Here’s a nice little article about the kitschy sweetness that is A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All. I’m quoting selectively so as not to repeat a lot of the reviews to date, but also because it makes me go “awwwww” to hear what was in Stephen’s head when he was making this special.
From Variety:
“A Colbert Christmas”: Silly but not cynical
November 17. . .
“We tried to make it strangely sincere, but also sincerely strange,” Colbert says.
. . .
Colbert had no interest in ripping into Christmas itself or even all of the materialistic nonsense that it brings. He wanted to poke fun at the conventions of Christmas TV specials and some of the cliches of the holiday season (there’s a running gag about mistletoe, natch). But more than anything else — he just wanted to sing.
“I like to sing. I sing with my guests whenever I can on the show,” Colbert says.
. . .
“As we were working on it I reminded everyone that I didn’t want this to be a cynical take on Christmas. It’s silly and stupid and egotistical at times, but it is not cynical,” Colbert says of the special. “I didn’t want this to leave anybody with a bad taste in their mouth.”
. . .
Tip of the hat to alynch for the link!
Great article! I really think Stephen succeeded too–I was laughing my head off at the silliness through most of it but there’s a moment (you’ll know it when you see it) where I nearly teared up it was so sweet. I can’t think of anyone else who could do that.
Oooh! I can’t wait to see it again!!
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I started tearing up near the end of the article as well. Glad I’m not the only one.
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I’ve seen the stills from the special a thousand times, but they make me smile whenever I see them! Thanks for the article, MsI.
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Go Stephen! He seems to be everywhere…! loving it…
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I’m really glad he doesn’t want it “to leave anybody with a bad taste in their mouth” because although I never thought he would, I just realized how many times that could have happened. I celebrate Christmas as a Christian, so if that part of it was mocked I probably wouldn’t like it as much. I know, I know, I shouldn’t be setting a limit on humor like that but I don’t know if I could help it.
“It’s silly and stupid and egotistical at times”
one of those times is, just a guess, Another Christmas Song? I don’t think I even need to reference the lyrics to support this claim!
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“I celebrate Christmas as a Christian, so if that part of it was mocked I probably wouldn’t like it as much. I know, I know, I shouldn’t be setting a limit on humor like that but I don’t know if I could help it.”
Yeah, I hear you tiger. That’s why I’m afraid I could never have a full-fledged career in comedy, although Stephen seems to walk that fine line pretty well:)
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I think he completely succeeded in his goal of making it silly but not cynical. It’s truly hilarious, but at the same time it left me with a really nice, warm feeling about Christmas, and I’m normally a big Scrooge about the holiday. So he did all that, and he got to do his singing, too! You can’t ask for much more awesome than that.
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>strangely sincere, but also sincerely strange
Such a great description of my favorite bits of TCR and TDS (Baseball Jane Austen epic, for one).
And OMG Fountains of Wayne had a hand in this?!! SWEETNESS (not that Sweetness)! How can one DVD contain so much awesome? Are the Pernice Brothers and Future of Forestry on the DVD extras? Does it come packaged with a new two-disc release from Neutral Milk Hotel? Greatest gift of all indeed.
Also, love the oft-repeated mentions of how HAPPY Jon was to VOLUNTEER to sing. ;-)
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