When news stories fall through the cracks, we here at Colbert News Hub catch it for a post we call “In the Press”.
There have been a few press articles about Stephen recently. The preceding is the understatement of the year.
Between the cancelcolbert affair and now the speculations about him replacing David Letterman, it’s difficult to keep track of everything. That’s where we come in. Never fear hubsters! We got your backs. Here are some of the many recent articles.
As I was compiling articles and videos for this piece, it was not about what to put in, but deciding what to leave out. I would get a link to an article and as I was reading it, on the sidebar was another article about Stephen or about the Late Show or Suey Park and even now Bill O’Reilly is in the mix, and even sometimes when I clicked on that one, there was yet another one on the side. Here goes…
#cancelcolbert
As I said, I don’t know if I can include all the press articles that were written because there were so many, but here are the good, the bad and the ugly. Some of these are a little infuriating to read. I feel like I should put a warning on them, but I’m sure you’ll all be fine after a glass of wine.
Here is a recent one from April 3, 2014:
#CancelColbert activist Suey Park: “This is not reform, this is revolution”
I don’t even understand the very first line of this article:
On Thursday night, a writer, comedian and activist named Suey Park saw an opportunity…
Comedian? There have been many words used to describe her, but comedian is way down at the bottom of the list.
The article is actually a straight interview and here is part of it:
Do you think race has a place in comedy? Is it OK to joke about race, and if so, under what circumstances?
I mean, I don’t think people realize what I write about. I write a lot of comedy myself, I write scripts, I write jokes about race all the time, but I think they’re supposed to make a social commentary. A cheap joke is hitting a trope of a minority in order to get a point across. I think a better joke is to point to the depths and the roots of white supremacy, not simply joking about the Ku Klux Klan, not simply joking about Dan Snyder.
Okay. Moving on.
Satire Is What Closes on Saturday Night: The Outrage Of #CancelColbert
This talks more about satire and how it can be misunderstood. It is tough to understand and when so many people think that they have a handle on it when they seemingly don’t, it makes one wonder who is really right about what is satire.
Colbert has achieved such success at this difficult feat that some significant portion of his audience consists of right-wingers convinced that he is what he seems to be: a bloviating right-wing pundit with a streak of racism a mile wide.
Because that’s what satire—when it works—does: it blows up its target without ever letting on that the satirist is the enemy. Colbert’s frequent assertion (often to guests of color) that he “doesn’t see color” points up the racism of that kind of “we’re all equal” rhetoric on the part of privileged whites, for example. We don’t know, of course, but we strongly suspect that Colbert’s not that guy, nor did Jonathan Swift actually advocate eating Irish babies.
I like how the author said, “when it works”. Satire is done often by people who are not really satirists and then they get to claim that “I was just using satire”. One person who’s last name rhymes with “Rim-baugh” comes to mind.
The author goes on to say that Stephen should have Ms. Park on the show. I sincerely disagree with that and when I heard people saying that it made me think that even after all this, people still don’t understand the premise of the show. The show is a comedy show. It’s purpose is not to heal race relations. It’s about laughter and comedy. Even when Stephen has a guest on that is discussing something serious, he still tries to make it funny. Ms. Park wouldn’t have been up for that.
Snyder Wins: How ‘CancelColbert’ Drowned Out the Native Voice
This was written on April 1 and it’s from a site called “Indian Country”.
comedy central
Here is a snippet:
In his closing words, he said that he would be donating the money raised by his offensive faux charity to the offensive real-life charity that inspired the joke that caused the kerfluffle: The Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation.
“…which Twitter seems to be fine with,” he said, “because I haven’t seen shit about that.”
And that’s the bottom line for the Native activists on Twitter who saw a real opportunity to open some eyes when Snyder announced his bizarrely named charity: The momentum building for their campaign — #Not4Sale — was stymied by #CancelColbert.
I hope the focus can get back to the mascots and the offensive team names, as it should.
