Jul
10
VIDEO: Stephen Colbert addresses congressional aides, 2006
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Big tip of the hat to Jennie, who turned our attention to this video of Stephen talking to, it appears, Republican congressional aides and/or press secretaries in 2006.
This Twitter poster identifies the venue as the “GOP Modern Media Strategies Workshop” in 2006. It’s a really interesting video of Stephen making an earnest (i.e. out of character) pitch for Republican participation in BKADs and the like. I think his responses to people worried about the potential for their representatives to make fools of themselves are spot on.
Thanks for finding it, Jennie. And to everyone else: enjoy!
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31 Comments
July 10th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Phil Ken Sebben at the end! :)
Ha Ha!…dangly parts…
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July 10th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Hahaha! Wasn’t that hilarious? :P
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July 10th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
This was so cool. I’ve never seen this anywhere else. Nice find, Jennie! Thanks a lot for posting it here, Ms I. I love seeing Stephen out of character and this was really interesting because he was making a case to get people on the show – I always wonder how he gets the BKAD segments. So, yeah, this was great!
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July 10th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Holy cow! This beats anything Colbert that I could ever imagine finding! excellent! thanks so much.
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July 10th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
That was fantastic, thanks alot for posting!
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July 10th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Oh my… There is a video on YouTube that is of Fox News doing exactly what Stephen Colbert was making fun of (using 30 seconds from TCR and make it sounds serious). Fox took the “I enjoy using cocaine because…” video, chopped it up, and took out all the times the interviewee was smiling so it made it seem serious.
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July 10th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Seriously?!
Wow…… I don’t know what to say in response to that.
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July 10th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Oh my God…they did? Wow. That is really appalling.
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July 10th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Sorry I didn’t post the link on my first comment, I had to check out the link-in-comment policy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGqPxn7njqM
There we go.
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July 10th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Wow. Ok, first of all – that’s really irresponsible editing and it’s purposefully manipulative. Second of all – do they know it’s all in the name of comedy? Oy.
July 10th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
I remember this. I forget the name of the congressman who was the target, but I remember Stephen asked him to finish the sentence, “I like cocaine and strippers (or prostitutes) because…”
Stephen seemed annoyed by this, and he did a segment mocking the morning shows that did it and defending the guy. It’s actually one of my favorite clips.
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July 10th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Congressman Robert Wexler.
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July 10th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
HuffPo had a review of an article yesterday showing how Papa Bear has done just that with Obama’s speeches.
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July 11th, 2009 at 2:13 am
I think TDS called out Sean Hannity on that too, when Obama went to Egypt.
Thanks for the video!
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July 10th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Wow, what a great find. It’s so fascinating to get this kind of insight into how Stephen works.
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July 10th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
GREAT FIND! that was fantastic. I like this talky-thinky stuff sometimes. it makes me even more excited for the show to come back next week to see it of thing in action. just love it.
I also found it amusing when he says “we’re not recording this and broadcasting it” but here I am watching it out in the great beyond, definitely not present there that day. ha.
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July 10th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
This is great! I love it when he’s out of character and giving thoughtful/funny responses to questions (I watched the Harvard Kennedy School of Politics interview over and over again…). It’s also great to see that he’s so comfortable and charming in almost any setting. And it was also great to see that some of these Republican aides/bloggers seemed to get that his show is more than Fox News would have you think it is. Yes, it points out the hypocrisy and idiocy of politicians, but it’s not viciously setting people up. (And I hate Punk’d. Just thought I’d throw that out there.)
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July 10th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Oh, this was a wonderful video, Jennie. Thank you.
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July 10th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
great video! colbert still has the best demographics of the late night shows right?
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July 10th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Wow, that was a really great video. Nice find, Jennie! It’s always interesting to see him speaking out of character.
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July 11th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Wonderful vid, thanks. Is there an award for the world’s most charming person in any venue? I think Stephen’s a lock for the win.
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July 11th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Oh man, that award needs to be created and Stephen would totally win!
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July 11th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
There would be no competition. Stephen would win every year;)
By the way, Emmy nomations will be announced this Thursday!
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July 12th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I agree! The whole time I was watching this, I was thinking about how charming he is! Swoon…..
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July 11th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Jennie, what a find!
Even though the southern dialect is totally gone, the real Stephen here, for me, is at his charming, southern gentleman best.
Although I know he really wants to be seen by this group in a positive light so he can get guests for his show, what is so pleasing about watching this 15 minute clip, however, is being aware that all that charm and niceness is genuine and real and truly part of his personality.
Being that I’m a northerner from birth, watching a true southern gentleman be a gentleman is fun – I mean this in an absolutely complimentary way.
Jennie, really enjoyed this – thanks for your effort.
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July 11th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
I’m thinking I might call my congress woman. She’s a rep.
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July 12th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Unfortunately my congress woman is Michelle Bachman. :(
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July 12th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
She was dumb enough to go on msnbc—-she is dumb enough to go on TCR
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July 13th, 2009 at 1:17 am
Colbert- Isn’t there a contest every year: Who is the funniest in Washington?
Reply- It’s so sad..
I got a kick out of that.
i am worried: i am 32
am i to old for the Colbert Report?
Is it just me, or does Stephen have really flexible hands?
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July 13th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
SajiNoKami: “i am worried: i am 32 am i to old for the Colbert Report?”
Me: I’m not QUITE twice your age, SajiNoKami, but close enough to feel like I am. I just figure I count for two and a half twenty-something viewers.
And yes, Stephen does have very nimble hands. I can only imagine….
reCAPTCHA: crispy 29
Ha! Ok, I’m not two and a half twenty somethings. I’m a crispy 29!
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July 13th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
well ok then.
i just wondered because of the demographic he supposedly has…
see what confuses me is: what am i suppose to be watching if i am out of that demographic? I have watched some of the shows they [stewart and colbert] cover, but they make me laugh with how ridiculous they are… which is disturbing… at least with stewart and colbert they are doing it on purpose..
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