Sunday, April 30, 2006

Truthiness At The Correspondent Dinner

A confession first. I don't particularly like The Colbert Report. In fact, I don't like The Office either. I'm more of a My Name Is Earl fan. I guess I am just not erudite enough to enjoy subtle ironic comedy. On this point, I suppose President Bush and I have something in common.

Stephen Colbert was the featured speaker last night at the White House Correspondent Dinner. His performance was the to be expected dry, irony laced commentary. Although I haven't seen it myself, most reports are that it didn't go to well with the audience.

The right of course have wasted no time calling the performance a bomb and not in the good way the kids are all using.

The left are pretty solid in the opinion that Colbert has balls.

Of course the left are really just happy that Colber stuck it to the evil Bush. While, the right believes that since no one laughed and Colbert is someone who appears on TV (just not on right-winged approved TV) that it was another mean-spirited liberal screed.

They're probably both wrong. But if no one really laughed, in this case, the right is probably less wrong.

Joe Gandelman was actually there and has his take. As well as a larger circle of opinions.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am a fan of the Colbert Report, and just by chance, I was fortunate enough to catch most of his performance on C-Span last night. The reason he didn't go over well is that he pretty much ripped big gaping new ones for Bush and the members of the mainstream media, as well as folks such as John McCain (who he welcomed back to the Republican Party and invited to comevisit him in South Carolina when McCain speaks at Bob Jones University--ouch), and the Joint Chiefs of Staff ("They haven't retired yet, so they still support Rumsfeld"). It was definitely not a genial Friar's Club type roast, but some very pointed commentary and criticism thinly disguised as humor. There's no doubt in my mind that he was serious, and I thought it took some gigantic cojones to go in there and piss all over everyone's supper instead of just playing along by not rocking the boat. I would be surprised if he's ever invited back.

BTW, I thought the filmed bit with Helen Thomas was the weakest part of his appearance. It was too long and it just wasn't all that funny.

Anonymous said...

If you do a Google news search on Stephen Colbert, there are several pieces about how the mainstream media is all but ignoring his appearance at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Sounds like his criticisms of the press ruffled some feathers and bruised some tender egos. Good for him!

Anonymous said...

that guy has more than some cujones he is down right serious about being negative about everybody. I do like the talk though it was funny and hopefully some people will look at FOX with a new light. Funny FOX plays Family Guy, American Dad, King of the Hill and the Simpsons. Is this broadcasting company made up of the best cartoonists that are in the same light the most rightists. Are we truly looking at the meld where your president says haha.