Welcome to No Fact Zone’s weekly roundup of ‘Colbert Report’ guests, created in the spirit of the oft-enjoyed Fantasy Colbert League. While we can’t start up the online version of the game again, we can make it so that you can get the information you need about the guests before they come on the show.
Just like you, we want to be it-getters before the interviews start. So we’ve compiled brief bios, issues or events that Stephen might bring up during the interview, and a fun Fract (Freedom Fact) to impress your fellow viewers during the commercial breaks. Read, enjoy, and see if you can anticipate how Stephen might nail each of the following guests!
Editor’s Note: As always, guests are subject to change.
Monday, 6/23: Barbara Ehrenreich
Author Barbara Ehrenreich is a journalist, a writer, and an activist, focusing on issues such as women’s rights, health care, and economic justice. She has written a number of books on topics ranging from the the millions of Americans living on poverty-level wages in ‘Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America‘ to the irrepressible desire for celebration in ‘Dancing In The Streets: A History of Collective Joy.’ Her latest book is titled ‘This Land Is Their Land: Reports from a Divided Nation.’ In it, she tells stories of the vast inequalities between America’s economic classes. If she can hold her own while verbally sparring with Stephen, this will be an engaging interview.
- Fract: Ehrenreich plunges into whatever topic she chooses to write on – she organized picket rallies and got arrested for ‘Nickel and Dimed’ and started a white-collar worker’s union for her book ‘Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream.’
Tuesday, 6/24: Will Smith
Stephen’s guest lists include few actors, and few of those are summer blockbuster names like Will Smith. This well-known Scientologist (or is he?) specializes in action films that open right around the Independence Day holiday in the U.S., such as ‘Men In Black‘ I and II, ‘I, Robot,’ and yes, ‘Independence Day.’ Far from his relatively humble origins as the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, this year Smith stars in ‘Hancock,’ a tale of an alcoholic ex-superhero forced to clean up his act and save the day. There’s also a rumor that Smith may get involved in a Bollywood movie (and we know Stephen loves Bollywood).
- Fract: Newsweek Magazine has named Smith ‘the most powerful actor on the planet.’
Wednesday, 6/25: Paul Goldberger, Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Author Paul Goldberger is The New Yorker‘s Architecture Critic and a Pulitzer Prize winner for his journalism at The New York Times. His book ‘Up from Zero: Politics, Architecture, and the Rebuilding of New York‘ is a tale of the rebuilding of the Great Apple after September 11, 2001. He chronicles the difficult decisions of how best to replace the fallen Twin Towers, starting with the decision of just who gets to make that decision.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson is one of my absolute favorite guests, both on the Report and on the Daily Show. He tried to teach Stephen how to be an astrophysicist this past Feburary, and he also stopped by in April 2007 and October 2005. Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium. His latest book is ‘Death by Black Hole’ and he’s got a new book coming out in January 2009, titled ‘The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet.’
- Fract: In 1993, the New York Public Library named Goldberger a ‘Literary Lion’ – its title for distinguished writers.
Thursday, 6/26: Congressman Robert Wexler
Say what? Congressman Robert Wexler, infamous for his ‘Better Know A District’ interview in which he cheerfully admitted that cocaine was a fun thing to do, is coming back yet again for another round! He spoke to Stephen via satellite during the 2006 November ‘Midterm Midtacular’ episode. Congressman Wexler has represented Florida’s 19th District since January 1997 and has endorsed Senator Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign for president. He has published a book titled ‘Fire Breathing Liberal: How I Learned to Survive (and Thrive) in the Contact Sport of Congress,’ on bookshelves this month.
- Fract: On June 10, 2008, Wexler signed Congressman Dennis Kucinich’s Articles of impeachment against President Bush, stating that former Press Secretary Scott McClellan’s testimony and recent tell-all book justifies the initiation of the impeachment process.
Wexler on Thursday
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Oh yes!!!!!! What a great way to end the week! Has Sen. Wexler ever come on in person? I’ve seen him via satellite and on BKAD. Since Congress is out for the summer, maybe he’ll have time to drop in:)
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maybe!
should be interesting.
I sense a great interview.
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wow, will smith! a rare celebrity interview…
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Looks to be a good week! I’m looking forward to the shows.
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Sounds like a fantastic week!!!
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Will Smith!
I am actually extremely curious about the nature of this interview. I mean, back during the strike, Colbert actually made a relatively elaborate joke about Will Smith’s involvement with Scientology.
Now since Will Smith has a new movie, Hancock, it is completely possible that Scientology will not come up. However, I think it would have to be deliberately left off if they don’t mention it, because this is a relatively new and current “conversion,” and because Colbert has brought it up on the show before.
I guess what makes me interested is that Scientologists sometimes argue with the media (think Cruise, Lauer, and PPD) and Colbert sometimes argues with his guests. I am not sure a Scientology joke or jab would go over very well.
PS. I’m NOT one of those people obsessively against Scientology, and I’ve tried to get my information about in as fair a way as possible. It’s an interesting topic to me so I’ve read a lot about it in the past. Maybe Smith is very able to talk about it normally and it would be no big deal if it came up.
PPS. http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=147289
that’s the clip where Colbert talks about Will Smith and Scientology…to get to it you have to wait through the Sexyback dance… but I’m SURE you all can survive through that!
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I still can’t get over the fact that Will Smith is a Scientologist.
He was seriously the last fully sane person in Hollywood.
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According to Will himself, he isn’t.
From Wikipedia: “…he has denied having joined the Scientology Church, saying “I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions, and I respect all people and all paths.”
Quote from here: http://entertainment.uk.msn.com/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7843428
I do share your sentiments about Will being one of the last fully sane people in Hollywood, though.
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Yay!
Maybe Stephen will ask him about it.
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Thanks for the link! There’s certainly no shortage of topics for them to discuss. I’m curious to see how high Stephen dials up his character to balance out Will Smith’s energy.
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I did a double take when I saw Will Smith’s name on there. I was like, is there some professor/author who shares a name with the actor who’s saved the world countless times? I am VERY curious as to how this interview will turn out, since it’s usually Jon who does the high-profile celeb interviews. Maybe Stephen will dial down? But Will Smith is a comedian too…
So excited about Wexler; hope he doesn’t disappoint. I think we may be hyping it a little too much, haha.
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I am SO excited that Neil DeGrasse Tyson will be on the show this week! He and Stephen play off of each other so well together, and he actually makes astrophysics sound interesting. I’d love to sit down with him and talk to him myself. *happy dance*
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