Colbert Rapport
Steven Colbert baffles me. I understand that means little to most of you (yes, all three of you who read this), since I'm the only one who actually watches the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Ever since he began to helm his own show, I've been trying to find my bearings with him.
For example, the other night I watched an episode on Nova called "The Dimming Sun" about how particulates released into the atmosphere have been mitigating the effects of CO2 and global warming, making the real effects much worse than we thought should the particulates disappear. It frightened me. The next day, the Colbert Report makes it a centerpiece, and Steven's stance? Suck it, Earth. He has firmly established the image of a Bible-thumping ultra-conservative, but I don't buy it. He makes so little sense oftentimes that it's comical, and being a comedian, I assume that's what he's shooting for.
To be honest, I'm disappointed. I've gotten used to Jon Stewart, who presents satire but will often break down into laughter himself over the jokes he makes. That lets me identify with him, and I can see that behind his jokes, he has opinions and a personality. Colbert, on the other hand, has gone full-theater and adopted a persona that I don't know is real or not.
I have a theory, though. You see, Comedy Central already has a satirical news show, so Steven doesn't play up that angle. Instead, he pokes fun at another institution of mass media: the pundit. He plays the true fool, seeking laughs at his own expense in order to hint at the ridiculousness around him.
Or perhaps I give him too much credit. There are many who would say I already give this too much thought. It has bothered me, even while I laughed.
In an unrelated note (unless you follow the contorted pathways of my synapses), I found this most spiffy. It was on Free Energy News, which truthfully out to be called Alternative Energy News. I love stuff like this. Clever mechanisms, especially mechanical, appeal to me. I have an admiration and love for what you might call Self-Adjusting Systems. Like the various systems of the body, and how they self-regulate and even repair themselves in varying conditions. To get that from a system without a programmed central controller (i.e.-the brain) requires a good deal of cleverness, and will earn you as much acclaim from me.
On the other end of the Alternative Energy spectrum is stuff like this. Am I skeptical? You bet. Would I buy the stuff to try it? Yup. It's recent resurgence of popularity due to a certain man being 'approached' and 'threatened' to stop working on it makes me more than a little suspicious, especially since I knew of it before the 'publicity stunt'. Once I get a stable source of income, though, what's the harm in seeing if there's anything behind all the people who have supposedly made it work?
After all, my flight suit plans require two key components: a propellant-less method of generating force, and a compact power source of sufficient energy density. Both tall orders, but I have tall dreams.
Right now, I need to look a little lower and get a job first.
Twilight out.
Post-Script: Do I use 'but', 'though', and 'however' too much?
For example, the other night I watched an episode on Nova called "The Dimming Sun" about how particulates released into the atmosphere have been mitigating the effects of CO2 and global warming, making the real effects much worse than we thought should the particulates disappear. It frightened me. The next day, the Colbert Report makes it a centerpiece, and Steven's stance? Suck it, Earth. He has firmly established the image of a Bible-thumping ultra-conservative, but I don't buy it. He makes so little sense oftentimes that it's comical, and being a comedian, I assume that's what he's shooting for.
To be honest, I'm disappointed. I've gotten used to Jon Stewart, who presents satire but will often break down into laughter himself over the jokes he makes. That lets me identify with him, and I can see that behind his jokes, he has opinions and a personality. Colbert, on the other hand, has gone full-theater and adopted a persona that I don't know is real or not.
I have a theory, though. You see, Comedy Central already has a satirical news show, so Steven doesn't play up that angle. Instead, he pokes fun at another institution of mass media: the pundit. He plays the true fool, seeking laughs at his own expense in order to hint at the ridiculousness around him.
Or perhaps I give him too much credit. There are many who would say I already give this too much thought. It has bothered me, even while I laughed.
In an unrelated note (unless you follow the contorted pathways of my synapses), I found this most spiffy. It was on Free Energy News, which truthfully out to be called Alternative Energy News. I love stuff like this. Clever mechanisms, especially mechanical, appeal to me. I have an admiration and love for what you might call Self-Adjusting Systems. Like the various systems of the body, and how they self-regulate and even repair themselves in varying conditions. To get that from a system without a programmed central controller (i.e.-the brain) requires a good deal of cleverness, and will earn you as much acclaim from me.
On the other end of the Alternative Energy spectrum is stuff like this. Am I skeptical? You bet. Would I buy the stuff to try it? Yup. It's recent resurgence of popularity due to a certain man being 'approached' and 'threatened' to stop working on it makes me more than a little suspicious, especially since I knew of it before the 'publicity stunt'. Once I get a stable source of income, though, what's the harm in seeing if there's anything behind all the people who have supposedly made it work?
After all, my flight suit plans require two key components: a propellant-less method of generating force, and a compact power source of sufficient energy density. Both tall orders, but I have tall dreams.
Right now, I need to look a little lower and get a job first.
Twilight out.
Post-Script: Do I use 'but', 'though', and 'however' too much?
posted by Aisyrn | 11:09 PM
5 Comments:
Keep dreaming.. it's a wonderful thing to have aspirations. I never had them as a kid.
I prefer the likes of Eddie Izzard and Jon Stewart, who, as you noted, often laugh at themselves. You're right - it helps to identify with them as normal people. :)
While I've only seen a few clips of the Colbert Report, you're right that he is making fun of a different institution than Jon Stewart. While The Daily Show is making fun of what's going on in the world around us (and therefore is able to be in on the joke most of the time), Colbert is spending just as much time mocking the media as the events. He is making fun of shows like the O'Reilly Factor, which bring an obvious bias into their programming but never admit it. And yes, Colbert is putting on an act. To see just how far he'll take it, though, look up the transcript (or video clips, I sometimes forget that people sometimes digest news in that flashy medium with moving pictures) of Colbert's performance at the recent White House Correspondents Association dinner. It's amazing what (often very true) things a comedian can get away with saying to those in power while passing it off as comedy.
It would seem that the Washington Post and I think alike when it comes to puns.
http://throwawayyourtv.com/2006/05/stephen-colbert-60minutes-segment.html
Whaddya know, it is an act. He even keeps his kids from watching so they don't start to believe in it. He was also born and raised in Charleston, although he made a conscious decision not to have a Southern accent.
Post a Comment
<< Home