Archive for USO
MSNBC highlights Stephen Colbert in USO story
Posted by: | CommentsWe’ve heard several times since his return that taping The Colbert Report’s Iraq episodes left a huge impression on Stephen. It’s not so surprising, when we consider all of his work supporting the troops before his visit and how patriotic he is (in the best sense of the word), and it was clear in watching the Operation Iraqi Stephen episodes how sincerely he respected the soldiers serving there and how eager he was to show them a good time.
Given all that, I was pleased to read this article covering the USO today, which characterizes Stephen’s shows as “one of the most popular in recent years”. I hope he and his team of writers and crewpeople take pride in what they were able to accomplish there. From MSNBC:
USO feeds troops starved for entertainment
In tradition dating back to 1941, celebs aim to bring slice of home overseas
By Michael VentreOne of the harsher truths about life overseas for United States military personnel is that they rarely have all they need.
It isn’t just about enough weapons and ammo, bulletproof vests, Humvees or other equipment to help them thrive in combat. There are always shortages of letters and packages from home, of recreational opportunities and furloughs and of general contact with the free world outside of military bases.
There is also a dire need for entertainment.
. . .
One of the most popular [shows] in recent years occurred in June, when Colbert took his “Comedy Central” show to Baghdad for a week. The event featured the faux firebrand having his head shaved military style and prancing around in a tailor-made camouflage business suit.
“It was absolutely fabulous,” Pray said. “At the end of all the major tours, we put together a book, a compilation of events. To look at the photos of the venue he was working in, and then to see the smiling faces of all the troops … oh my gosh.”
Colbert said he was thrilled to be there, even if the logistics of staging his regular production were somewhat daunting for him and his entire production crew.
“I’m honored that we went to do the show in Iraq and in the end we still all liked each other,” he cracked. “When you put pressure on a system like that, things can rattle off and go wrong. It was sort of a painful process to go through, but we got back way more than we put in. I was grateful for that experience.
“The gratitude and appreciation from the people there was startling to me.”
. . .
I had to laugh at myself when I saw the top photo of Stephen featured on the slideshow, because it looked so familiar to me. (I think it was taken during one of the rehearsal sessions that was captured in these adorable videos, with Stephen laughing at his Army Basic Training exploits.) Anyway, here’s a brief clip of a Q&A featuring Stephen while he was in Iraq, from the MSNBC story:
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I remain terribly impressed with the people involved with the show for what they were able to accomplish at Camp Victory; the caliber of the shows and the guests was really incredible, and I think the response to the shows is a testament to that. Here’s hoping even more entertainers follow in Stephen’s footsteps, as the article makes it clear that the men and women in theater are always grateful for the shows.
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How’d they do that? Technical challenges to ‘The Colbert Report’ in Iraq
Posted by: | CommentsWhile doing my usual morning skim of Colbert-related news, I clicked on this story thinking it would just be another summary of the impressive “Operation Iraqi Stephen” shows. Boy, was I wrong! This article goes into great detail over the technical and production aspects of the shows and even managed to give me, a complete idiot where this stuff is concerned, a sense of the behind-the-scenes efforts. From TV Technology:
Colbert Goes Commando in Iraq
by Claudia Kienzle, 08.12.2009. . .
While USO productions typically involve transporting two or three palettes [sic] of gear and a few people, “The Colbert Report” needed to transport a 30-member crew and over 13 palletes [sic] of gear, done over three separate trips. This meant filling the interiors of C130 and C17 military cargo planes with people in helmets and flak jackets—including editors, camera operators, and writers—and production elements such as sets, props, theatrical lighting, editing systems, and audio gear, not to mention office equipment. The military dedicated over 200 troops to assist in construction and setup of the facility, as well as logistical support and housing for the crew.
“Given the opportunity, we would have pre-fabricated a high-end production control room or even a flypack in New York and moved it over to Iraq ready to go. But we didn’t have the luxury to ship such large cargo,” said Jeremy Tchaban, production manager for “The Colbert Report.” “As a result, we had to supplement our equipment complement with video cameras, production switchers, and monitors from a local source, Coaxial, a Kuwaiti event production company; and this meant we would have to work in PAL, the native format in that part of the world.”
