In The Press – Summer's Here Edition [Part 1]

When news stories fall through the cracks, we here at Colbert News Hub catch them for a post we call, In The Press.

I cannot believe that summer is here already. Wasn’t yesterday a snow day? Actually here where I am in New England on this lovely sunny first day of summer, it got down to 48F (9C) overnight. That’s New England fer ye.

Now that summer is here, let’s find out what the media is writing about our hero. The last “In The Press” post was Memorial Day and yet there is already so many more stories to report. The media can’t get enough of him. In fact, there are so many stories we will have to have a part two to this Summer’s Edition. I’m thinking “Summer’s Here 2: Electric Boogaloo!” yes? no? maybe?

In fact there are so many stories, they have overflowed above the jump.

The Tom Green Show:

Stephen Colbert

The Truth About Being A Dad, According To 14 Really Funny Famous Guys

Stephen said this:

My daughter said, ‘Why are you yelling at us?’ and I said, ‘I’m trying to discipline you!’ And then she looked up at me with her tear-stained eyes and said, ‘This is how you teach children, by making them cry.’ And it was such a clenching reminder — she won not only the argument, but she won life with that statement. I just burst out laughing, and I think they were so surprised that I burst out laughing, that they did too.

I also really love what Chris Rock said:

When I hear people talk about juggling, or the sacrifices they make for their children, I look at them like they’re crazy, because ‘sacrifice’ infers that there was something better to do than being with your children.

Two very wise and insightful men who must be really great dads.

25 Top Celeb Working Dads of 2014

Stephen is also on this list at number 8, but I don’t think it’s an ordered list. It’s 25 guys who are hot. Oh and good dads, yes, that’s it!

Others on the list: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon (those two are always listed together) Jimmy Fallon, Mark Wahlberg, Prince William…yup it’s true. Prince William, Stephen Colbert and Mark Wahlberg in one list!

And yet one more article that’s in list form:

19 Heart Melting Wonderful Quotes from Famous Dads

Stephen said this:

You just can’t explain what it’s like to be a parent until you are a parent. It’s like, poetry might get at it, but it’s such an experience, not an idea, that trying to explain it … I didn’t know what to expect. But I think the most surprising thing is that, while it’s hard — it’s hard — but even the hard parts are just beautiful. Because they’re hard, sometimes.”

Lowcountry Teacher Remembers Colbert as a Student

AWWW!! This is so nice. This one fell deep between the cracks. It was back in April after the Late Show announcement.

Chanson recalls that as a student, the television funnyman “wasn’t terribly outgoing.”

“He wasn’t the class clown or cut-up or any of the things you might think he would have been,” Chanson said. But she calls herself one of Colbert’s biggest fans today. “I love to watch his show. I watch it every night!”

Legal Pot Takes Another Step Toward Mainstream in Stephen Colbert Pistachio Ad

Stephen’s latest ad for Wonderful Pistachios features his twin-dressed eagle tokin’ up. That eagle is the best. It made a big splash and this type of advertising may start a trend.

Christopher Chavez is a advertising and media studies professor in the University of Oregon’s Journalism School. “This is going to be one of those points where, let’s see how far we can push it, and if there’s no sort of backlash, both from consumers or from the public but also regulatory organizations, I suspect that you’ll see people aggressively pursuing this tactic,” he said.

Chavez believes you will see other smaller companies or products using marijuana to sell their products. “I wouldn’t see Target doing it,” he said. “You could probably see Mountain Dew doing it, any of those products that are targeting younger males specifically.”

That’s so cool!!

Fairway’s Rainy Day Books Gets the ‘Colbert Bump’

If you are a book nerd, and I know many of you are, then you’ll enjoy this article. Stephen’s feud with Amazon is helping smaller book stores. Even though I am not a book nerd, I am on board with taking down Amazon. They have become like Walmart in the “evil corporation” category.

Fairway’s Rainy Day Books

And the famous “Colbert bump” does work, according to Rainy Day’s Roger Doeren. He said Rainy Day received a “significant increase in local and national online orders as a direct result of Stephen’s encouraging and enthusiastic endorsement.”

Amazon and Colbert’s publisher, Hachette, were involved in negotiations when Amazon increased shipping times for Hachette books and then took “Buy” buttons off soon to be released Hachette titles. Colbert began encouraging viewers to order the novel “California” by Edan Lepucki from other four local booksellers, including Rainy Day Books.

Late Night TV

Netflix to Premiere a Talk Show Hosted by Chelsea Handler in 2016

This warrants a mention, but it’s not really late night TV if it’s on Netflix. The headline kind of says it all. Click it for more.

Dave Hill as Stephen Colbert’s Bandleader? Yes Please. Laughspin asks the Facemelter About the Grassroots Movement to Make it So

I am in the minority here apparently but I am still kind of hoping against hope that Stephen has a plan to blow up the stale late night TV format and he will go without a band. I don’t know who Dave Hill is and I have to honestly say that if Stephen has a band, I hope he will go with a big name bandleader.

Here’s what Mr Hill had to say about the movement:

I’m touched that people have started this campaign without me even bringing it up. The truth is I genuinely want the gig as bandleader on Stephen Colbert’s new show when he takes over for Letterman and think I’d be a great fit. In fact, I was born to do it, dammit. But it was so nice that people on Twitter had the same thought and took it upon themselves to start this campaign. I imagine the suits at CBS are already talking to Elvis Costello or someone like that about the gig, but mark my words- if someone besides me gets the Colbert bandleader gig, I will take them out at the knees. Elvis lives two blocks from me, so I know where to find him. And I’m a huge Elvis fan. If I’m willing to take him down, you don’t even wanna think about what I’d do to Michael Bublé or some other a-hole like that.

Elvis Costello is being whispered an awful lot. I think Toby Keith seems more like a better fit, that is, assuming he would want the gig. He would draw in that heartland audience and be a good contrast to The Tonight Show band. He knows Stephen and has a good sense of humor, not that Elvis doesn’t, it’s just a different style. Who knows? We will all just have to hunker down and wait to see.

Six Degrees

Why It’s So Hard to Get the Law to Protect a Good Joke (Guest Column)

Through the years, comedians have noted how difficult it is to suppress joke thievery. “You have a better chance of stopping a serial killer than a serial thief in comedy,” offered stand-up comedian David Brenner. “If we could protect our jokes, I’d be a retired billionaire in Europe somewhere — and what I just said is original.” Renowned Vaudeville and Broadway comedian W. C. Fields took a different approach. Reportedly, Fields paid $50 to have a thieving comic’s legs broken.

It has got to be frustrating when your art is words and words aren’t always protected by law.

COMING SOON: Summer’s Here part 2, Summer Harder! Nah, I like Electric Boogaloo. Stay Tuned!