SPOILER ALERT: New York Times reports on first episode of ‘Colbert Report’ from Iraq
By
Photo Credit: Moises Saman for The New York Times
Holy cow, next week is going to be GREAT! Here’s an excerpt and some most excellent pictures from the New York Times article published just a few moments ago.
In Iraq, Colbert Does His Shtick for the Troops
By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON
Published: June 7, 2009Shortly after the inauguration, though, [Stephen Colbert] began talking to a fellow board member at Donorschoose about the troops in Iraq.
There was a general feeling among soldiers there, the board member said, that Americans had largely tuned the war out, that the economy had vacuumed up all the attention even though there are around 135,000 troops still here and still doing dangerous work.
“There’s a thesis statement there, which is something for my character to hang on to,” he said. “My character thinks the war is over because he doesn’t hear about it anymore. He’s like a child. A ball rolls behind the couch and he thinks it’s gone forever.”
Soldiers here are all too aware of America’s attention span about this war, several of them at the taping said. So the visit of Mr. Colbert, postmodern or not, was an unexpectedly high-caliber event among the recent string of retired baseball managers (Tommy Lasorda actually), wrestlers, cheerleaders and actors whose names require a little Googling.
“I’m surprised that anybody comes here,” said 27-year-old Lt. Travis Klepman of the Navy, from Lafayette, Colo. “I mean we had the guy from the Allstate commercial. It’s like: that’s nice.”
I am just so excited that Stephen is helping with the morale of the troops in such a significant way. Go Team Colbert! I am so curious as to how tacky the inside of this Saddam Hussein palace really is.
And get a load of this camo suit! Yowza!
Photo Credit: Moises Saman for The New York Times
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33 Comments
June 7th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Wow. I honestly have a huge grin on my face right now! This is going to be soooo much fun. I love the camo suit! I really can’t wait for these shows!!
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June 7th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
This is going to be a wild week! If he doesn’t get some kind of recognition for his genius this year, I’m going to cry. *holds out hand* EMMY PLEASE!
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June 7th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Man, DB’s been on fire with the posts today. Good stuff, and I’m really happy that we’ve been able to see so much of what Stephen’s up to. Can’t wait for the shows!
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June 7th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
I can’t wait for the shows, and I love the camo suit! I wonder if Brooks Brothers did that for Stephen…
Thanks DB and everyone at NFZ for keeping up with the seemingly endless coverage of this week’s show! :)
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June 7th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
wow, I’m starting to imagine NFZ as some sort of big bustling party!
that was a great article! I like the way they described the contrast between the gaudy palace and the purposefully self-important Colbert setup.
and, OK, enough avoiding it, those are some NICE photos!
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June 7th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I don’t think I can handle this anymore!!!
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June 7th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
You’re telling me.
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June 8th, 2009 at 1:40 am
I know! I feel like I’ve entered another dimension upon seeing this pics!
How am I going to work this week?! There are more important things going on!
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June 7th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
every time i walk by my computer, i stop and hit refresh and every time you have something new up! i gotta get to bed, but i can’t do it if you keep posting these gems!
i’m so excited for this week.
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June 7th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Welcome to my life. I’ve been trying to clean out my inbox all day, and then I’ll get a new tip about something else awesome to post that simply must be done immediately.
I’m living the dream! There aren’t many days better than ones where I just blog all day long. They are my absolute favorite days ever. And so much eye candy! Life is so very fun right now.
And you Zoners are such good company. How fun is this?!
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June 7th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
well, luckily i have a job where i can drag myself in late and when my coworkers ask, i’ll simply say, “colbert.” they will nod knowingly.
which means we both might be up all night.
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June 7th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
I start my new job tomorrow – and I’m betting most of them won’t even know who Colbert is. *sigh*
So I kind of have to be alert tomorrow, is all I’m saying.
June 7th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
on the bottom of the right column it says “This is a widget section” and has text about adding content. and I’m not signed in or anything. just so you know if you don’t already.
also, I hope your first day at your new job goes well!
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June 7th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
I was excited before, but that suit has just bumped it up a notch. I cannot wait, the energy in those photos is absolutely amazing!
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June 7th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
stephen looks happier than ever. i am so glad he and TCR staff are there. pure genius! i am sure he will have lots to say about saddam’s former palace o’tacky.
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June 7th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Obama is to appear on the show??? Again?! Wow, if this year, the show doesn’t win all the Emmys, I’d Totally (and this time, seriously) loose faith in them…
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June 7th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
I can def see Stephen getting a peabody.
Also, the fact Obama ordered his hair shaved is hilarious! I am so pumped for the shows!