. . .
For example, the most complex, blue screen effect was created live for “Formidable Opponent,” a segment where Colbert appears live in both sides of a split-screen simultaneously and debates himself about a controversial issue; this time the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. While this live split-screen effect is no problem at all for the big Sony switcher back home, Pretnar said that, for the Iraq shows, he needed to use two of the small switchers at once.
. . .
“Pretnar was punching up buttons on the three switchers as if he were playing three pianos at once,” Tchaban said, “so the gags would be staged with the full live effects to capture the natural laughs we wanted from the troops.”
. . .
I’d strongly recommend that you read the full story; it was an extremely interesting look at a lot of things that normally fly under the radar for us watching from home.
And again, thanks to everyone at the USO, in the military, and with the show who put in such fantastic efforts!
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Stephen Colbert reflects on Iraq
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a sweet little item from Variety:
Stephen Colbert
Host, ‘The Colbert Report’
By MICHAEL VENTRE. . .
[W]hat Colbert remembers most from his week of shows inside the combat zone — titled “Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando” — was the connection he made with that live audience that had little to do with shear lunacy.
“As friends of mine had told me who had done this kind of work before, there was an immediate and startling affection from the men and women over there,” he said shortly after his return to the States. “They’re grateful to you. That immediately gives you a purpose beyond just the purpose to make them laugh. It becomes to make them laugh, and to show your appreciation to them.
“The response was deeply emotional and not intellectual. It was a very beautiful feeling and one that will take me a while to (assess) and extricate from the tangle of my present exhaustion.”
. . .
Speaking just for myself, I think that emotion was evident in the shows that were broadcast back here. Thanks again, Stephen and crew, for doing such an amazing job and giving those troops such wonderful shows!
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VIDEO: Operation Iraqi Stephen rehearsal clips
Posted by: | CommentsGreetings and salutations, kids. We all know that break weeks are tough, but I’m a little bit grateful for this one, because it bored me enough to send me searching “the internets” a bit more thoroughly than I otherwise might have. And, lo and behold, I stumbled across Flickr user robert birkenes‘ photostream, which includes some great shots from Stephen Colbert during the rehearsals at Al Faw Palace in Baghdad.
These two additions are the ones that made me feel the warmest and fuzziest inside: clips of Stephen watching and reacting to the video of his stint at basic training. They’re short, but they’re sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone who’s been to a taping and watched Stephen watch himself.
Let’s face it, Stephen cracking himself up is just so darned cute!
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VIDEO: Stephen Colbert and Barack Obama – behind the scenes
Posted by: | CommentsNo way — the White House has posted the footage of the taping for Barack Obama’s “Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando” cameo on facebook!
I can’t embed it here, but click on this link to go to the video. Awesome!
Huge hat tip to Roland!
EDIT:
Thanks to all the tipsters who sent us a link to the vid on YouTube – enjoy! I know I did! – DB
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‘News Tribune’ covers its own: Grippe, Jacoby on ‘The Colbert Report’
Posted by: | CommentsThe News Tribune has a nice little write-up of Stephen’s most recent shows from Iraq, in which he interviewed two Washingtonians, CSM Grippe and Lt. Gen. Jacoby.
From *FOB Tacoma:
I Corps’ Grippe, Jacoby ham it up on ‘Colbert Report’
Friday, June 12th, 2009
Posted by Scott Fontaine @ 11:58:20 am
. . .
Welcome to “The Colbert Report,” Iraq-style. The Comedy Central show featuring a self-important talking head – the credits list the host as Sir Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, DFA – spent a week with troops in Iraq. Many of the hundreds in the audience are serving in Baghdad with Fort Lewis-based I Corps, which is running daily operations of the military in Iraq.
The tour, organized by the USO, was a great distraction, Grippe told The News Tribune by phone Friday. He and corps commander Lt. Gen Charles Jacoby sat for interviews, and hundreds more were in the audience for the tapings. Colbert also shook hands and chatted with the service members after the cameras were off.
“His audience really fits the demographics of a lot of people in the military today,” said Grippe, a 46-year-old New York native. “They’re all about Steve.”
. . .
