Stephen Colbert is profiled in the September issue of Readers Digest. I’m loving this pic, and the interview is really cute, too!
Interview With Stephen Colbert: The Funniest Person in the Room
When Stephen Colbert parodies the news, the joke — almost always — is on us.
By Barbara O’Dair…
Reader’s Digest visited Colbert in his warren of offices in midtown Manhattan. For a would-be dictator, he is disarmingly sweet and unguarded. He carefully opens up a beautifully bound book to show off photos of a boat he built out of Spanish cedar and mahogany with his nine-year-old son, Peter, last summer. And unlike the character Stephen Colbert, he keeps his political views to himself.
Q: Are you a man of wealth and taste?
A: I am now. I like the finer things. As a young actor, I remember being so depressed sometimes, thinking, God, you’re really down. What is it? I would step backward through my mind to what had happened that day: Oh, that’s right — you paid for the bus with pennies. You have no money. I wasn’t aware that I was poor. But I was young. What does it matter?Q: Have you gotten more preppy with age?
A: No. I grew up with it. I grew up with blue blazers, regimental-stripe ties, khaki pants, and penny loafers. In South Carolina, I went to cotillion. I grew up on fox-trots.Q: On your show, you wear designer suits and shoes. Whom are you wearing today?
A: These pants are Banana. This sweater is Banana … or J. Crew. The shirt is J. McLaughlin.
h/t AmandaIvy
awww, there are a lot of interesting things in that interview. clearly that person has read other media coverage of him. that’s cool, although sometimes the questions are either leading too much for my taste (like the mother laughing one) or kind of jumping around (from marsh mud in SC to kids’ nicknames).
I’m content to see “headlights of my justice” worked out to such lengths; running over the world is, in a word, verycool. Colbert can’t give the stock answer to that one, since the interviewer already gave it. mwahahaha.
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Someone pointed out to me (because I didn’t see it) this audio clip of the interview:
http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/stephen-colbert-interview/podcast94316.html
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Thanks for the article and clip AmandaIvy! Good find!
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No problem! It was a total accident, so I really can’t take any credit.
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Thank you AmandaIvy! This is an awesome find.
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Wow, they do a lot more rephrasing and rearranging than I realized.
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yeah! they cut out a lot…and now we know the interview happened a long time ago, before the Princeton class day speech. also I think they said in the text he “loves” the show but he definitely said like.
listening to that interviewer talk about his family members’ death, and him confirming it all along, that was really sad-feeling.
but he had such a nice voice to listen to when he’s not shouting!
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Haha. Nancy Reagan is already condensed!
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haha…he calls his kids Creature! It feels nice to read him mention his each child’s unique characteristic…
“m glad how interviewers who interview him now-a-days are equally interested in Stephen, the man and not only the character…
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That’s nice isn’t it? I also liked how he calls his kids “creature” and talked about their unique personalities. My 2 1/2-year-old daughter is known as “The Instigator”. I discovered just today that if you leave said 2 1/2-year-old and her 5-year-old brother unattended for 5 minutes and there is dish soap within their reach, they will squirt some on the kitchen floor and add some water to make a big skating rink. *facepalm*
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Picture wise – I notice he’s wearing a watch, and on the show I seldom notice him wearing a watch… Intentional? Have I just not been noticing a watch?
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Hmmm, I could swear that he always wears a watch on his left wrist and a WristStrong bracelet on his right. I could be wrong. It seems like I can picture a black leather watch strap.
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everyone, raid your grandparent’s magazine stash for their reader’s digest! just kidding. i have to get this, for the pic alone.
i have such a collection of stephen colbert mag spreads.
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dig it!! thanks for the article! i cant wait to pick up a copy!
thank you!
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As tiger and Dee stated, it’s great to see an interviewer who poses fresh questions to both the character and the real man. Who knew Reader’s Digest could do meaty interviews?! I also love how Stephen gave such detailed answers…especially the one about pluff mudd.
I also loved reading this in the introduction:
“For a would-be dictator, he is disarmingly sweet and unguarded. He carefully opens up a beautifully bound book to show off photos of a boat he built out of Spanish cedar and mahogany with his nine-year-old son, Peter, last summer.”
Caring father, loving husband, brilliant man…Sigh…
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Sigh, indeed. :)
It seems like the interviewer is a total it-getter! Thanks for posting it!
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I loved “disarmingly sweet and unguarded”. So true! I loved the story about him only doing his laundry! Haha! I really enjoy hearing normal everyday stuff about Stephen, which always keeps him so real to us.
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“Nation”, yes, but since when does Stephen call his viewers “People”?
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Never heard People before. I like Nation. Talking to us as a whole.
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Thanks for pointing this out. I didn’t think that was right. Calling us People woud be rather, uh, lame.
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OH OH OH! Just when I didn’t think I could fall deeper in love, he mentions pluff mud! I grew up living in Charleston, and my family rented (and still does rent) a beachouse on the coast every summer. Ever since I was as little as four I would dive into the pluff mud, loving its earthy smell and silky texture. To this day, all my South Carolina relatives still call me the “Pluff Mud Princess”. I ride dressage, I grew up in South Carolina, and pluff mud is DEFINITELY in my blood…we are clearly meant for each other. ;)
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