Colbert Report

Me$$iah · Post by **Me$$iah** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 5:54 pm

I cant believe that no one has started a thread about The Colbert Report yet.

Has anyone seen it, I tell ya if not...why not..

Its pure genius....diamond bullet straight into the brain genius

john m · Post by **john m** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 6:32 pm

I find it really disappointing. I enjoyed Stephen when he'd fill in for Jon the Daily Show. Here, he's always playing a character, and he feels so awkward doing so. When the Daily Show parodies news, it works because they alternate between character portrayal and actual criticism. On the Report, it's all "Stephen, the overblown Republican goof," and it feels like too much. Plus he's had some decent guests, but the interviews are all Stephen drawing attention to himself, instead of letting the guest present whatever he/she has to offer. Even if the guest's opinion deserves satire, you won't hear it because Stephen is busy spouting faux-patriotic catchphrases.

I love Stephen Colbert, but this show doesn't work for him. If he was hosting the Daily Show, I'd be ecstatic, but the Report is one mildly-funny-at-best joke repeated ad nauseam.

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 11:37 pm

i watched the premiere. hilarious. brilliant. other words that critics use to mean really good.

i haven't watched any of the other episodes though.

rone rivendale · Post by **rone rivendale** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:35 pm

I actually think it's BETTER than The Daily Show and I happen to love The Daily Show.

The Word is by far the best part of the show. I crack up every time he does it because the text that appears with his monolauge is clever and witty.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 6:04 am

john m wrote:On the Report, it's all "Stephen, the overblown Republican goof," and it feels like too much. Plus he's had some decent guests, but the interviews are all Stephen drawing attention to himself, instead of letting the guest present whatever he/she has to offer.

Thats the point of it. It's like a half hour show on Fox News Channel. The guests don't get any say just like they wouldn't on one of those half cocked interviews that Fox would carry. THATS what makes it hilarious. The guest gets to come on and plug, but at the same time Stephen interjects with 'over the top' suggestions and other banter.

I love the over done all american decor and intro..it's saturated with american cheese. Now, I love America and my red white and blue..but they take it way past the digestable medium.

The show is a refreshing change up from The Daily Show. I wouldn't say it was better...but its a nice change of pace with the same type of comedy (satire).

but... "Thats my opinion, I could be wrong" -

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 7:18 am

I watched the first week, and all but the third episode were fantastic-with-a-few-missteps. But the bad thing is that when I watched the Daily Show today it felt blah. I realized that it was much less fun than the Colbert Report.

I frickin' love that his desk is a big 'C'. I also love the opening/closing eagle graphic, and how in the opening 'bumper' a whole bunch of potential Word of the Day candidates (like "Grippy") fly around Stephen.

And his portrait of himself standing in front of a portrait of himself. Man, I love this show.

john m · Post by **john m** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:47 am

Hoblit wrote:Thats the point of it. It's like a half hour show on Fox News Channel. The guests don't get any say just like they wouldn't on one of those half cocked interviews that Fox would carry. THATS what makes it hilarious. The guest gets to come on and plug, but at the same time Stephen interjects with 'over the top' suggestions and other banter.

I love the over done all american decor and intro..it's saturated with american cheese. Now, I love America and my red white and blue..but they take it way past the digestable medium.

The show is a refreshing change up from The Daily Show. I wouldn't say it was better...but its a nice change of pace with the same type of comedy (satire).

Oh, I got the point of what it's supposed to be. I just think that it's overdone, even when its intent is to be that "over the top."

I'm not saying it's all bad, because I would at least marginally enjoy any show with Stephen in it. Some bits are wonderful (I love when he walks to the guest, receiving all the cheers himself), but some are just too awkward to be funny. "The Word" is like watching Colin Quinn stumble through Weekend Update on SNL. Colbert is too much of a fast-paced, ad-lib comedian to make that segment work as well as it should.

Anyway, it's not a horrible show, and I still watch it when I come across it, but I think it could have been much better.

blue · Post by **blue** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 6:09 pm

i'm 50/50 with john on this one. it is aight, not great. he certainly doesn't have Stewart's flair - or maybe he does, but it's not part of his bit.

the SR is mostly just cute and sometimes funny, but not in the same league with the daily show, no matter how badly CC wants it to be.

i'm glad people are digging it, tho. i mean, even if you are all wrong.

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:59 am

hmm. I expected more. The theme song is too much like the Daily Show's theme for starters... and Colbert seemed...flat. His Canadian orientated humour was nice...but I bet the viewers in Sweden felt slighted. It just didn't grab me. I'll still watch it again though... it'll either warm up and get better or tank. I know... I must be psychic to make such a prediction... I mean to say... clearly not a hit right out of the gate...but the potential is there for it to go either way, and that alone is reason enough to watch a few episodes!

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:31 pm

Does anyone else cringe every time Colbert flubs a line (which is two or three times an episode?)

I'm not sure why, but it makes me really uncomfortable. I think it's maybe because he's "in character," so when he screw up, I'm very aware that he's reading a script. When Stewart bungles a line, he can shrug it off by looking sheepish and admitting he flubbed, but Colbert can't break character. Or something.

Anyway, here's the picture Puce mentioned. Cracks me up.

raisedbywolves · Post by **raisedbywolves** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:47 am

I like the Colbert Report a lot. It might be a one-joke premise, but it's an endlessly exploitable one. Especially in today's political climate. My least favorite part of any episode is everyone else's favorite - The Word.

For the uninitiated, The Word is Stephen spouting off some right-wing crackpottery while a box on his left has text that pops up and contradicts/undermines his words, or makes lame jokes. My problem here is one of logistics. Stephen has to stay in character, so he can't acknowledge that there is this text, and therefore must pause/adjust his glasses in the middle of his rant 20 times or so for crowd laughter, seemingly for no reason on his end, since he's not saying anything funny. And who is this phantom person undermining him with sarcastic commentary on his own show? A producer? Some guy in the booth with an axe to grind?

Hey, I realize this is a comedy show, and I'm looking too much into this, but the entire show sets up a premise that this (and only this) segment knocks down.

End of writer-geek rant.

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:49 am

Did anyone else think his "I Have A Dreamsicle" speech was the funniest thing he's done?

http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload ... tion=47382

(link might cause popup)

rone rivendale · Post by **rone rivendale** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:04 pm

Actually he doesn't ignore the box. He talks to it during his monolauge sometimes. If it says something he doesn't like he responds to it or yells at it or whatever.

blue · Post by **blue** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:00 am

i think we've seen every episode.. the format has changed a bit in the last couple of weeks. SC has let his guard down a lot and is acknowledging the jokes a lot more. it's even funnier now that he's "in on it" a bit.

the more he works out the stiffness, the funnier it gets. i can still take or leave most of the guests (last night's was funny as hell tho), but the same could be said for the daily show.

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 5:44 am

Ya, the way he lost it during his Valentine's day bit was one of the funniest things I've seen on the show.

mico saudad · Post by **mico saudad** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 5:10 pm

That was hilarious, tx.