The host later convinced Grippe to call the service members in the audience to attention and order them to “put their right hand in.” When Colbert asked Grippe to order them to “take your right hand out,” the command sergeant major’s patience seemed spent.
He stopped barking out the orders.
Cue Colbert’s faux horror.
“You can’t get them to do the hokey-pokey?” Colbert asked. “What kind of commander are you?”
Instead, I Corps’ top noncommissioned officer led the hundreds in the audience in the Army song.
“I can play around a little bit,” Grippe told The News Tribune, “but you can’t play around too much with a high-discipline force on world TV.”
. . .
Well, much as I wish CSM Grippe had gone along with the “Hokey Pokey”, I’m not about to argue with his decision to refrain. It’s been a superb week of shows, and it’s great to get these follow up articles. Kudos to all involved!
*I’ve clearly been reading a lot of military-related stuff lately, as I now immediately think “Forward Operating Base” when I see the acronym “FOB” printed anywhere. My usual lawyerly response would be to think “Free/Freight On Board” (a shipping term). Gawd, what’s up with my life?
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Sergeant First Class Demetrius Chantz talks about “training” Pvt. Stephen Colbert
Posted by: | CommentsHa ha! Oh, this is impressive; sounds like Sergeant First Class Demetrius Chantz, who appeared in those hysterical videos of Stephen at Basic Training, managed to keep his cool throughout most of the taping session. But Stephen got even him to break in the end — hee! From WIS 10:
Ft. Jackson drill sergeant attempts to ‘train’ Stephen Colbert
Posted: June 11, 2009 06:06 PM EDT
Updated: June 11, 2009 06:06 PM EDT
By Taylor KearnsFORT JACKSON, SC (WIS) – The man dubbed as South Carolina’s favorite child came back to South Carolina to meet a Fort Jackson drill sergeant.
. . .
Chantz was selected from 68 Drill Sergeants to “train” — or at least appear to train — Colbert for his trip to Iraq.
It wasn’t easy, Chantz says Colbert’s antics made it hard to stay in the mode, but Chantz has been tested before; he’s trained over 300 soldiers.
“I’ve had some characters believe it or not,” said Chantz.
But none that mounted an iPhone on their helmet like Colbert did in one of the scenes.
“He actually broke me one time at the end. He started singing his little song and that’s the only time I smiled and we had to do a retake,” said Chantz.
. . .
Let’s have another look at those brilliant segments:
Stephen Strong: Army of Me – Basic Training
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Stephen Strong: Army of Me – Basic Training | ||||
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Stephen Strong: Army of Me – Basic Training Pt. 2
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Stephen Strong: Army of Me – Basic Training Pt. 2 | ||||
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Army Sgt. from New York gets front row seat at ‘The Colbert Report’ in Iraq
Posted by: | CommentsTalk about being in the right place at the right time; Army Sgt. First Class Benari Poulten is a stand up comedian in New York in his civilian life, but he happened to be on deployment to Iraq when “Operation Stephen: Going Commando” came to town, setting him up to spend his day hanging out with the Colbert Report crew. The comic’s comic has a nice writeup of the whole thing here:
Army Sgt. Benari Poulten: Stephen Colbert’s comedy liasion in Iraq
June 10, 2009
. . .
“I got to hang out with him and his writers and staff in the production/writers’ room for a day and half. And see the rehearsals and the first two tapings. Awesome guy. And the writers were all cool – I was afraid that once we established the whole New York comedy scene connection, they’d be like, ‘Aw, no, get this dude outta here!’ But they were amazingly cool and friendly and we talked about all the folks we knew in common and comedy and New York…good times. I even got to act as a kind of impromptu military advisor – AND I got to throw in a few suggestions. Not bad for war. 5 years in New York and I had to go all the way to Iraq to make it into Colbert’s writers’ room.
“The troops loved the show – it was huge. Colbert was very respectful and genuinely supportive of the troops, but he didn’t water anything down. He even managed to pull in huge laughs on a very political ‘Formidable Opponent’ piece about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Most impressive.”
. . .
Way to go, Sergeant. I’m sure your duty over there isn’t normally a picnic, but this particular situation sounds A-OK (Alpha-Oscar-Kilo?). Good stuff!
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