On March 29, 2006, Colbert announced that he had been contacted by San Francisco Zoo officials seeking his permission to name an unhatched bald eagle after him.[61] The eagle, affectionately dubbed "Stephen Jr." on ''The Report'', was bred to be reintroduced into the wild, as a part of the zoo's California Bald Eagle Breeding Program. Colbert celebrated the chick's birth on the April 17, 2006, program, and has since given updates on the bird's development. He has criticized the bird for migrating to Canada, and has attempted to lure him back to the US, but as of June 2007, Colbert claims the two are still estranged. On June 3, 2006, Colbert received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Knox College, Illinois;[62] his credit as producer has been listed since that time as "Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A."[63]
On September 30, 2006, the Saginaw Spirit, an OHL hockey team in Saginaw, Michigan, named its co-mascot "Steagle Colbeagle the Eagle" in honor of Colbert (despite the fact that it was spotted holding a Canadian flag during the anthem).[64] Before the introduction of the mascot, the team record was 0-3-0-1, but once the "Steagle" was introduced, the team improved their record to 44-21-0-3 by the season's end,[65] before losing in the first round of the playoffs.[66] On January 27, 2007, Oshawa, Ontario declared March 20 "Stephen Colbert Day" after mayor John Gray bet Colbert that the Oshawa Generals would beat the Spirit, and Saginaw won 5-4.[67]
Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor, Americone Dream, named for Colbert
On February 14, 2007, the ice cream company Ben and Jerry's announced a new flavor of ice cream, "Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream" (available only in the United States). The flavor is described as "a decadent melting pot of vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl."[68] The company's founders appeared on the show on March 5, 2007 to discuss the ice cream and to plug their "grassroots education and advocacy project," TrueMajority.
On March 12, 2007, the Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics, Joe Quesada, awarded Stephen Colbert the shield of the recently deceased superhero Captain America.[12] The letter to Stephen accompanying the shield stated that "the Star-Spangled Avenger has bequeathed... his indestructible shield to the only man he believed to have the red, white and blue balls to carry the mantle." Stephen promised to use the shield "only to fight for justice... and to impress girls." It was, in fact, one of only two full-sized prop shields which had previously been kept in the Marvel offices.[12] In the latter part of March 2007, Drexel University named a leatherback turtle in honor of Stephen in their Great Turtle Race.[12] "Stephanie Colburtle the Turtle" came in second place, losing to a turtle named Billie.[12]
On August 22, 2007, Richard Branson, who was being interviewed as a guest, announced that one of his ''Virgin America'' aeroplanes would be named, "Air Colbert". However, the interview later disintegrated, as Branson and Colbert began throwing water at each other.[73]
Cultural impact
Hungarian bridge campaign
In 2006, the Ministry of Transport of Hungary launched an online call for public suggestions to name a future motorway bridge over the Danube, just north of Budapest. Ministry officials said the Hungarian Geographical Name Committee would choose from among the three submitted candidates with the most votes, guided by suggestions submitted by "local governments, cartographers, linguists, and other experts".[74] Users offered hundreds of suggestions, among them the "'You Can Go To Bratislava But Not Over This Bridge' Bridge" and the "Chuck Norris Bridge," which led in votes for some time.[75] Colbert noted the effort in his "Tip of the hat, wag of the finger" segment on August 9,[ Colbert Report - Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger gdo01 ] and in the following weeks, he continued to ask viewers to vote for him. On August 22, Hungarian news sites reported Colbert had won the first round of voting, with 17,231,724 votes.[ Hungary changed the voting rules after the members of the Colbert Nation Forums developed a bot to stuff the ballot box, requiring registration to vote in the second phase. That night, Colbert asked his viewers to cease their efforts,][ Colbert Report: Hungarian Bridge Stephen Colbert ] and offered
apologies,[ spending a segment honoring Hungary, its history and its contributions to the world.[76]]
On September 24, 2006 Colbert introduced his guest András Simonyi, Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary to the United States. The ambassador presented Mr. Colbert with a declaration certifying him as the winner of the second and final round of voting. The document bore the signatures of Hungarian government officials and the country's official seal.[12] Included in the text, as read by the ambassador, were two important conditions required for the name of the bridge to be made official. First, Colbert must be fluent in Hungarian. Colbert responded by pronouncing the Hungarian name ''Nicholas Zrinyi'' (incorrectly referring to Miklós Zrínyi) and ''híd'' (meaning 'bridge' in Hungarian); Simonyi quickly certified him as fluent.
Congressional response
In response to the 'Better Know a District' segment, Rahm Emanuel, the Democratic Caucus chair instructed incoming freshmen not to do appearances on the show.