#CancelColbert Collateral Damage to EONM (Eradicating Offensive NativeMascotry)
This piece is about the ensuing fighting between Native American groups and followers of Suey Park. There are specific people’s names mentioned and if you can keep track of all the players, it’s good on you.
The reason this plays in what happened in the aftermath of #CancelColbert is that it was those same people, and I believe Suey Park herself either believing them or encouraging them, that would come back at us with a catastrophic effect to Native Americans.
During #CancelColbert several EONM members/supporters noticed several of us tweeting under the hashtag. So they jumped in thinking this was about Native Mascotry. I myself thought that Colbert had actually done something to support Dan Snyder. I hadn’t seen the skit. I stopped early on believing that I needed to get back to addressing the very real problems with Snyder’s organization. Also, after I watched the skit and became aware that many,many Native Americans were feeling betrayed. After those events, EONM released two brief tweets stating that we would be supportive, but keeping our focus on #Not4Sale.
Stephen Colbert vs. the Hashtag Activists
Photo by Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
This one is a pretty good read too. I think it’s more objective, doesn’t really blame either side, yet doesn’t defend either side.
The argument happens on the hashtag founder’s terms. Comedy Central and Colbert fumbled to respond, with the network taking the blame for the out-of-context tweet but—because you have 140 characters on Twitter—never explaining that the joke was at Dan Snyder’s expense. The weaponized hashtag also takes power from the people who are trying to mock it—Twitter doesn’t discriminate between earnestness and parody. People making fun of the humorlessness and bad faith of the hashtag end up keeping it in the “trending” column.
You know you are in trouble if a story made by an Asian organization is siding against you. This is the taiwanese animation treatment.
Middlebrow: #CancelColbert And The Complex Anatomy Of A Racial Joke
This HuffPo article is one of many, what I’m calling “aftermath” articles. It was written after Stephen responded on his March 31st show, which the author calls an apology. I didn’t hear any apology, nor should there ever be one.
Carry on…
When we look at Colbert’s joke out of context, it has the same cringe-worthy effect of something that might fuel the chuckles of “loud actual racists.” Within the segment, the deliberate intention to criticize rather than perpetuate stereotypes is definitively clearer. But Park and her #pitchfork wielding mob are still justified in taking issue with the 138-character version of the joke, which denounced the use of racial slurs with more racial slurs. But really, the #CancelColbert controversy is not about who is right or wrong, but the way in which racial satirization can be effective. Humor directed at racism can be poignant and powerful tool. If we can wade through all of the reactive backlash to the backlash, Colbert and Park’s intentions actually align, in that both take issue with reinforcing preconceived notions about people based solely on the color of their skin. Of course, it’s easy to point to that now, with the clarity of hindsight. But maybe next time we can trend #CancelStereotypes.
It’s a pretty good read, I’d say it’s worth your time.
This is from The Young Turks and it focuses on Michelle Malkin’s role in this affair.
The #CancelColbert Debate Is the Funniest Thing to Ever Happen
This article from Vice is tongue in cheek. It’s interesting the supposed layers of satire going on in this whole kerfuffle. Some people are trying to be comical when talking about satire, and then they say Suey Park was being comical, I don’t know. Read and comment!
-If there’s one thing I believe the human race can totally agree on, it’s that comedy only gets better the more you dissect it. For instance, the classic joke, “Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side,” surprises the recipient of the joke with its literal, non-punchline. It’s a pure form of anti-comedy, the “Nick Cannon in whiteface” of one-liners. Isn’t that joke so much funnier now that I’ve explained it? I thought so.
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” ?
UPDATE: Stephen has been announced as the replacement for David Letterman. These were compiled before he was announced.
Last week when David Letterman announced his retirement from CBS, it kicked off speculation, speculation and more speculation. These are names I have heard so far, besides Stephen. I assume that some of these were just joking…I hope.
