Stephen Colbert in the Zeitgeist – Critiques

A lot of recent articles contain critiques of Stephen, his show, his ice cream packaging. Everyone has an opinion and I happen to enjoy reading anything anyone has to say about the man. Note that the views expressed in the following items do not represent the opinions of the NoFactZone – unless, of course, they are unadulterated hyperbole in the positive about the man. Here’s a Zeitgeist for April 25, 2007

Opinions about the show

• It looks as though ‘Men in Trees’ is MIA for May – Chicago Tribune: “Stephanie’s blistering pace is not Colbert’s only reason to crow: His recent “Meta-free-for-all” with Sean Penn – in which the two men competed to come up with the most outrageous metaphor and which was moderated by poet Robert Pinsky – has to be one of the funniest things the show has ever done. And that’s saying something.”
• Colbert vs Simmons – The Daily Dish: “If you think Stephen Colbert only skewers the right, check out his interview with Russell Simmons, whose new book, “Do You!”, seemed to stump its author on last night’s show. The man even tried to bypass Colbert and spin his book directly to the camera. Bad idea, Mr Simmons. If you want evidence that some black millionaires are as arrogant and out of touch as, well, some white millionaires, look no further.”
• Where Did the News Go? – Huffington Post: “Many bemoan the current state of journalism. Several have also despaired of the tendency of young people to turn to The Daily Show and The Colbert Report for their “news.” But these programs, at least, provide criticism of the self-serving PR cranked out by politicians … and the media.”
• Colbert to French Socialists, “Ils ne passeront pas!”- Colbert to Huckabee “maybe…”- Colbert to Gospel of Judas “Heresy!” – Custos Fidei: “Whether you like him or not, practicing Catholic/comedian Stephen Colbert, is one of the best friends Catholics have in the mainstream media.”

From the ‘apes more evolved than humans’ crowd.
Apparently they got a lot of flak for that article.

• To Stephen Colbert: You Drive Us Ape, You Big Gorilla! – LiveScience.com: “Still, just when the righteous indignation reached its crescendo, Stephen Colbert from Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report chimed in, telling his audience that when he’s driving home late at night he likes “to read LiveScience.com on my laptop computer because I know I won’t fall asleep at the wheel if I’m enraged.” See clip [here]

  I mean, it’s not as if we’re a bunch of bible-bashing, secular humanists foisting our reason-driven political and ideological agendas on the public. Though I think maybe that’s how Stephen sees us …”

Everyone’s an art critic

• Stephen Colbert Gets A Mini-Me – Best Week Ever: “For one of the freakiest images in months, check out GQ’s new cover photo of Stephen Colbert. Question: Was this picture created using the same techniques that birthed last year’s comedic tour-de-force Little Man? If so, Kudos to Mr. Colbert for adopting the latest advancements in Wayans-based technology. My only quibble: The baby’s got a bit of a paunch, and I’m fairly certain any Colbert clone would have abs so taught you could shred documents on them. [Editor's Note: the full article available here.]
• Conspicuous Consumption: Tasting the AmeriCone Dream -Bostonist.com: “We were skeptical about the caramel, but it was a match with the fudge/waffle/vanilla mix. We recommend that Ben & Jerry’s tidy up the image of Colbert on the ice-cream packaging because the caramel looks like, well, snot that landed on top of Mr. Colbert’s nice new AmeriCone.”

The inevitable collection about WHCAD 2007

• George W., meet Sanjaya – Huffington Post: “Stephen Colbert also violated the code in his notorious performance last year, which will be remembered as one of the most audacious comedy performances ever. He did what he does nightly on Comedy Central, lampooning the right wing while impersonating one of them, yet he did it in the very presence of his targets, and the organizers of the party were so out to lunch that they had no idea what they were getting into. They only hired him because he is hot and popular, which is all that matters. Aside from the fact that most of the attendees, especially the president, don’t understand genuine satire, the ineptitude of the administration has trickled down to even the event’s booking agents.”
• WHCD 2007: Stars, Slippers & Sanjaya – Huffington Post: “All it takes is one go at the mike by Stephen Colbert and it’s clear that what plays well on YouTube can rub a touchy crowd the wrong way. Personally, we like that kind of controversy – keeps things interesting and all that.”
• WHCD Comedy More Little Than Rich – Huffington Post: “Last year, at this time, Washington was still reeling from the satiric onslaught of Stephen Colbert, whose act–while endearing to all the normal human beings out there who man our You Tubes–went over like a lead balloon with the politicos and press types in attendance.”
• Frayed Nerves, Excruciating Punchlines, and Sanjaya: My Night at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner – Huffington Post: “People remember Colbert’s performance last year for his skewering of the president but, in fact, he also brilliantly and brutally skewered the media for their complicity in the outrages of the last six years.”
• How little we know about Cho – Salon.com: “Tangent, or not: Was there a better symbol of the media elite’s growing irrelevance than the choice of Rich Little to entertain them — and mirror their obsolescence — at the White House Correspondents Association dinner Saturday night, after Stephen Colbert’s brave, bracing, hilarious performance last year?”