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Stephen Colbert Just Really Isn't That Funny


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[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1326416156' post='2367995']My wife doesn't find [i]The Big Lebowsk[/i]i all that funny either, though she understands it's comedy. Same difference,[/quote]
That is an interesting way to put it! It very much clarifies the point. I have laughed at some of Colbert's jokes but agree that some are taken to far. Does that make him a bad guy? Nah. I read an article that said he lost his father and brothers when he was 10-years-old. Shortly after he started to find that he was detaching from normal behavior for kids. He also said he doesn't want his kids to see the "other Colbert" and that "With a very straight face, I say things I don't believe," (on the show).

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I guess not everyone 'gets him'. I love him. I think he's very funny. I've seen him talk to people before the show, explaining to them that he is going to be an 'arse' to them and that he is going to send them up, and that he isn't going to 'be himself'.

Not everything that is meant to be funny works out that way and jokes fall flat, but on the whole I think he's great.

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[quote name='MissyP89' timestamp='1326412671' post='2367944']
There is a Catholic on Comedy Central who is, at least in small ways, showing people faith. It's more of the Gospel than some people will ever get.

I like him. And his liturgical dance.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oASYa-Wkroc[/media]
[/quote]
My personal fav was when he was off-handedly talking about the Nicene Creed and said something like "Come on people, it's not the hard, here, I'll put down my notes". Puts down the paper, closes his eyes, and recited the entire Nicene Creed on TV to the thunderous applause of the audience.

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[quote name='BG45' timestamp='1326420731' post='2368086']
My personal fav was when he was off-handedly talking about the Nicene Creed and said something like "Come on people, it's not the hard, here, I'll put down my notes". Puts down the paper, closes his eyes, and recited the entire Nicene Creed on TV to the thunderous applause of the audience.
[/quote]

I loved that one... the De-Deification of the American Faithscape. :P I wonder if he has memorised the Creed again with the new liturgy?

This is the link but I can't view it from Australia. I have tried using a freeproxyserver but then it tells me I don't have adobe flash and I do. So anyway, if you can watch it, enjoy!
[url="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/59606/february-27-2006/the-de-deification-of-the-american-faithscape"]http://www.colbertna...ican-faithscape[/url]

Edited by nunsense
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He laughs at everything. He just transferred his Super PAC to John Stewart and hints that he might be running for President....
[url="http://news.yahoo.com/colbert-preps-prez-run-transfers-pac-stewart-020429243.html"]http://news.yahoo.com/colbert-preps-prez-run-transfers-pac-stewart-020429243.html[/url]

[quote]

[b] Colbert preps prez run, transfers PAC to Stewart[/b]



NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Colbert isn't running for president — at least not yet.

During Thursday night's episode of "The Colbert Report," Colbert legally transferred his super political action committee to his friend and Comedy Central cohort Jon Stewart. Dropping by from "The Daily Show," Stewart happily signed the documents and accepted the post, which was ceremonially observed by the two holding hands and bodily transferring the PAC powers.

The move potentially paves the way for Colbert to enter the Republican presidential primary in South Carolina, his home state. Campaigning politicians are prohibited from simultaneously running super PACs.

But Colbert only hinted at such a decision, which he had grandly hyped ahead of Thursday's show. In flirting candidate style, he announced that he is forming "an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for my possible candidacy for the president of the United States of South Carolina."

Patriotically colored balloons were released in the studio while a graphic screamed "I'm Doing It!"

Stewart and Colbert hashed out the peculiar legalities of their arrangement. With Colbert's lawyer (and former chairman of the Federal Election Commission) Trevor Potter on hand, they spelled out that while Colbert was legally forbidden from participating in strategy and advertising with the super PAC, he could still talk about his plans on his TV show and even volunteer for the super PAC.

Stewart declared Colbert vice president of youth outreach for the super PAC, which was renamed The Definitely Not Coordinated with Stephen Colbert Super PAC. Along with Potter, the three joined hands like a sports team and — with thick irony — cheered in unison: "Non-coordination!"

In 2007, Colbert attempted to enter the South Carolina primary but was stymied by filing fees. The super PAC could very well eliminate any such financial concerns. Colbert hasn't publically revealed the amount raised from viewer contributions by the PAC, but on Thursday he repeatedly hinted that it was a shockingly large amount.

Colbert has otherwise been very transparent about the PAC's workings, using it to parody the current system's contradictions and potential conflicts of interest. Political action committees stem from a 2010 Supreme Court decision that changed the rules of corporate political donations.

A Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday found that Colbert is polling ahead of former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman in South Carolina. According to the survey, Colbert has 5 percent of the vote and Huntsman has 4 percent.

Upon reading those results on "The Report" on Wednesday, Colbert said: "This just got real."