Neil Patrick Harris, Chelsea Handler, Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Kimmel, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (alternating hosts, yes), Howard Stern, Greg Gutfeld, (The Five, Red Eye on Fox) Johnny Knoxville, Louis CK, Chris Rock, Jay Leno, Craig Ferguson, Ricky Gervais, Michael Strahan, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer to name a few. Of course, there are a lot of articles titled “Top Ten people who could replace Letterman”. Yup, I get it. They are a little redundant.
I am torn on whether or not I want Stephen to replace Dave. I don’t really, yet anytime I hear someone mention someone other than Stephen I scoff and say “Yeah right that’ll never work. Stephen’s better than him/her”. It’s like I want everyone to love Stephen but I want him to stay where he is.
This is a great piece from Pete Dominick who was one of Stephen’s warm-up comedians for many years.
Yes, Stephen Colbert Would Be Great as Host of CBS’s ‘Late Night’
Pete knows the fans and some of us are a little nervous about the idea of Stephen going to a traditional late night talk show format. Pete is here to ease our minds.
Would it work? That, of course, is the most important question everyone is asking, so that is where the fun starts.
Colbert is perhaps the greatest comedian of our generation of comics. He can do it all: improv, sketch, stand-up. He can dance, act, and conduct hilarious interviews.
What viewers don’t see is how integral Colbert is to the writing process. Only the writing staff knows whose contributions end up making the show, but you can be sure Colbert has the last say.
The most impressive feat I saw him pull off in my six years at the Report was when he did the show with no writers at all during the writers’ strike of 2007-08. He and his executive producer and former head writer Allison Silverman wrote the show themselves, and in case that doesn’t seem impossible enough, union rules didn’t allow scripts to be loaded in the teleprompter. He wrote the show, then somehow remembered it. I’ll never forget standing backstage and watching him pull that off almost flawlessly night after night.
So no matter what you think about Stephen possibly taking over the Late Show, you have to admit that’s a great article.
Building the perfect host to succeed David Letterman at ‘The Late Show’
This is a short piece listing characteristics of a good replacement.
Theatrical Flair: Fallon can sing and dance, but you know who does both better? Neil Patrick Harris. “How I Met Your Mother” is over, he’s proven himself as an awards show host and he’s always wanted a talk show.
An Experimental Edge: Letterman’s replacement shouldn’t be afraid to toy with the format. That’s why rumored frontrunner Stephen Colbert makes sense: His show’s entire run has been one long experiment.
See, after I read that first sentence I found myself saying, “yeah, but Neil’s not a comedian”. Then I read the second part and was happy.
A Big Job Might Ruin a Good Thing: Gauging Stephen Colbert as a ‘Late Show’ Host
This is the latest from the NYT and I think it’s exactly what a lot of us are thinking. Very good analysis.
That Mr. Colbert is drawing focus is no surprise. His contract with Comedy Central is up at the end of the year, and while he performs inside a satirical character on “The Colbert Report,” his ability to transcend mere mockery reveals a sharp improvisational comic mind operating at the speed of a supercomputer. No comic on television right now is succeeding at an act with a higher degree of difficulty. That’s why I’m worried he will get the job.
Then the author looks at it differently a little further down:
On the other hand, Mr. Colbert has defied expectations before. When “The Colbert Report” debuted in 2005, a nightly show satirizing Bill O’Reilly seemed like it would eventually be a dead end. Mr. Colbert proved otherwise — and could do it again. He has evolved inside his character, finding room not just to express complex points, but also moments of delirious silliness and even earnest emotion. His interviews in particular are marvels of wit and curiosity.
Yes, it is a complete unknown. I worry about him taking the gig but I will have to trust him if he does.
More Taiwanese animation. I can’t imagine what they must think of us over in Taiwan.
TV: Who will replace David Letterman? Game on
This is a piece written on April 3rd, from SFGate.com.
While Fallon is only 40, he and Meyers essentially represent the old paradigm in late-night talk shows. If CBS wants to program for the future, it could make a bid for either Stewart or Colbert. Like Leno, Stewart is funny. Unlike Leno, he’s also a good interviewer and seems credibly engaged with his guests. That would make him a good “get” for anyone looking to fill a late-night talk show job.
