It would be hard to find a comedian as unique as Stephen Colbert. As the host of “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central he hasmanaged to leave his mark on the nation’s consciousness in both a serious and humorous sort of way. His unusual wit has allowed him to become American icon. It would be difficult to find another entertainer quite like him.
Who else would have the guts to make fun of a president sitting on the same dais at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner? And actually manage to do it without going over the top? The only ones who ended up offended were the correspondents because they took the brunt of his jokes. The non-press loved his routine.
What other comedian could appeal so easily to politicians at opposite ends of the spectrum? Colbert plays a caricature of himself, a narrow-minded, self-serving conservative who is actually socially liberal in real life.
Any politician with a sense of humor is happy to appear with him. 2008 Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee even asked him to be his running mate.
What other liberal comedian could have a U.S. military that absolutely adores him?
It was Colbert who felt badly about the “forgotten” troops in Iraq and arranged to have his show taped there for a week. Not only did he have the top military brass appear as guests on his show, but he arranged to have President Obama on a live satellite feed order him to have a military haircut.
Witnessing Colbert’s brand of humor is something to behold. It’s almost hard to describe. His shtick demands the combination of a quick wit, a keen intelligence, and the ability to keep a straight face. With his guests he has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of history and current events. He has a way of keeping them honest without embarrassing them. It’s little wonder that even the most controversial figures will make repeat visits on his show.
How Colbert became an American icon is intimately captured in Lisa Rogak’s new biography of him, “And Nothing But the Truthiness: The Rise (and Further Rise) of Stephen Colbert.” Although he came from a very large and loving family he had to overcome tragedy and career failures before achieving success. His greatest attribute has been to always stay grounded. Colbert has maintained a sense of humility and treated his peers and underlings with respect. It’s hard to find anyone who has a bad word to say about him.
His cleverness and popularity has led to some innovative ideas on his show. He has a regular segment called “Better Know a District” where he tapes interviews with congressmen and women from around the country. It has produced some of the funniestmoments on his show, especially if the representatives aren’t sure if he’s serious or not.
When he heard the government of Hungary was having a naming contest for a new bridge over the Danube River he mobilized his viewers to bombard the website with so many votes for himself that he won. The Hungarian government changed the rules midstream to avoid giving the bridge his name, but tried to make amends by having the Hungarian ambassador to the United States appear on his show.
The same thing happened when NASA sponsored a contest to name a new module on the International Space Station. They also nixed the Colbert name on a technicality although it did lead to his “training” by NASA as an astronaut.
Sometimes his brainstorms have a positive effect. Colbert came to the rescue of the 2010 U.S. Olympic speed skating team after their sponsoring bank went bankrupt, volunteering to have Colbert Nation (i.e., his viewers) sponsor the team through donations. His appeal netted the $300,000 needed to make up the shortfall. Other inspirations have raised money for many different charities, mainly in public education.
Stephen Colbert is an enigma as well as an icon. His arrogant, blowhard alter-ego has a way of appealing to the masses, but his true persona he is one of a humble guy who keeps his ego in check. After experiencing “And Nothing But the Truthiness” you realize that Colbert’s successis well deserved and couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
Columns
Book Notes: Biography captures the real Stephen Colbert
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
We continue this week by answering the question we asked if anyone remembers the old Cooperstown National Bank? On May 13, we wrote: “Martha Dickison, Delaware Street, called to tell us about the Cooperstown National Bank where she worked at her first ‘real job’ after her graduation from school.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: Spring inventions
The second line of Lawrence Durrell’s novel “Justine” reads as follows: “In the midst of winter you can feel the inventions of Spring.” I first read all four novels of his magnificent Alexandria Quartet during the year I traveled from Saigon to Paris after working in Vietnam for a refugee organization for several years.
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From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
Time to bring you up to date on Fly Creek’s happy clambering into Spring. First, the eatery scene. “Is Jerry’s open yet?” The answer is, “Oh, yes!” The porches are freshly stained; the lawns a uniform green, and the hop vines are already climbing the posts on the covered side deck. Blue and I went up there to lunch earlier this week, and I celebrated spring with my traditional bacon, onion and Swiss cheese hamburger. We two sat on the deck, enjoying the broad view and some spectacular clouds marching across, up toward Schuyler Lake.
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In These Otsego Hills: More from 1986 ...
This week we continue with the discussion of telephone service from the pre-dial days. On March 12 we noted that: “No one has yet produced a telephone directory from pre-dial days, but Doug Preston of New Hartford recalls that some business (which one?) in the village had the phone number 7.”
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Home Notes: Celebrations abound at the Thanksgiving Home
April was a month of celebrations and much to appreciate. We had a 90th birthday celebration for Wanda Noyes on April 4 including her family and friends. Personal care staff Dee Bouck worked with residents to hand paint Easter eggs for the tree in the activity room.
