Jan
28
Episode 5014 – R.A.P.S. (Awesome!)
By
This was a fun episode of ‘The Colbert Report!’ I loved it all: Cheating Death, Stephen’s tightrope walk, the interview with Philippe Petit, Omar/Homer, and the segment with Bill O’Reilly. What were the high points of the show for you?
Here are a few notable quotes:
- Maybe he’s blinking out U.S.A. #1 in code.
- At Prescott, you’re not just a patient, you’re patient zero.
- LIFEBAG … The approaching white light lets you know it’s working.
- Remember our motto – That’s why you have two kidneys.
- Live From Last Thursday: Caroline Kennedy Shocker!
- Huge is even bigger.
- Remember that I have this [fire extinguisher] during the interview.
- I know why you did it. For the chicks.
- You know what, if I have to explain it, you’ll never understand.
- If you love something, set it free … from the secret prison under your desk.
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25 Comments
January 28th, 2009 at 12:32 am
*grabby hands* I’ll take that stimulus package, plz.
The interview was great tonight, very amusing. And Petit was wearing different colored socks, which just made it greater.
Plus Cheating Death! :) My fave segment!
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January 28th, 2009 at 1:04 am
Ditto on the stimulus package!!
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January 28th, 2009 at 4:06 am
Me three.
recaptcha: bidwells surely
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January 28th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Oh, it was hard to pick my favorite today. Stephen was on FIRE tonight! From the character break in the Toss to Bone Sporking (and we all know how much I love Cheating Death), to the faux O’Reilly interview, it made me laugh out loud over and over.
I absolutely adored the fake O’Reilly interview. Whoever thought of that needs a serious pat on the back. What a fantastic way to slap O’Reilly around a bit.
Oh, and don’t even get me started on Petit. Brilliant! We finally got to see the moat of flaming crocodiles that Stephen has talked about oh so many times. I adore creative walkovers. Petit’s surrealist WTF personality knocked Stephen over a half-dozen times, by just Petit being himself. And Petit wasn’t even trying, that was what made it so amazingly funny. It was so interesting to watch the expressions on Stephen’s face as he tried to figure out how to respond to some of the more, shall we say, unique comments made by Petit. You could literally see the different thoughts through Stephen’s expression, as he went from confused, to amused, to back in character. I haven’t seen “Stephen” that jostled by a guest since Fonda. That interview has definitely rocketed up the charts to be in the top of my very favorite interviews ever. Instant classic!
And it was lovely seeing Homer again, even for a few fleeting moments. The orange jumpsuit (and the dancing eyebrows of both Homer and Stephen) is just delightful. I love how Homer has his very own love anthem. I hope they can find a way to bring him back a few more times.
From beginning to end, the most solid show so far this year, in my opinion. I’m still basking in the glow. Kudos, Team Colbert!
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January 28th, 2009 at 2:30 am
Great description of the interview DB. is an amazing and crazy human being. I have nothing but awe for Phillipe Petit’s accomplishments.
It seemed Petit was just being himself, and as firm a handle Stephen Colbert has on his character “Stephen Colbert,” it’s very amusing to watch him with a guest whose twists of logic rival or exceed SC’s own.
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January 28th, 2009 at 2:41 am
I had trouble with the editing. I meant to write that Petit is an amazing and crazy human being, but if the compliment works for DB I’ll leave it to her. :)
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January 28th, 2009 at 4:53 am
DB – have you seen the documentary? Do so, if you haven’t.
When I saw that Petit was going to be on I knew it would be a fun interview because he has such a child-like attitude to the world, a sharp mind, and a wicked sense of humor… just like Stephen!
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January 28th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Another hilarious episode. But something’s bugging me…
Does it seem to any of you that for some odd reason, Stephen’s trying to kill time a bit? Like yesterday, when he checked his watch after the Omar/Homer sketch, as though it were the Writer’s Strike again and he was trying to fill space, like he did with Huckabee. And today’s Bill-O “interview,” that while very amusing, only had one point (that Bill “doesn’t report rumors” except ones he likes), and filled an entire act. I mean, it’s fine by me if he’s experimenting with sketch timing or whatever. And I’m not complaining. It’s just that I thought he wouldn’t exactly be hurting for material.
Just my two cents!
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January 28th, 2009 at 4:39 am
I’ve been thinking that as well. Both the Omar and the O’Reilly segments were funny, but they seemed to have gone on longer than they should have. Perhaps (and I know this has been speculated many, many times before) that Stephen & Co. are having trouble finding his viewpoint now that Bush is out of the White House…? Maybe “having trouble” is the wrong phrase– perhaps they’re experimenting in different ways with his viewpoint…?