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June 7th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Ahahahahahahahahaha!!!! @ the camo suit =D
The buzzcut is tres macho/very hot.
…eeeeee!!!…can’t wait for the shows!!!
Thanks for the pics/links/info, DB.
And best of luck on your new job, oh extremely well informed one. :)
Colbert really is a very special man.
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June 7th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Love the suit–priceless! Today has been a crazy day for posts–and I sincerely appreciate it. I am in the opposite position as DB–I have been working on a less than fun paper all day. But, all of these posts have been a pleasant distraction from writing that paper [actually, helping me get through the writing process--eye candy helps]!
Kudos to the entire Colbert team! I can’t wait for these episodes and I do hope they get the recognition they deserve for their dedication and hard work–unfortunately these eps won’t be emmy eligible until the 2010 emmys–but they are getting plenty of love from all of us zoners!
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June 7th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Ahhh I’m so excited!
Thank you for all the incredible updates. I keep checking back thinking “okay that’s gotta be all, there won’t be more” and then BAM! more stuff to right click save.
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June 7th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Another spoilery (little more dialogue) article discussing the show. I’m sorta getting irked that these news peeps are spoiling the show, yet it makes me want to see it soo much more.
*please note the first article is a huge spoiler and pretty much a walkthrough of the show.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/inside_iraq_weblog/2009/06/saddam-would-have-had-a-fit-echoing-through-the-vast-marble-entrance-chamber-of-his-al-faw-palace-came-the-star-spangled-ban.html
http://www.jaxobserver.com/2009/06/08/comedian-colbert-delivers-laughs-to-american-troops/
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June 8th, 2009 at 6:53 am
Thank you for the extra links.
I was already excited about the Iraq shows but I’m even more keyed up about them now. This is going to be epic!
When I heard about Stephen’s new ‘do, I was wondering if he would wear camo or a suit. Now I know. This is so much better than I imagined. And, I can’t believe he was able to get President Obama involved. Awesome!
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June 7th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
colbert is amazingly smart:
“If I tried to tailor my material to people in the Army, there’d be two things. A, that’d be patronizing. And B, I’d be wrong.”
indeed! i agree 110%
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June 8th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Peabodys, Emmys, Pulitzers, PEN awards, bring ‘em on. This is going to be EPIC. And thanks NFZ for all the super coverage!
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June 8th, 2009 at 1:02 am
I just watched a sad movie, and came here to check in before going to bed, and you have *this* up! Wow! What a suit. And General Odierno shaving Stephen’s head.
Oh, man, I can’t wait to see these shows. Kudos to Team Colbert and especially Stephen for doing so much for our troops.
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June 8th, 2009 at 1:47 am
I know the Oscar is for motion pictures, but I think this should be an exception to the rule.
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June 8th, 2009 at 3:25 am
Hot indeed, and I’m usually all for the floppy hair :)
DB, you’re gonna have to educate your new coworkers – good luck tomorrow! And thanks for the Colbert spam :D
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June 8th, 2009 at 4:17 am
Can’t. Stop. Reading. Spoilers.
Thanks, Roland :)
I agree – I can’t wait to see the whole thing.
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June 8th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Hahaha, I had a premonition yesterday that Stephen would wear camo to do the show, but that suit was so not what I expected. And I love his smile in the first pic!
I’m actually trying to avoid most of the spoilers, but the pics alone are golden.
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June 8th, 2009 at 6:16 am
I am so pumped for tonight’s episode. That camo suit looks awesome!
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June 8th, 2009 at 9:24 am
NOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo!!!! HE SHAVED HIS HEAD!!!!!!!!!
Damn it! He still looks…WOW… for a hairless Colbert LOL!
It’s going to be awesome! I’m so very proud of all theTCR gang having huge balls to go down there!
reading through the post makes me want to join the military and go down there NOW!!!
Joke aside: I know that Colbert will find a way to bring peace to that troublesome corner of the Universe. So, all our our troops can come home soon and the war will end sooner. Hopeful wishing: yes. But if you don’t hope and act upon it, nothing changes.
Love, Peace, Unity and Best of luck, Mr. Colbert! You seriously kick asses!
11:30pm PST feels like 1 light-year away…
warsucks
“War will never cease until babies begin to come into the world with larger cerebrums and smaller adrenal glands.” – H. L. Mencken
“Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.” –
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace.” – Andre Gide
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
Mother Teresa
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June 8th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Props to the design team – that desk is just brilliant!
It will also be fun watching Stephen grow his hair back in, trying to tame it until it’s long enough to be shellac’d as before.
It’ll be Chia-Colbert time.
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June 8th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Haha! Chia-Colbert. You better copyright that!
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