Neologisms
''The Colbert Report'' has created new words. Besides "Truthiness", Colbert has coined other terms including "Freem", which is "Freedom without the do, because I do it all for you."[12] Other words include: "Eneagled," a portmanteau word of "enabled" and "eagle", thus meaning "to be given the characteristics of an eagle", "Frenemy," referring to China's ambiguous relationship to the United States as neither a friend nor an enemy, and "Mantasy™," meaning male fantasies, such as running away from the wife to become free, a word to which Colbert claims to hold a copyright.[12]
Wikipedia references
Stephen Colbert has made repeated references on the show to Wikipedia, which he refers to as his "favorite website", generally in "The Wørd" segment. Colbert's first reference to Wikipedia was on the July 31, 2006 broadcast, when "The Wørd" was wikiality, defined as the concept that "together we can create a reality that we all agree on — the reality we just agreed on."[83] He explained that on Wikipedia "any user can change any entry, and if enough users agree with them, it becomes true."
On January 29, 2007, Wikipedia was referenced again. "The Wørd" was wikilobbying, defined as "when money determines Wikipedia entries, reality has become a commodity," alluding to a case in which Microsoft allegedly hired someone to tamper with Wikipedia.[84] As an example of "The Wørd," Colbert showed a graphic of the Wikipedia page "elephants," which appeared to say "Thanks to the works of Stephen Colbert, the population of elephants has tripled in the past 10 years."[85] He also offered $5 to the first person who changed the Wikipedia article "Reality" to read "Reality Has Become A Commodity".[86]
On May 24, 2007, the guest was Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia. Stephen Colbert called Wikipedia a "battlefield for information," a tool which "brings democracy to information" and moves away from the views of the "elite who study things and got to say what is or is not real." During the interview, Colbert showed a sentence on the screen: "Librarians are hiding something," which Wales could not see, with the implication that Wales could not stop a critical mass of individuals from editing a page according to the dictates of one influential individual. Wales' responded that "the interesting thing about it [''The Colbert Report''] is that Wikipedians watch it."[87]
On August 21, 2007, Colbert attacked WikiScanner, a website that tracks down people who make anonymous edits on Wikipedia, claiming that it is an invasion of privacy, particularly for corporations, and that it attacks "self-invention". He highlighted a case where ''Pepsi'' edited their entry by removing "Long-term health effects" from their article. This resulted in his "Wørd" being, "Self-Determination", claiming that everyone on the Internet should be anonymous and should not be forced to give away their true identity. Colbert later described Wikipedia as "Second Life for corporations," saying if a corporation wants to pretend to be someone else online, then that is their business.(he also hinted that he plays World of Warcraft)[88]
2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
Main articles: Stephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
Colbert made a speech during the 2006 White House Correspondents Association Dinner, performing as his character. His speech "Praised" George W. Bush and the media in general. Bush himself and his wife Laura were sitting a few yards away from him.[89] During his speech, Colbert made several comments about Bush, including:
"I stand by this man. I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only ''for'' things, he stands ''on'' things. Things like aircraft carriers, and rubble, and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message: that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound — with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world."[90]
During the speech, several of Bush's supporters and aides walked out in protest, with one aide saying of the president that he had "that look that he's ready to blow."[91]
DVDs
A DVD of highlights from ''The Colbert Report'' is to be released by Comedy Central for November 6. It will be a single-disc DVD containing features including "The Wørd", "Better Know a District," "Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger", "Threat Down" and will also include celebrity interviews.[92]
See also
★ List of ''The Colbert Report'' episodes
★ ''The Daily Show''
★ Comedy Central
★ Colbert's Shred-Off with the Decemberists following Green Screen Challenge dispute
★ List of late night network TV programs
★ Recurring segments on The Colbert Report
★ Rick Mercer Report
Notes
1. Bill O'Reilly's baroque period. Nicholas Lemann
2. Stephen Colbert interview Nathan Rabin
3. Funny About the News Deborah Solomon
4. The Truthiness Teller Marc Peyser
5. Emanuel tells freshmen to avoid Stephen Colbert Jonathan E. Kaplan
6. Stephen Colbert Has America By the Ballots Sternbergh
7. First 'Stewart,' now 'Colbert' Levin
8. Comedy Central Keeps Colbert
9. Mock News Becomes Very Real Success Ryan Nolan
10. 'Colbert Report' to Get Best-Of DVD Associated Press
11.
12.
13. Stephen Colbert Interviewed by Nathan Rabin
14.
15. Spirit notch victory, unveil mini-mascot
16.
17.
18.
19. Truthiness
20. Truthiness Voted 2005 Word of the Year by American Dialect Society
21. Word of the Week Archive:Truthiness Maxwell, Kerry
22. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year 2006
23. "Truthiness," "Wikiality" named TV words of year
24. 'Truthiness' and 'Wikiality' Named Top Television Buzzwords of 2006 Followed by 'Katrina', 'Katie,' and 'Dr. McDreamy'
25. Great Charlestonian? ... Or the Greatest Charlestonian? Bryce Donovan
26. About Us No Fact Zone
27. Stephen Colbert's green screen challenge has a winner!
28. Colbert announces Green Screen Challenge winner
29. Colbert, Decemberists rattle their light sabers
30. Stephen's Wrist
31. Steven Seagal and Wrist Snuff
32. Wrist Watch - WristStrong
33. WristStrong Bracelets
34. Rove Resigns
35. Stephen Colbert to announce the eBay auction of his celebrity-signed cast
36. Stephen Colbert: Exclusive Cast
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45. The cast comes off
46. 'Daily Show's Personality Gets His Own Platform
47. Oprah! How Could Ya?
48. "Canada, You're on Notice!"