[/quote]

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[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1326425397' post='2368186']
He laughs at everything. He just transferred his Super PAC to John Stewart and hints that he might be running for President....
[url="http://news.yahoo.com/colbert-preps-prez-run-transfers-pac-stewart-020429243.html"]http://news.yahoo.co...-020429243.html[/url]
[/quote]

I'm pretty sure he ran for president last time around. And it was completely a gag.

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[quote name='Amppax' timestamp='1326425655' post='2368190']
I'm pretty sure he ran for president last time around. And it was completely a gag.
[/quote]

Yeah, I think he's trying to make people aware of political finance contributions and organizations and how they affect a presidential race. It's a joke, but with a point, what satire is supposed to be.

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[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1326425889' post='2368193']
Yeah, I think he's trying to make people aware of political finance contributions and organizations and how they affect a presidential race. It's a joke, but with a point, what satire is supposed to be.
[/quote]

Oh I know that, I thought you thought his run for the presidency was serious. My error.

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Basilisa Marie

Look, the guy hosts a comedy show on Comedy Central, a channel that is pretty much a cesspool of immorality. He's going to make a crack at some Catholic things every once in a while, but that's only in fairness, because he makes fun of everything else. He's not perfect. He's no saint. But it's not like his show is running on EWTN or is held up as the epitome of Catholic moral teaching. Personally, I think it's wonderful that he's able to get what pro-Catholic morality that he can out there on Comedy Central, because that might just be the hook some lapsed Catholic needs to consider coming home again.

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[quote name='Basilisa Marie' timestamp='1326435934' post='2368244']
Look, the guy hosts a comedy show on Comedy Central, a channel that is pretty much a cesspool of immorality. He's going to make a crack at some Catholic things every once in a while, but that's only in fairness, because he makes fun of everything else. He's not perfect. He's no saint. But it's not like his show is running on EWTN or is held up as the epitome of Catholic moral teaching. Personally, I think it's wonderful that he's able to get what pro-Catholic morality that he can out there on Comedy Central, because that might just be the hook some lapsed Catholic needs to consider coming home again.
[/quote]

I think it's great that a Catholic can laugh at his Catholicism. One thing about Muslims is that they don't seem to have any sense of humour about themselves. There are funny things about religion and it's healthy IMO to be able to laugh at the funny things, while still holding sacred those things that are sacred. I draw the line at skits with Jesus shown wearing a diaper etc ( saw this on some other show), since I see nothing clever about this kind of humour. Sure, sometimes Colbert might step over the line of good taste, but that is always a danger with humour. I still admire him, especially in the instances I have seen him being serious (or reasonably so for him). I think he has a good heart. And if he isn't a perfect Catholic, then he representative of a lot of us imperfect beings.And humour is like art, very subjective. I don't find the 3 Stooges funny at all, but lots of people do. It's personal.

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[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1326417063' post='2368013']
Hitchens made some highly relevant comments on this

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HECI4QK_mXA[/media]
[/quote]
That was truly brilliant.

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Idk I consider myself a conservative on most things, but I love his humor. Doesn't mean everything he does or says is funny or doesn't cross the line.

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Sometimes Colbert calls people on something in a more straight-faced way than others:


For instance, in this clip, it would be difficult to 'miss' that he is mocking journalists for scapegoating before any information on the suspect emerged. Yes, it's his character, yes, it's the mocking satire...but it's not convoluted.

[url="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/393042/july-25-2011/norwegian-muslish-gunman-s-islam-esque-atrocity"]http://www.colbertna...-esque-atrocity[/url]



In this clip, he does much more of the 'say the opposite of what I mean' by having his character express ridiculous ideas. That is, of course, the entire point of his show, and again, it would be hard to 'miss' the point here. But...it would be easy to be confused as to what he really thinks about some of his little asides....because we're in opposite land.

[url="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/183230/august-14-2007/jerry-miller"]http://www.colbertna...07/jerry-miller[/url]


And as for him representing the Catholic faith. Yes, sometimes he does in a way that would make Catholics smile.
[url="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/403247/november-29-2011/yahweh-or-no-way---altered-catholic-mass--papal-seat-belt---offensive-vodka-ad"]http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/403247/november-29-2011/yahweh-or-no-way---altered-catholic-mass--papal-seat-belt---offensive-vodka-ad[/url]
And other times he has segments on elephant vasectomies.
[url="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/76929/october-18-2006/elephant-vasectomies"]http://www.colbertna...ant-vasectomies[/url]


And then there's stuff like this, which really makes no sense and isn't funny...and as far as I can tell, wasn't really supposed to be funny?
[url="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/76932/october-18-2006/santorum-s-iraqi-lord-of-the-rings"]http://www.colbertna...rd-of-the-rings[/url]


In general, I am not a fan of political satire. I find Colbert less annoying than Stewart....but probably just because of his balrog clip:
[url="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/181944/june-07-2006/balrog"]http://www.colbertna...-07-2006/balrog[/url]



(My apologies to the non-US people who can't see the links)

Edited by MithLuin
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