Loyal NFZers will know that we’ve posted this bit before, but I couldn’t help thinking about it again when I saw this story on CNN today: “Building better burger at Rube Goldberg contest.” Given that opening, how could I resist revisiting the best-ever coverage of the Rube Goldberg contest turned in by then-ABC correspondent “Steve Colbert” back in 1997?
Click here or on the image to watch (opens the ABC media player):
Heh. Stephen … “You couldn’t have worn a tie?”
It looks like he’s wearing jeans, too!
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I love how “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred starts randomly playing in the background towards the end there. That second group picked their song choice well.
I wonder why that was the only real news story (if you can really call it “news”) he was hired for. I’ve definitely seen worse news reporters.
All the same, I’m glad he didn’t get hired for any more, as bad as that sounds, because then we wouldn’t have our wonderful “Stephen” or TCR.
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@AmandaIvy:
“I wonder why that was the only real news story (if you can really call it “news”) he was hired for.”
Because every story he pitched was shot down — he was hired to do humorous news stories, but his humor was a bit edgier than they had in mind. (Although, supposedly he filmed another clip that never aired — wonder if that will ever turn up somewhere.)
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You can tell he’s a bit tense from the tone of his voice, it’s up a few pitches – it’s like his subtext is saying, “I feel so lame, where’s the exit?” Thankfully he exited to The Daily Show. ;)
btw love the edit feature!
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@ rebnj–
I do remember reading that somewhere. I totally forgot. It makes sense though. His stuff isn’t exactly tame. It would be really cool if his other segment did turn up somewhere.
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You could totally tell he was really trying to “sell” the Stone Phillips type of corresponding with that bit. I also kind of got this feeling there were at least half a dozen jokes floating through his mind that he was dying to tell, but only got away with the one about jobs being lost to these new fangled machines. But I agree with AmandaIvy — I’m glad too that his stint on ABC didn’t last long, otherwise, we’d never have all his wonderful years on The Daily Show.
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STEVE COLBERT
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The picture makes me dizzy. It rocks!
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@DB:
I agree — it’s like Stephen’s trying to hypnotize us!
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steve…. lol
his voice cracks me up.
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wow, is that Gibson too? Funny to see where they are now 10 years later. Who woulda thought, huh?
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I know it’s only 10 years, but what a baby face! Ah, the world of politics and punditry exacts such a toll on one, does it not?
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ROFL! He’s definitely got the “I hate my job.” facial expression and voice tone. I’ve never seen that before so thanks for posting. My husband is a Purdue grad but he had long graduated before that segment.
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I’ve seen this clip before, but I didn’t remember that while the first student is explaining his project, Stephen checks his watch — LOL!!!
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I kept waiting for it to turn into a TDS type of segment. :-)
I’m glad Stephen’s career took a different path. He was meant to do comedy rather than being on a show where his comedic genious would have been stifled.
I was not aware that Stephen had ever professionally used the name Steve Colbert. I’ve heard people call him that before but I always assumed that he went from Steve ColberT to Stephen Colbert, at least as his career name.
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His voice does sound oddly high XD
@rebnej
Oh yeah! haha! That’s awesome.
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