49. 'Colbert,' Cartoons Break Big for Comedy Central
50. Threatdown - All Animal
51. Jessica Valenti
52.
53. No Designation: The Politics of Identity on the Edge (Category: Stewart/Colbert)
54. Skirt Chasers: Why the Media Depicts the Trans Revolution in Lipstick and Heels, by Julia Serano
55. Defend DeLay
56. Desperate for Supporters, DeLay Turns to Stephen Colbert
57.
58. The 58th Primetime Emmy Awards and Creative Arts Emmys Nominations
59. Jennifer Aniston, Martina Navratilova, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy Honored at 18th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles
60. Primetime Emmys, 2007 nominations
61. Leah Garchik Leah Garchik
62. Peter Bailey Peter Bailley
63. IMDb Database IMDb
64. The Colbert Report Spotlights Spirit
65. OHL standings
66. 2007 Playoff Brackets
67. Hockey team ensures 'Stephen Colbert Day'
68. Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream
69.
70.
71.
72.
73. Richard Branson Interview
74. Chuck Norris leads vote for Budapest bridge name (link dead as of July 26, 2007)
75.
76. Colbert Report: Stephen Colbert Salutes Hungary Stephen Colbert
77.
78.
79. The M0 Bridge named as Megyeri Bridge
80. Colbert Nation Stephen Colbert
81.
82.
83. Video: The Colbert Report, Wikiality Stephen Colbert
84. An interesting offer: get paid to contribute to Wikipedia Rick Jeliffe
85.
86. Video: The Colbert Report, Wikilobbying Stephen Colbert
87. Jimmy Wales
88. "The Wørd" - Self-Determination
89. Stephen Colbert Has Brass Cojones
90. Daily Kos: Re-Improved Colbert Transcript
91. Skewering comedy skit angers Bush and aides Paul Bedard
92. 'Colbert Report' to Get Best-Of DVD
References
★ 'Daily Show' Correspondent Readies 'The Colbert Report': National Public Radio's Robert Siegel interviews Stephen Colbert, May 4, 2005
★ 'Daily Show' Personality Gets His Own Platform, ''The New York Times'', May 4, 2005
★ TV's Newest Anchor: A Smirk in Progress, ''The Washington Post'', October 10, 2005
★ The News Is Funny, as a Correspondent Gets His Own Show, ''The New York Times'', October 12, 2005
★ Zap2it Colbert interview October 15, 2005
★ The Colbert Factor: The Daily Show's senior bloviator gets a desk of his own, Slate, October 18, 2005
★ Comedy's Colbert Report Gets 1.13 Mil. Viewers, Mediaweek, October 18, 2005
★ 'Daily Show' alum scores with a slap at talking heads, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', October 19, 2005
★ Colbert brings real wit to mock punditry, ''Detroit News'', October 20, 2005
★ The wit and sense of 'Colbert Report': Show is smart, funny and a logical offshoot, Media Life, October 20, 2005
★ 'The Colbert Report' succeeds as comedy, opened with strong ratings and seems destined for a long run. What does that tell us about the news business?, ''Newsweek'', October 21, 2005
★ Egomaniacal satirist broadcasts Stewart spinoff, ''Daily Orange'', October 21, 2005
★ 'Colbert', Cartoons Break Big for Comedy Central, zap2it.com, October 24, 2005
★ Bringing Out the Absurdity of the News, ''The New York Times'', October 25, 2005 (misreports first Word of the Day as "Trustiness"; later publishes a correction, reports that it should have been "Truthiness")
★ Colbert Report comes north Nov. 7, ''Toronto Star'', October 31, 2005
★ Group wants hall named for Colbert, ''The Pitt News'', January 7, 2007
External links
★ ''The Colbert Report'' Web site (Comedy Central)
★ "The Colbert Report" at Yahoo! TV
★ Colbert Nation - Owned by Comedy Central's Central Productions LLC
★
★ Global Language Monitor on Top Television Buzzwords
★ Stephen Colbert's Wikiality
★ Colbert University - A viewer's companion for The Colbert Report
★ The No Fact Zone - A Stephen Colbert and 'The Colbert Report' news blog
★ Bill O'Reilly's visit to The Colbert Report
★ colbertclips.com Video Archive and Discussion
★ RSS Feed of Colbert Report clips on Viacom's iFilm
★ Tek Jansen comic book preview
★ Books featured on the Colbert Report
Radio interviews
★ NPR's All Things Considered Interview with Colbert from May 4, 2005
★ NPR's Fresh Air With Terry Gross Pre-Debut Interview from April 8, 2005
★ NPR's Fresh Air With Terry Gross Post-Debut Interview from December 7, 2005
★ Co-Head Writer Allison Silverman on The Sound of Young America from September 29, 2006
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