The Saginaw News posted an editorial a few weeks back that basically said that the Colbert Report publicity for the Saginaw Spirit could hurt the team (“Unlike Colbert, I deal in real life. … I have little respect for people like Colbert who make a living glorifying themselves and criticizing other people.”). For the record, the Saginaw Spirit quickly wrote an article that proved this writer to be dreadfully wrong. Today, that same anonymous OpEd writer has penned another criticism of Colbert, in a very defensive and incoherant rambling:
Truth is out there, if only we will pursue it together
Friday, November 10, 2006On the other side, every person also is blessed with good traits. Why can’t we draw these out? Is Truth only evil? Or, more likely, do we not care?
I wrote a column in The Saginaw News two weeks ago about Stephen Colbert and the new mascot of the Saginaw Spirit hockey team. I called out Colbert — Dr. Colbert, not Mr. Colbert, so I’ve learned — for criticizing others. The two Colberts are not related, and I should not have compared them, several of his fans told me.
Why do we approve criticism from Dr. Colbert and not from politicians? Satire and sarcasm are funny, so I should lighten up, I’m told. It doesn’t matter if satire comes at the expense of someone else; that’s the point. Just as long as the “victim” is not you.
[JonStewart]Whaaaaaaaaa?[/JonStewart]
I read on the Colboards of at least half a dozen people who wrote polite (and not so polite) letters into the Saginaw News explaining that this writer had, let’s just say some issues with his perspective in his original article. I have a feeling he feels like he’s a bit of a victim right now in this current piece.
I’ve read and reread this article trying to get some kind of insight into what the author is trying to say, and put Colbert in the correct context of it all. But from what I can tell, this is the idea flow of the article, in a nutshell:
- There was lots of negative campaigning in the election, but now that it’s over, all is good in the world?
- No one pursued Truth in these elections. Politicians have faults, but do they have good points?
- Stephen Colbert and “Stephen Colbert” are not the same person, and I’m trying to make it known in this article that apparently I did not know this when I wrote the first article.
- Why can Colbert be snarky and not politicians?
- People say I need to lighten up
- “But where, Colbert Fans, is Truth? If the fake Colbert is the funny one, does that mean there’s no humor in the real one? Is Truth never funny?”
- How do I teach kids truth, as Finding truth is difficult?
- We don’t know the answer to the question because we don’t ask it
- I have an answer to “Where is Truth?”, but I’m not going to give it to you – You go look for it. You slacker.
- Resistance is Futile, there is no hope (see slacker comment above)
- Something about a mustard seed
Ok, I’m still confused. I think I’m trying to figure out a) what he means about Truth (about the politicians? About government? About the ever-growing universe around us?) and what it has to do with Colbert other than the fact that he still doesn’t seem to like the guy very much. I have a hard time answering “But where, Colbert Fans, is Truth?” when I can’t figure out what in the heck he’s talking about by Truth.
At any rate, all I’m trying to say here is that I agree with the author’s assessment that he needs to lighten up.
I noticed this story, too, DB, and I have no idea what his point is either. For the record, though, the writer’s name is Bill Cornish. It was on his first story, and was also mentioned in the Sports Illustrated article at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/justin_doom/11/07/dooms.day/
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When Mr. Cornish wrote his first editorial I thought it was funny ’cause I grew up in a family of 8, all with very ironic senses of humor, and a father who was missing the irony gene. I loved my father dearly, he had a decent sense of humor for lots of things but he never understood what was funny about irony. I don’t think he would have disliked Stephen, but I can imagine him asking what’s so funny.
But this letter – it’s not bad (if a bit sophomoric) if you take out the references to Colbert and Comedy Central. I don’t get what Stephen has to do with the rest of his premise. Maybe the word “truthiness” has got him confused and he thinks TCR is promoting it instead of pointing out how often it is used in our society.
Was this too long???
Ciao!
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