Colbert - Again from the Daily Howler

PUNDITRY LOST! Peter Beinart—a very good boy—has kept his mouth shut for six years: // link // print // previous // next //

THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006

WE DO LOVE OUR SEMI-DISTRACTIONS: As you know, we rarely praise Richard Cohen—but this morning, we think he’s largely right. On that score, we couldn’t help chuckling a smidge at this letter in today’s New York Times:
LETTER TO THE NEW YORK TIMES (5/4/06): The "debate" in the blogosphere over Stephen Colbert's performance at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner misses the point. The routine was neither a flop nor very funny.
Mr. Colbert's aim wasn't to please the attendees; there was no trace of anxiety when a "zinger" was received in silence. His real audience was at home, and his aim was to make his allegiances clear. On that score, it was no flop.

We’ll guess that may be right. And we’ll be honest—we hate that. Was Colbert trying to please “his real audience?” Unfortunately, he was being paid by the “attendees”—by the people he said he would entertain. To the extent that this letter is right, we think Colbert became the thing he denounces for just a moment—a pompous, self-impressed man.

http://www.dailyhowler.com/

Makes you appreciate yourself more.

read it at all.

Thanks for the heads up.

Was Colbert trying to please “his real audience?” Unfortunately, he was being paid by the “attendees”—by the people he said he would entertain. To the extent that this letter is right, we think Colbert became the thing he denounces for just a moment—a pompous, self-impressed man.

He was doing the same schtick he does on his show every day, he didn't make up something new to "spring" on an unsuspecting audience. Mehtinks someone either didn't do their homework before inviting him, or they thought he'd be so wowed to be in their presence he'd bow and scrape.

They invited and paid him to "entertain" and they weren't entertained. Awww. Too fecking bad. Ask for a refund. :eyes:

And I usually like the Howler. Not this time. I'm not entertained but I'll just have to deal with it and refrain from calling the Howler a hypocrite.

If they didn't want the kind of humor that he is known for, they should not have invited him. To put blame on Colbert because he didn't turn down the invitation to perform is just ridiculous.

The WHPC and it's defenders protesteth too much.

First of all Colbert is playing a pompuous and self
important CHARACTER.

By the authors own admittion it's a 'shtick'. He plays
a pompous, self important right wing demagogue and it
'shticks' in the craw of the RW that he continues to get
away with it even after the White House Correspondents
dinner.

Colbert even says outright that everything he does on the
Report goes against his beliefs.

Did Rodney Dangerfield really believe his
wife was getting some mo' better from the milkman?

By the way the event should be renamed, The White House
Passive Respondents Dinner.

That Colbert is POMPOUS is just stupid.
Colbert was simple, way to -dead on-, thus offensive.
God forbid.

Now he's just an idiot.

From your website:
Somersby wrote this.

((((By the way, that letter writer agreed—Colbert wasn’t funny. And uh-oh—here’s the explanation. “If his performance wasn't funny, perhaps it was because he wasn't joking.” Exactly—that was the problem!))))



I thought the best joke had a hint of truth to it. Colbert was un-funny for some because the truth is so ugly for them. I laugh my ass off every time I watch the video because his jokes are dead on. That some may find Colbert’s appearance rude and un-funny is more a reflection of them and there unwillingness to acknowledge reality then it is of Colberts’ performance.

Wouldn’t you agree?

The Daily What?

on this one.
Both are as hopelessly adrift on the Colbert issue as Bush is clueless about how deeply he's divided our country.
They're sounding like the cranky old man on the porch. "You kids get off of my lawn!"
Hey, Cohen, Daily Howler, there's rage out here and Colbert tapped into it and brought it to the show.
Listen and learn.
Cohen whined that Colbert "wasn't funny." And he says he knows funny. Show me, Cohen. Show me YOUR funny stuff.
And, by the way, I guess we all missed your column slamming Don Imus for being rude to the Clintons.
Or was having Monica at the dinne and telling blowjob jokes proper etiquette?
Very confusing.
We need Miss Manners.
Blowjob jokes vs. "truthiness".
Please advise.

This is like inviting the Three Stooges over for pie and complaining about the mess afterwords.

Colbert was Colbert. He didn't go out of his way to attack Bush or the media. They stepped in front of him by hiring him. Colbert has no obligation to be nice. They hired a comedian that was critical of them and he did his act. Who's fault is that?