Colbert At The White House Correspondents Dinner

Posted by on . 10 comments.

Click here for the full text of Stephen Colbert’s monologue.

***UPDATE***
Of all the posts I’ve read about Stephen Colbert’s astonishingly brave and honest performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner, the best piece by far, I think, is this one by Plaid Adder at Democratic Underground.

Please check it out even if you think you’re sated by this coverage. It’s a really outstanding piece.

Comments

  1. Ken says:
    May 3, 2006 at 8:52 am

    T’was one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen on television.

    Give that man a medal.

  2. sarabeth says:
    May 3, 2006 at 9:30 am

    The ballsiest part was how he kept looking him straight in the eye every few minutes.

  3. Ken says:
    May 4, 2006 at 6:56 am

    Agreed.

    Given the cosa nostra-esque managerial ethic of this administration, I’ve woken up each day since half-expecting to hear that Colbert’s been in a fatal “accident.”

  4. sarabeth says:
    May 4, 2006 at 8:36 am

    I think we haven’t reached that point yet. But who knows what’s round the next corner?

  5. Matthew Tobey says:
    May 4, 2006 at 9:05 am

    Richard Cohen chimed in today with the douchiest take yet on the Colbert performance. He actually prefaces his criticism by claiming to be “a funny guy.”

    Good lord. I’ve seen some douchery in my day, but Christ on a cracker, this guy is like a cross between a junior-high principal and Harriet Meyers.

  6. matt says:
    May 4, 2006 at 10:29 am

    Somerby disagrees.

  7. sarabeth says:
    May 4, 2006 at 1:40 pm

    I think Somerby misses the point.

    Given what Colbert did, the point is not whether you think he was funny or not. And I couldn’t care less that he was paid by the attendees for entertainment, and that he evidently failed to entertain them (one of Somerby’s complaints).

    The man fucked George W. Bush. Royally. In public. On live TV.

    Thanks to Colbert, George Bush knows now what it feels like (in Jon Stewart’s phrase) to get boned in the ass. That’s all that matters. Even if you think Colbert wasn’t funny, how can you not rise to your feet to join in the standing ovation?

    In your entire life, you get one chance at something like this, just one. Everyone who got the same chance before never even recognized that they had an opportunity, and they were passing it up. Hats off to Colbert for recognizing the opportunity, and for taking it.

  8. Ken says:
    May 4, 2006 at 3:00 pm

    Again, one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen on TV. He may not have had Murrow’s gravitas, but he definitely has his spirit.

    I imagine every one of Mr. Colbert’s friends are immensely proud to say they know the man this week.

  9. Ken says:
    May 4, 2006 at 3:02 pm

    By the way, what Mr. Colbert did was likely the only effective way to respond to a bully. Pull the man’s pants down in public.

    Repeatedly.

  10. sarabeth says:
    May 4, 2006 at 4:17 pm

    I imagine every one of Mr. Colbert’s friends are immensely proud to say they know the man this week.

    Heck, I’m actually proud that I saw the last 10 minutes of his presentation live on Saturday night (the Helen Thomas video, not his monologue).

    By the way, what Mr. Colbert did was likely the only effective way to respond to a bully.

    Funny you should say that. I haven’t got around to reading Richard Cohen’s piece yet, but I understand he accuses Colbert of bullying Bush!