Welcome to No Fact Zone’s weekly roundup of cultural references on The Colbert Report. From Darcy to Danger Mouse, String Theory to Shakespeare, we’ve got the keys to this week’s obscure, oddball, and occasionally obscene cultural shout-outs (hey!).
Hey Zoners! We’ve entered the long dark teatime of the soul, as we wait for the show’s return in two weeks. I hope Stephen and the staff are enjoying their downtime – as much as I miss the show when it’s dark, we Completists enjoy a little break now and then, too. Though the week had many great segments, and Steve Carell’s appearance was an instant classic, I appreciated Stephen’s shout out to my adopted state during his interview with Garret Keizer: “Now you live in Vermont, is that the zone, up there in Vermont? Cause the noise up there is mostly like cows and people sparking up the bong.” What were your favorite segments this week? Post them in the comments! (** = TCR/TDS link)
Monday: Electronic Frontier Foundation & Unemployment Benefits
Cindy Cohn “You remember, these are the people who said there’s the 7 dirty words you can’t say on television.”
Stephen: “Absolutely, *bleep bleep bleep bleep bleep bleep bleep*.”
Now, I can tell you the 7 dirty words, and I don’t have to look them up. But I bow to the effortlessness with which the list tripped so lightly off Stephen’s tongue. Truly admirable! In this seminal comedy routine, George Carlin brilliantly riffs on society’s relationship with language and obscenity. Here’s the short & dirty version, and the long & dirtier one (ludicrously NSFW, but hilarious). Also see **Stephen’s tribute to George Carlin after his passing in 2008, and his numerous appearances on The Daily Show **(Feb 1999, Dec 1999, & Mar 2004).
[Where is your heart?] “I think the Wizard of Oz has it. It’s right next to Michael Steele’s brain.”
I’d love to see the graphics department’s rendering of RNC Chairman Michael Steele as the Scarecrow. Incidentally, **the Scarecrow is one of Stephen’s favorite characters – after all, he’s still got nothing but a haystack up there, but people pay attention to him now that the Wizard gave him some bogus degree (**Knox College!).
Tuesday: The Wørd – The White Stuff & I’s on Edjukashun
“These new Chinese jobs allow average Americans to profit off our country’s past glory. It’s like we’re George Takei and the world is our Star Trek Convention. [“Whore Me Out, Scotty!”]”
Most noted for his role as Mr. Sulu on the original Star Trek series, George Takei has always embraced his history with the show; he’s been a regular at fan conventions, done voiceovers for Star Trek video games, and done numerous sitcom cameos as himself or Mr. Sulu, including his appearance on Futurama as a head in a jar, explaining how the 79 episodes of Star Trek came to be banned.
“Which prominent figure from the 1950’s was secretly a communist? Just give us a name. Any name at all. And the committee will let you write for Gunsmoke.”
At the outset of the McCarthy era anti-Communist witch hunt (call a spade a spade), the House Committee on Un-American Activities interviewed entertainment industry professionals with the aim of rooting out Communist influences in film and television. Those who cooperated were permitted to continue working in the field. Those who refused to answer on First Amendment grounds found themselves blacklisted, their names removed from credits, unable to find work for many years (just look at the list of over 300 blacklisted individuals).
Wednesday: Thought for Food & Formula 401: Beauty From My Beast
“It looks even more delicious than my previous favorite fractal sandwich, the Mandel-BLT-set. The more you zoom in, the more bacon there is.”
Mmmm, bacon (hey, I’m vegetarian, did I just say that?). Skipping the heavy math, the Mandelbrot Set is a fractal (i.e. each part resembles the whole, infinitely scalable up or down), the visualization of which has become an iconic image far beyond the world of mathematics. For a more technical, musical description, see this cool continuous zoom on a Mandelbrot set, soundtrack provided by the awesome Jonathan Coulton‘s “Mandelbrot Set”. Geek!
“You too can be a hideous parent with a beautiful child. And you don’t have to go through the trouble of becoming a rock star.”
Pictured are Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and his inexplicably beautiful daughter, actress Liv Tyler.
Thursday: Modest-Con 2010 & Automatics for the People
“I’m no fan of Iran, specifically Mahmoud Ahma– get knocked down, but I get up again- ejad.”
Love the continuing absurdly giggle-worthy variations on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s name, but oh I do hate the referenced song, Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” (even the band & song names are annoying!).
“For in the Sermon on the Mount, did not Jesus say ‘Ask yourself one question Do you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you? Well, do ya, punk?’” Matthew 5:46
Jesus as Dirty Harry – is it so wrong for me to find that image really funny? Here’s Clint Eastwood delivering the classic line.
“We’ve entered the long dark teatime of the soul, as we wait for the show’s return in two weeks.”
For some reason, this two weeks off is really hitting me hard. It sucks!
I may have to go out and get a life. *Shutters in horror*
Without a doubt my favorite pop culture reference was the “Dirty Harry Jesus.” Just so funny & perfect to go with the absurdity of the guns in churches debate.
I also loved seeing Stephen with a View-Master & Goldfish box on his head to travel the Electronic Frontier! :) And the fact that Cindy Cohn went along & put one on her head to was Massive! Your a true it-getter Ms. Cohn!
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Just another little reference: Mandelbrot is also the name of a form of dryish almond bread typical of Ashkenazy (Eastern European) Jewish cuisine. What’s particularlly funny is Mandelbrot + BLT–which of course contains bacon, which Jews can’t eat. So it’s actually a very elaborate pun, playing not only on the science of the Mandelbrot set but the actual food.
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Wow, wicked! a very punny fractal!
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“But I bow to the effortlessness with which the list tripped so lightly off Stephen’s tongue. “
I totally agree with you wren! For some reason I love how he already had those memorized.
I think my favorite segments (other than EVERY bit of the Steve Carell episode) was the Thought for Food segment and I’s on Edjukashun, both of them were just ridiculously funny. And big thanks for the Futurama clip! I love that episode.
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