I don’t think Jon wants the job, but who knows. At one time ABC was courting him before they got Kimmel, while he was on TDS and he did want it.
If you are interested in working on a late night show and you’ve always wondered what the behind the scenes staff people make, here ya go. I thought it was interesting. I’ve wondered. You never hear about how much they make, until now.
Late night house bands — like Jimmy Fallon’s The Roots — get us all to “turn up!” These talented musicians cost the network a cool $1 million a year. On top of this, to avoid all the legal drama, the network must pay rights fees (between $1,500 and $3,000) for any covers the band decides to play.
The writers — the masterminds behind the hosts’ monologues and one-liners — reap between $3,500 and $10,000 a week, depending on seniority. Paying for a producer sets the network back $300,000 annually.
Let’s not forget about the talent bookers. They’re responsible for getting Hollywood’s finest on the show. These crew members earn between $3,000 and $6,000 a week. Though celebrity guests don’t get paid for making appearances per se, the show pays for their flight, hotel, car service, and a stocked-up “green room” — the place where stars hang out before going on stage.
The last part says the celebrities don’t get paid? I thought they got scale? Discuss in the comments.
Howard Stern’s Wrap up Show.
Over on Sirius radio, Howard Stern is a big fan of late night TV, or rather talking about late night TV. Many were saying he should replace Letterman. He weighed in with names like Chris Rock and he was the one who suggested Greg Gutfeld. (Really?) However, on “The Wrap up Show” (the show that comes on after the show) the day after Letterman announced, they were speculating. Jon Hein, from Jump The Shark, and Gary (Baba Booey) Dell’Abate were discussing it and I like what Jon had to say:
In terms of the candidates, a lot of people are saying it’s gonna be Colbert and his contract’s up, he’s ready for that next leap, but the thing about Colbert is he does a character and I don’t know if CBS is comfortable with someone doing a character for an entire hour talk show every…network’s a very different ball game than cable when it comes to these talk shows and even Leno…Leno was arguably the best stand up comedian or one of the best stand up comedians out there, until he got the Tonight Show and then all of a sudden he’s changing his material to appease a lot of the affiliates and you lose your edge and you just can’t be as crazy as you were or as on the edge as you were beforehand and Dave went through that…Dave I think, did a much better job of maintaining an edge at 11:30, ‘cause he had the network experience at 12:30. So whoever comes into this is gonna have to do that. That’s why I don’t think Jon Stewart’s gonna do it, because Jon Stewart is very happy at the Daily Show and there’s an edge there he just can’t bring to network television.
Jon Hein is a total TV nerd so he can speak about it. It’s a really good point he brings up about Leno before and after the Tonight Show. I also think of Conan and how the network was constantly giving him notes and he didn’t do what they told him to. We all know what happened there.
FACEOFF: Should Stephen Colbert replace David Letterman?
This is a Point/Counterpoint style of article, written by UMaryland students, where they provide a pro and con view as to the possibility of Stephen becoming the host.
Appropriate because I see this going on even among our own hub staff and the Nation and the fangirls and just about anyone right now who is a fan of the show. Should he or shouldn’t he?
The “Pro” Stephen hosting:
Many wonder how Colbert would fare without his character, but he’d be just fine. Despite the satirical nature of his character, Colbert’s charm and intelligence always comes across. It’s not difficult to imagine him running an hour-long program with success.
The CBS audience skews older, so the transition to Colbert could be difficult. However, it would be a smoother replacement than, say, Craig Ferguson, who is best suited to continue his deconstruction of the late night format in his current time slot. To compete with NBC, Colbert is the best option.
The “Con” Stephen hosting:
The Colbert character’s popularity has spread to many random and hilarious other avenues that never would have been possible if he weren’t a satirical creation. There’s the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor Americone Dream, Colbert’s presence as a presidential candidate in Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man series, and even the name of a species of spider, Aptostichus stephencolberti. This character resonates with people, but it seems unlikely that a nonsatirical Stephen Colbert would have had such a widespread effect.
