And *another* ‘I Am America (And So Can You!)’ review rolls in

This review quotes several passages from the book, so reading the linked article is probably not for those wishing to get to the book ‘unspoiled’. For everyone else, read onward! From the Star-Telegram (Dallas-Fort Worth):

In ‘truthiness’ we trust
With his satirical new book, ‘I Am America (And So Can You!),’ Stephen Colbert tells it like it isn’t really
By CARY DARLING
Star-Telegram staff writer

Stephen Colbert has to hate himself right now. After all, he has just written a book — that evil totem of intellectuals who read in their ivory-tower lairs overlooking the Hudson or the Hollywood Hills while plotting ways to warp the souls of people in flyover country. The only thing more surprising would have been if he had written a book about bears, America’s godless killing machines.

Colbert acknowledges as much in the opening paragraph of I Am America (And So Can You!), a new book (due in stores Tuesday) in which he brings his mock-Bill O’Reilly Comedy Central personality to the printed page: “I am no fan of books,” he declares. “I want you to know that this is the first book I’ve ever written, and I hope it’s the first book you’ve ever read. Don’t make a habit of it.”

Of course, Colbert’s claim that he wrote this book is as much part of the enjoyable sham as is the righteously red-state, right-wing shtick that’s made his TV show, The Colbert Report, such water-cooler fodder since it debuted in 2005. The first page acknowledges a list of 14 writers and/or editors, only one of whom is Colbert.

So, anyone looking for the real deal about Stephen Colbert the man needs to go elsewhere — though he does bring a few things from his “real life,” such as his Catholicism, into his fake one. But if you’re looking for more “truthiness” about Stephen Colbert the fake Fox TV windbag, this book’s for you.

. . .

Still, the Colbert conceit is more than just a clever persona delivering broadsides at political and pop culture. While it’s most obviously a send-up of O’Reilly and crew — Colbert calls Sean Penn, Barbra Streisand, Tim Robbins and Kirsten Dunst “the four horsemen of the Apoca-Left” — it’s also a broader slam on ego-stoked media commentators and celebrity in general.

For all the work he seems to put into keeping a distance between Colbert the man and Colbert the satirist, his true feelings sneak out in the final pages. As an appendix, he includes his much talked-about 2006 White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech in which, as his TV persona, he skewered President Bush with parody posing as praise.

“I stand by this man because he stands for things,” Colbert said. “Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares.”

The speech reportedly didn’t play well with some in the audience. But as a peek behind his “Faux ‘Reilly” mask, it was a smart way to end I Am America (And So Can You!).

. . .

Read the rest of the article here
(Contains excerpts on “Hollywood”, “Immigration”, “Religion”, “Sex and dating”, “Science” and “Sports”)