Stephen Colbert in the Zeitgeist – Labor Day Weekend Edition

Labor Day – time to reflect on my least favorite jobs, ever. Like the year I spent as an archivist – read glorified filer – at a major corporation. Pre-computers, we’re talking typewriters and index cards for cross referencing. With that in mind, I present the Zeitgeist for September 3, 2007.

File under “B” for “Baqaa”
A review of the book ‘Seeking Truth: Living with Doubt’ which, apparently, answers one of life’s great questions.

• Seeking Truth: Living with Doubt – Dynamics of Cats: “Why IS Stephen Colbert just like a Sufi Master Mystic? That is one of the questions that pop up when a “liberal yankee buddhist” and a “conservative agnostic southern scientist” collaborate to write a book. “

File under “D” for “Degrees, Six”
Paul Dinello’s brief film appearance is delayed; Emily Lazar, Stephen’s “booker,” participates in a National Book Critics Circle symposium; Even Stephven taught improv – who knew?

• “Be Kind Rewind” Moves To 2008, Mos Def On Soundtrack – The Playlist: “As many of you may be well aware, Michel Gondry’s absurdist VHS/’80s movie paean, “Be Kind Rewind,” has been moved from its original December release to January 25, 2008. For the seventeen nerds on the IMDB boards, this officially squelches the chances of the film’s Oscar chances, but if you really thought a film like ‘Rewind’ – as amusing and fun as it may well be – had serious Oscar hopes you need your head examined.”
• NBCC Announces Week-Long Symposium on the Future of Book Reviewing – Critical Mass: ” In keeping with its commitment to promote book discussion, the National Book Critics Circle is opening the fall season in New York with a week-long symposium, The Age of Infinite Margins: Book Critics Face the 21st Century. Panelists will include leading authors, publishers, and critics addressing issues they face in keeping the literary conversation lively, engaged, and cutting edge. Please note that the first three panels are being held at the Housing Works Bookstore Café, while the final event is being held at the Brooklyn Historical Society, in conjunction with the Brooklyn Book Festival.
  …
  Grub Street 2.0: The Future of Book Coverage

  John Freeman, NBCC president and critic (moderator)
  Emily Lazar, producer, The Colbert Report
  Melissa Eagan, producer, The Leonard Lopate Show
  Erica Wagner, literary editor, Times (UK)
  Jennifer Szalai, NBCC member and senior editor, Harper’s magazine
  Steve Wasserman, incoming literary editor, Truthdig.com
  Dwight Garner, senior editor, New York Times Book Review
  The format will be a round-table discussion.”

• Southtowners: Performing arts teacher enjoys bringing students out of their shells – Daily Southtown: “He said improv is a great example. Students are asked to act in ways they might consider embarrassing at first, but eventually they are able to feed off of a cue and respond in a funny but natural way.
  The course is very near to Whitaker, a graduate of Second City Conservatory in the early 1990s. Actors Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert were two of his teachers at Second City.”

File under “F” for “Frenemy”
Hey, if the Los Angeles Times is using it, can “Word of the Year” be far behind?

• China’s latest export: soft power – Los Angeles Times: “Despite these threats, the U.S.-China relationship is not headed for a Cold War-like standoff. China is heavily dependent on U.S. investment, just as the U.S. is reliant on China’s consumption of greenbacks, a symbiosis that has made China, in the words of Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert, a “frenemy” — a friend and an enemy all at once.
  Confronting a “frenemy” will be tougher than fighting an enemy, because Washington must simultaneously cooperate and compete with Beijing.”

File under “OO” for “One and Only”
Earlier this year, Stephen was named “Person of the Year” by the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, the first time this award was ever granted. He may be holding the title in perpetuity.

• Next Comedy Fest not happening at all – Aspen Daily News (via CCInsider.com): “HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival isn’t going to be held in Aspen in 2008. Or Santa Barbara. Or anywhere else. “There will not be a 2008 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen or any other location,” an HBO spokeswoman confirmed on Wednesday.”

File under “Q” for “QFT”
An analysis of booking the presenters for the Emmy Awards ceremony.

• Breaking the cycle of Emmy-Award-presenter abuse – Source: “You may recall we recently described the three dynamics operating when booking presenters for the Emmy Awards: This is Mutually Beneficial, I Need Help Promoting My Show and I’m Doing You a Favor.
  …
  I’m Doing You a Favor: Stephen Colbert (his appearance last year – “I lost to Barry Manilow!” he wailed to Jon Stewart – probably ensured him a win this year)”

File under “T” for “Tools”
“When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” I guess the advertising equivalent is “when all you have is marketing survey, everybody looks like a tool.” Apparently being genuinely intelligent, genuinely funny, or just genuine was never an option. At least their commenters get it.

• The Colbert Effect – The Fruits of Imagination: “In my humble opinion, the Colberts and Stewarts of the world work because they thoroughly understand their audience. And I mean, thoroughly. I can’t vouch for their research practices but whatever they are doing is working. All I can suggest is that you watch the show, just once. Even if you don’t like it, you will be able to grasp why teens and 20-somethings are enthralled by it.”

File Under “W” for “WTF?”
Yes, you can get published but still be an idiot clueless. We actually passed on these last week because we didn’t have the time to write the counter arguments warranted. Do they even watch the show?

• The Colbert up there – The Daily Vidette (Illinois State U): “The majority of each episode is spent discussing Colbert’s latest “feud” (real or not), promoting his newest product (Stephen Colbert’s AmeriCone Dream ice cream is absolutely delicious) or convincing fans to change articles on Wikipedia (his account was actually blocked from the site because of his actions). At the end of every episode, he introduces his guest and then gives him or her very little time to get any sort of point across. This routine manages to pull in huge ratings, making Colbert a pop culture sensation. The show, however, can’t bring as much to the table as The Daily Show.”
• Talk radio and why it drives liberals crazy – The Tampa Tribune Hernando Today: “One could argue that an equally talented and entertaining liberal could have established talk radio as a liberal medium. Perhaps. But more likely Limbaugh jump-started a pent-up nascent conservative movement that had been marginalized for decades and was finally liberated. The format of the now popular liberal comedy shows hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, probably wouldn’t have worked then because they have a satirical construct ridiculing 21st century conservative ideas that weren’t mainstream then. “

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