Colbert becoming just another late-night show host would mean losing the shield that his character offers him.
So discuss in the comments. Do you want Stephen to take over for Dave? Do you want him to stay at TCR? Do you want him to join John Oliver at HBO? YES! That’s the best scenario in my opinion, but sound off and feel free to vent if the cancelcolbert pieces made you nuts!
In The Press: Mega-Recent Press Edition
When news stories fall through the cracks, we here at Colbert News Hub catch it for a post we call “In the Press”.
There have been a few press articles about Stephen recently. The preceding is the understatement of the year.
Between the cancelcolbert affair and now the speculations about him replacing David Letterman, it’s difficult to keep track of everything. That’s where we come in. Never fear hubsters! We got your backs. Here are some of the many recent articles.
As I was compiling articles and videos for this piece, it was not about what to put in, but deciding what to leave out. I would get a link to an article and as I was reading it, on the sidebar was another article about Stephen or about the Late Show or Suey Park and even now Bill O’Reilly is in the mix, and even sometimes when I clicked on that one, there was yet another one on the side. Here goes…
#cancelcolbert
As I said, I don’t know if I can include all the press articles that were written because there were so many, but here are the good, the bad and the ugly. Some of these are a little infuriating to read. I feel like I should put a warning on them, but I’m sure you’ll all be fine after a glass of wine.
Here is a recent one from April 3, 2014:
#CancelColbert activist Suey Park: “This is not reform, this is revolution”
I don’t even understand the very first line of this article:
Comedian? There have been many words used to describe her, but comedian is way down at the bottom of the list.
The article is actually a straight interview and here is part of it:
Okay. Moving on.
Satire Is What Closes on Saturday Night: The Outrage Of #CancelColbert
This talks more about satire and how it can be misunderstood. It is tough to understand and when so many people think that they have a handle on it when they seemingly don’t, it makes one wonder who is really right about what is satire.
I like how the author said, “when it works”. Satire is done often by people who are not really satirists and then they get to claim that “I was just using satire”. One person who’s last name rhymes with “Rim-baugh” comes to mind.
The author goes on to say that Stephen should have Ms. Park on the show. I sincerely disagree with that and when I heard people saying that it made me think that even after all this, people still don’t understand the premise of the show. The show is a comedy show. It’s purpose is not to heal race relations. It’s about laughter and comedy. Even when Stephen has a guest on that is discussing something serious, he still tries to make it funny. Ms. Park wouldn’t have been up for that.
Snyder Wins: How ‘CancelColbert’ Drowned Out the Native Voice
This was written on April 1 and it’s from a site called “Indian Country”.
comedy central
Here is a snippet:
I hope the focus can get back to the mascots and the offensive team names, as it should.
#CancelColbert Collateral Damage to EONM (Eradicating Offensive NativeMascotry)
This piece is about the ensuing fighting between Native American groups and followers of Suey Park. There are specific people’s names mentioned and if you can keep track of all the players, it’s good on you.
Stephen Colbert vs. the Hashtag Activists
Photo by Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
This one is a pretty good read too. I think it’s more objective, doesn’t really blame either side, yet doesn’t defend either side.
You know you are in trouble if a story made by an Asian organization is siding against you. This is the taiwanese animation treatment.
Middlebrow: #CancelColbert And The Complex Anatomy Of A Racial Joke
This HuffPo article is one of many, what I’m calling “aftermath” articles. It was written after Stephen responded on his March 31st show, which the author calls an apology. I didn’t hear any apology, nor should there ever be one.
Carry on…
It’s a pretty good read, I’d say it’s worth your time.
This is from The Young Turks and it focuses on Michelle Malkin’s role in this affair.
The #CancelColbert Debate Is the Funniest Thing to Ever Happen
This article from Vice is tongue in cheek. It’s interesting the supposed layers of satire going on in this whole kerfuffle. Some people are trying to be comical when talking about satire, and then they say Suey Park was being comical, I don’t know. Read and comment!
