Thursday, May 04, 2006

GREAT PERFORMANCES: STEPHEN COLBERT


Here’s an article that will provide all the background you need to know about the great performance delivered by top-drawer political satirist Stephen Colbert at last weekend’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner. This is just about the ballsiest thing I’ve ever seen—talk about subversion from inside the system. Colbert’s take-no-prisoners address, delivered in the character of his Bill O’Reilly parody character from Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, was a blast of irreverence and subtly slashing wit, a stab with an icy knife delivered directly to the heart of the beast, who just happened to be sitting on the same stage just a few seats away. And, just as fascinating, take note of the timidity of said White House Correspondents as they chuckle uncomfortably at the beginning and grow ever more silent and horrified. Somewhere, on whichever level of hell they’re currently broiling, Mark Twain and H.L. Mencken must be howling with approval. If you haven’t yet seen it, take 20 minutes out and avail yourself. This is what free speech is all about and, with all due respect to Tom Cruise in M:I3, it's easily one of the best performances of the year so far.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

1 comment:

  1. This was the ballsiest, bravest thing I've ever seen. Oh, to have been in the room as Stephen let Chucklehead, his minions and the ball-less press corps have it right in the face. Or maybe it the best place to be would have been on or behind the dais so that one could watch the expressions of dawning horror that must have crossed the faces of the audience when they realized that Stephen was not going to give them all the smackdown they deserved.

    Good on ya, Stephen!

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