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In These Otsego Hills: 1986 continues ...
This week we continue our journey through the columns of 1986 with the answer to the question “for whom, according to tradition, was Hannah’s Hill named?”
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Book Notes: Baseball book features local contributors
Baseball is part of the nation’s fabric. Most kids have a memory of the game either from playing Little League, attending a major league contest or meeting a favorite player. In Cooperstown that feeling is magnified since we are the official home of baseball. We get to see firsthand what has made the sport the national pastime.
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From Fly Creek: Ya really wanna know?
SETTING: Fly Creek General Store. CAST: Assorted seated geezers, drinking coffee. [Door opens, enter heavy-set geezer; walking slowly with wide stance, maybe prostatitis.]
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In These Otsego Hills: Returning to 1986 ...
For the past several years now we have undertaken sharing some of the area’s oral history we have collected over the years that we have written this column. Therefore, this year, we would like to go back to 1986 to share that rather unusual year. Those who were here then no doubt remember that it was that year that the village celebrated the bicentennial of its founding.
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From Fly Creek: For reasons unknowable
[Jim’s reached back to 2002 to share one of his favorite columns.] My father was born as the last century began into a river village in tidewater Maryland. He told me once of a man there in his boyhood who, like so many, made a thin living tonging for oysters in the cold months and, in the hot and humid ones, crabbing and raising vegetables.
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In These Otsego Hills: CCS balancing act ... side two
Last week we shared a number of activities in which students at CCS can participate. We thought it was an impressive, if not overwhelming, list. And we are indeed pleased that the young people of our area have these opportunities. However, we think it is also important to keep in mind that these undertakings do have a cost associated with them. They are not free. In fact there are, no doubt, those who would say they do not come cheap.
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From Fly Creek: A graceful crowd
Make of this what you will, friends. I feel I’m really meant to share it with you. Despite good medication for my Parkinsonism, every four or five weeks I can sensethe symptoms building up on me, giving me more than ordinary trouble. Lately it’s been falls, and last week brought a typical one. I’d gone out to get the paper, moving along with penguin steps on the snowcoved ice patches, and usingmy spike-tipped cane the waya climber uses an ice axe. But circumstances overcame me. Parkinson’s wipes out the possibility of multi-tasking.
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In These Otsego Hills: This and that and the other side ...
We note that the CCS Class of 2012 is presenting its senior class play, “Snow White” by Tim Kelly, this week with performances 7:30 p.m Thursday and Friday, March 29 and 30, and at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31. All performances will be at the Nicolas J. Sterling Auditorium at the Middle/High School.
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In These Otsego Hills: That green thing ...
Of late we have noticed that our email inbox has been much busier than usual. In fact, we find ourselves hard pressed to keep up with all the various messages we receive. As a result we suspect we have not answered some in as timely a fashion as might be thought appropriate.
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From Fly Creek: What you need to know
In their last Sunday’s bulletins, all 84 churches of Otsego County were to have carried announcements of an important meeting; most of them did. But because the announcement is so important, and not just to the churched, here it is again.
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Book Notes: Living the magic of ‘Hoosier’
A lot of people consider “Hoosiers” the best sports film of all time. The 1986 classic follows the exploits of a fictional small town Indiana high school basketball team in 1952 as it attempts to achieve the impossible dream of a state championship. The story is inspired by the true life achievement of the 1954 Milan team, who with an enrollment of only 161 students shocked big city power Muncie Central on a last second shot to win the state title. It’s the kind of sports story that represents something that is hard to grasp unless you live in a small town.
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In These Otsego Hills: The most perfect village... home to heavy industry?
We suspect we would get a whole lot more accomplished if we spent less time thinking, pondering and musing about things. In fact, there is a good possibility we might actually have completed our goal of cleaning the basement if we only focused on the task at hand, instead of trying to figure out the world around us. It almost makes us wonder if it is possible to think too much about things. We certainly hope not because should that be the case, we are in deep trouble.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: The past in the present
Clichés abound about the value of photographs. Most are probably true at least to a certain extent. What I do know about an image is that it represents something of the past that is not the pastitself. But that is the power of any image. It represents something that once was. The beauty of an image, revisited, is that it functions as a catalystfor reliving in the present a past experience. My own view, one that I thank the Spanish writer Jorge Luis Borges for, is that all we ever can experience is the present.
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Home Notes: Workshops held for Thanksgiving Home residents
We welcomed Linda Keller, Ph.D. of the Bassett Research Institute and Ida Baker of NYCAMH who presented a six-week workshop for residents and staff.
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From Fly Creek: Late-winter hamlet news
Well, at least I’m “guessing” it’s late winter now — in the winter that wasn’t. But, if not snow, I can provide a flurry of Fly Creek news to share with you, scooping Associated Press, Reuter’s, and United Press International, not to mention all local news services except our General Store.
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
