Comments on: Four Horsemen of the Apopcalypse – Pop culture references in The Colbert Report: November 16-19, 2009

By: bipolypesca

bipolypesca — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:13:40 +0000

…the fact that he had to shush the audience so they could hear the sound…

That was what got me, too. Not only because it was hilarious in its own right, but because it was so obviously going to happen and yet they hadn’t planned for it. It seems to point to an inherent modesty that it apparently never occurred to him (or the writers, for that matter), that if Stephen got out of his chair and threatened to shake his moneymaker, the audience was, without a doubt, going to break out into hysterical cheering that would cover the sound of shaking maracas. Oh, Stephen. Don’t you know how much we adore you?

By: luvtcr

luvtcr — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:39:35 +0000

And… Robert Reed was a slave owner in Roots–to reference Wednesday’s rundown! :)

By: Ms Interpreted

Ms Interpreted — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:45:20 +0000

Man, that line about bombing Cambodia and Laos was one of those combination laugh/wince lines that the show is so good at throwing in there. I just read (and would highly recommend) Daniel Ellsberg's Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers about a week ago, and it was deeply, deeply disturbing; hearing a reference to those bombings just after reading that book was a bit of a kick in the pants. The Dorian Gray reference was a hoot, though. It's probably my second favorite Dorian Gray reference in recent memory (the other was in Jasper Fforde's The Fourth Bear, where Dorian shows up as a used car salesman whose cars come with a unique and ultimately sinister guarantee: any damage done to the car undoes itself, appearing instead on a mysterious painting of the car carried inside of its trunk).

By: Caoilfhiann

Caoilfhiann — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:28:44 +0000

And don’t forget that Robert Reed, who played Mike Brady, was gay. One of my favorite lines from a recent “How I Met Your Mother” was when Neil Patrick Harris was talking about a kid who was playing his son. He said that kid actors in the 80’s where much better than now. That one got a big chuckle out of me. I love NPH.

By: ColbertGirl27

ColbertGirl27 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:14:34 +0000

Why am I not surprised at the quick response? Haha. Thanks wren!

By: lockhart43

lockhart43 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:07:46 +0000

Listening to “Cheap Reward” right now, actually. :D
I laughed so hard at Stephen shaking his moneymaker – not just at him dancing, but at the fact that he had to shush the audience so they could hear the sound, lol. It was adorkable.

I had no idea about the Dorian Gray reference – thanks wren! You are a plethora of information :)

By: wren

wren — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:22:58 +0000

October 16, 2008 Portrait Accepted - Brent Glass, when his portrait is finally accepted at the National Museum of American History. :)

By: ColbertGirl27

ColbertGirl27 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:59:20 +0000

I KNOW Stephen made a reference to Dorian Gray once before, but I can’t remember when! Probably before Four Horsemen of the Apopcalypse:)

By: Roseha

Roseha — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:33:19 +0000

I believe “Shake your moneymaker” is an old blues song line, but I can’t say which song. Possibly many.

Thanks for all these references, wren! I must say I particularly enjoyed the Oscar Wilde reference this week. Redstone must have a good sense of humor!

By: Tiger

Tiger — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:25:28 +0000

I must admit I was pretty amused by the Dorian Gray reference, so I think that was my favorite of the entire Apopcalypse for this week. I think it reflects pretty well on Redstone, he can’t help but be scarred by Stephen’s transgressions!
then again, as much as I enjoy a bit of Wilde, I’m also big on those Galapagos finches, so the beak job made me laugh at the time as well.

I needed to be informed about Kunta Kinte and Laos though, because I didn’t directly get either reference (I knew slavery and Vietnam, but how exactly…) I’m disappointed I don’t know these things, but I wouldn’t say I’ve been hiding out and avoiding information either, I just haven’t run into these facts. anyway, always good to be informed at some time, so thanks to both the Report and wren!