Otherwise, both shows were pretty solid. I loved “Cheating Death” (as I always do!) and after hearing about Stephen’s stimulus package at the top of the show, I think I burst into flames. :)
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January 28th, 2009 at 10:39 am
I thought the watch glance the other night was due more to the prop malfunction–closing the hatch to the underground prison–that it took too much time. I could be wrong–but I do agree that they are experimenting. As long as Stephen’s stimulus package is on its way, I will be fine!
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January 28th, 2009 at 3:13 am
Really great all around episode tonight! I think the Philippe Petit interview was one the smoothest as far as mano a mano interaction – I wonder if any bits got edited out for time?
Anyone know how they come up with the “side effects” for Cheating Death? Words pulled out of different hats? Burroughs/Gysin cut-ups?…
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January 28th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I like to think that they throw a whole bunch of nouns in one hat and a bunch of verbs in another, and just pull them out randomly. Hehe… But I’m sure there’s a much more sophisticated way it’s put together, and I’d seriously love to be a fly on the wall in the writers room when they’re coming up with side effects.
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January 28th, 2009 at 3:14 am
Do you have a “The Entire Show” option? The Cheating Death segment was fantastic (as always), the O’Rilley “interview” was great (“Bill? …Bill? …Are you okay Bill?”), the tightrope was awesome, the interview was one of the funniest I’ve ever seen…
Great show? Or the greatest show? (okay, just great show. But still…)
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January 28th, 2009 at 7:48 am
Greatest show!
Sorry. I didn’t include an “entire show” option in the poll. Your comment can count as a “write-in” vote though.
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January 28th, 2009 at 4:12 am
Has anyone EVER asked Stephen to define “balls” on his show?! I don’t think Stephen saw that one coming. I voted for the Philippe Petit interview hands down. Never have I seen Stephen so curfuffled (is that a word?). Amazing interview! I think DB summed it up best.
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January 28th, 2009 at 4:52 am
That knocked me for a loop, too. People ask Stephen to define “truthiness” and “wikiality” all the time, but no one’s ever asked him for his definition of “balls”. I like seeing Stephen getting thrown off occasionally; it makes for a more interesting interview, IMHO.
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January 28th, 2009 at 4:26 am
luved the interview! i just KNEW he’d make fun of his accent!
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January 28th, 2009 at 10:34 am
I have to mention that I loved at the top when he gave the ladies his stimulus package.
This was a great episode – I think the strongest of the new year. Honestly though, I was a little disappointed when they came back with Omar/Homer. I didn’t really like it yesterday, and I was on such a high from the Petit interview, that I kind of wish that the episode just finished after the interview because the rest of the episode was so strong. It seems like it is over now though. Of course, it would have seemed that Bobby was over too…
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January 28th, 2009 at 11:55 am
LOVED the interview, Petit was adorable and quirky as was Stephen’s reactions to him. “Pucker Lung” had me LOL’ing too. And how about that stimulus package – there’s a, ahem, double meaning there. ;)
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January 28th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
All hail Episode 5014! I loved everything about this one! And mad props to the graphics department for, yet again, leaving me in complete stitches with the skeletons at the bottom of the screen during Cheating Death! I swear, it’s one of my favorite things about that segment.
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January 28th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
don’t have time to read all of your responses. in fact I’ll have to make mine quick!
LOVEDDDDDD!!!!! excellent. totally enjoyable. nice messed up toss to start us off and we finish with goofy Omar/Homer.
–vous dit is always said but it’s vous dites with a “t” sound. second time he’s made this mistake. (OK, yes, now you tell me to shut up, onetime language nerd)
–also, he said armpit homunculus! homunculi(?) are so neat to think about. look them up on google. also, be sure to see the molunculus. hahaha. also in cheating death enjoyed Cosmodrine with with the viral talk.
–excellent interview, loved the opening graphics and also Petit himself. Clintonian!
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January 28th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Always love the “Cheating Death” segments so had to vote for that one; however, I was tempted to vote for the Bill O’Reilly “interview” – something about Stephen’s change of demeanor when he is in the presence of the great one was fun to watch.
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January 28th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
had to vote the interview. Petit is such an egocentric character that he kind of outdoes Stephen, and it’s just funny to see Stephen so amused at the character he’s dealing with.
and the ending improv line by stephen, “this is all gibberish to me” was the perfect comeback punch.
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January 28th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
“Live from last Thursday!” I love it! The Bill O’Reilly segment was brilliant! Kudos to the entire staff of TCR!
The moment I saw Philippe Petit wearing mismatched socks I knew it was gonna be a fun segment! And when he started moving things around the table, like he was asserting control of the space, of the entire interview, and he did, in a way. I loved their banter. :)
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January 28th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Oh Stephen, you had me at “stimulus package”…
Loved, loved, loved the interview with Petit. It’s always great to see a guest that gives as good as he gets during the interview. I remember when Petit did his thing at the World Trade Center, and to this day I still can’t believe that he had the nerve, the courage, to do it.
Stephen’s “tightrope walk” was also pretty awesome. Field day for the graphics department!
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