For his jaw-dropping performance at the typically cosy, self-congratulatory White House correspondents dinner, comedian Stephen Colbert is being called "the Edward R. Murrow of his day." I think that's a tad overblown, but there's no denying he made a big impression. In fact, he "left the clueless DC press corps gaping," according to Michael Scherer in online mag Salon:
“….It’s not just that Colbert’s jokes were hitting their mark. We already know that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, that the generals hate Rumsfeld, or that Fox News lists to the right. Those cracks are old and boring. What Colbert did was expose the whole official, patriotic, right-wing, press-bashing discourse as a sham, as more ‘truthiness’ than truth.”
You can watch the video of his speech at Crooks and Liars. And then, if you're so inclined, you can say thank you...
9 comments:
I'm Yankunian's little old greyhaired mama in Vermont--I watched the hysterical Colbert speech on Sunday afternoon on C-Span (which covers all the federal government meetings etc.) I was amazed that they showed it. In the evening, C-Span ran the video of the dinner again--but magically, there was no Colbert speech. Democracy in action.....
Vermama - I love it!
You have to start your own blog now, you know...
xxxx
I watched the video but thought it less hardhitting than the edited highlights printed in The Guardian on Tuesday. This distilled the best barbs against Bush and showed there is some genuine disrespectful democracy in America. Sometimes I despair at the deference shown to the president in the US but thank you Stephen Colbert- you deserve to go far for showing a degree of chutzpah rarely seen either side of the Atlantic.
It's not that funny..but makes its points well, more of a depressed polemic really..but the audacity of it standing right next to Bush makes it very powerful. Skipper is right. It is the lack of respect that is so refreshing. How can anyone respect Bush and his administration?
And I don't know about anyone else, but I think the whole Helen Thomas movie sequence went on way too long (though she is the bomb.)
I thought it was pretty funny and to say it in front of dubya! He must have nerves of steel!
Who was the lady following him in the clip sequence?
Wodge, that was Helen Thomas, the most intimidating and longest-serving (probably) member of the DC press corps, who is known for her very pointed questions.
ah, managed to find her wiki page after you gave me her name.
The page said she's been a reporter since 1943!
Helen Thomas has been the cross that most presidents have had to bear--she is a tough old broad--has been the Dean of the Washington Press Corps for a kazillion years--almost caused Nixon to have a breakdown (she and the young Dan Rather in his glory days) Her questions are always direct, she refuses to be put off, she just keeps talking--the press secretary (or Pres) will be trying to move on to somebody else but good old Helen refuses to give in--Kennedy adored her but since then the other prezzies haven't been as fond of her. I hope she lives forever!
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