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” ?
UPDATE: Stephen has been announced as the replacement for David Letterman. These were compiled before he was announced.
Last week when David Letterman announced his retirement from CBS, it kicked off speculation, speculation and more speculation. These are names I have heard so far, besides Stephen. I assume that some of these were just joking…I hope.
Neil Patrick Harris, Chelsea Handler, Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Kimmel, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (alternating hosts, yes), Howard Stern, Greg Gutfeld, (The Five, Red Eye on Fox) Johnny Knoxville, Louis CK, Chris Rock, Jay Leno, Craig Ferguson, Ricky Gervais, Michael Strahan, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer to name a few. Of course, there are a lot of articles titled “Top Ten people who could replace Letterman”. Yup, I get it. They are a little redundant.
I am torn on whether or not I want Stephen to replace Dave. I don’t really, yet anytime I hear someone mention someone other than Stephen I scoff and say “Yeah right that’ll never work. Stephen’s better than him/her”. It’s like I want everyone to love Stephen but I want him to stay where he is.
This is a great piece from Pete Dominick who was one of Stephen’s warm-up comedians for many years.
Yes, Stephen Colbert Would Be Great as Host of CBS’s ‘Late Night’
Pete knows the fans and some of us are a little nervous about the idea of Stephen going to a traditional late night talk show format. Pete is here to ease our minds.
So no matter what you think about Stephen possibly taking over the Late Show, you have to admit that’s a great article.
Building the perfect host to succeed David Letterman at ‘The Late Show’
This is a short piece listing characteristics of a good replacement.
See, after I read that first sentence I found myself saying, “yeah, but Neil’s not a comedian”. Then I read the second part and was happy.
A Big Job Might Ruin a Good Thing: Gauging Stephen Colbert as a ‘Late Show’ Host
This is the latest from the NYT and I think it’s exactly what a lot of us are thinking. Very good analysis.
Then the author looks at it differently a little further down:
Yes, it is a complete unknown. I worry about him taking the gig but I will have to trust him if he does.
More Taiwanese animation. I can’t imagine what they must think of us over in Taiwan.
TV: Who will replace David Letterman? Game on
This is a piece written on April 3rd, from SFGate.com.
I don’t think Jon wants the job, but who knows. At one time ABC was courting him before they got Kimmel, while he was on TDS and he did want it.
If you are interested in working on a late night show and you’ve always wondered what the behind the scenes staff people make, here ya go. I thought it was interesting. I’ve wondered. You never hear about how much they make, until now.
The last part says the celebrities don’t get paid? I thought they got scale? Discuss in the comments.
Howard Stern’s Wrap up Show.
Over on Sirius radio, Howard Stern is a big fan of late night TV, or rather talking about late night TV. Many were saying he should replace Letterman. He weighed in with names like Chris Rock and he was the one who suggested Greg Gutfeld. (Really?) However, on “The Wrap up Show” (the show that comes on after the show) the day after Letterman announced, they were speculating. Jon Hein, from Jump The Shark, and Gary (Baba Booey) Dell’Abate were discussing it and I like what Jon had to say:
Jon Hein is a total TV nerd so he can speak about it. It’s a really good point he brings up about Leno before and after the Tonight Show. I also think of Conan and how the network was constantly giving him notes and he didn’t do what they told him to. We all know what happened there.
FACEOFF: Should Stephen Colbert replace David Letterman?
This is a Point/Counterpoint style of article, written by UMaryland students, where they provide a pro and con view as to the possibility of Stephen becoming the host.
Appropriate because I see this going on even among our own hub staff and the Nation and the fangirls and just about anyone right now who is a fan of the show. Should he or shouldn’t he?
The “Pro” Stephen hosting:
The “Con” Stephen hosting:
So discuss in the comments. Do you want Stephen to take over for Dave? Do you want him to stay at TCR? Do you want him to join John Oliver at HBO? YES! That’s the best scenario in my opinion, but sound off and feel free to vent if the cancelcolbert pieces made you nuts!