Stephen Colbert Just Really Isn't That Funny

[Anastasia13]

[quote name='Basilisa Marie' timestamp='1326401295' post='2367835']
Regardless if you think he's funny, at least he takes his Catholicism very seriously, and has used his celebrity to bring important issues to light. He also regularly helps fundraise for Donors Choose, which helps classrooms get the supplies they need.

Breaking character while testifying before the House Judiciary Commitee on Immigration a few years ago:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtxIk_jJESo[/media]

More recently he did a bit on the New Translation, and although he made a joke about "consubstantial," his main point was that it's good that now people actually going to have to pay attention to what they're saying during mass instead of mindlessly babbling.[/quote]
He also started the Yellow Ribbon Fund when he hurt his wrist, and this helped fund support of injured war vetrins.

[quote name='tinytherese' timestamp='1326412273' post='2367938']
Isn't he known for supporting contraception and making dirty jokes? He and Jane Fonda flirted and kissed on at least one episode (despite that he's married to another woman.) I didn't see the whole clip, but he did once appear to make fun of the sacrament of confession.
[/quote]
She started the kiss and he looked uncomfortable about it.

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1326422830' post='2368143']
I loved that one... the De-Deification of the American Faithscape. [img]file:///C:/Users/Pioneer/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png[/img]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]
[/quote]
First clip I ever saw of him. Loved it. I became a big fan there for a while. Still love his show, just rarely sit down and watch it online. It really encouraged me that Colbert didn’t have to be a perfect Catholic to say that he loved Jesus.

This has an article that talks about where Colbert temporarily lost his faith and came back to it.
[url="http://catholiccolbert.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/stephen-on-faith-and-his-own-dark-night"]http://catholiccolbe...-own-dark-night[/url]

Edited January 16, 2012 by Light and Truth

[Basilisa Marie]

Hmm...I don't think he started the Yellow Ribbon fund, but I do know that the proceeds from his "wrist-strong" bracelets went to injured soldiers. Meh. He's still excellent.

[Basilisa Marie]

Regarding losing his father and two closest brothers in a plane crash:
[quote]

“I’m not bitter about what happened to me as a child, and my mother was instrumental in keeping me from being so. She taught me to be grateful for my life regardless of what that entailed, and that’s directly related to the image of Christ on the cross and the example of sacrifice that he gave us. What she taught me is that the deliverance God offers you from pain is not no pain — it’s that the pain is actually a gift.”
– Stephen Colbert
[/quote]

[LouisvilleFan]

I'm a big fan of Colbert and appreciate the contribution of his faith to the show. It shows something of his genius that he's about the only comedian who pulls of the religious persona while having a sense of humor. He seems to inspire the way I handle a lot of conversations, especially those fun debates with pro-choice friends/relatives, Protestants, letters to the editor of my diocese newspaper, etc. That said, I'm pretty sure that by reading between the lines, the "real" Stephen Colbert supports gay marriage and other liberal causes. On some topics, like philosophy and religion, the pope, Mass, etc. the humor supports Church teaching, but on social issues the humor always runs against Church teaching.

That is, as far as I've seen... has anyone seen a joke support a conservative social issue?

Edited January 17, 2012 by LouisvilleFan

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' timestamp='1326768931' post='2370297']
I'm a big fan of Colbert and appreciate the contribution of his faith to the show. It shows something of his genius that he's about the only comedian who pulls of the religious persona while having a sense of humor. He seems to inspire the way I handle a lot of conversations, especially those fun debates with pro-choice friends/relatives, Protestants, letters to the editor of my diocese newspaper, etc. That said, I'm pretty sure that by reading between the lines, the "real" Stephen Colbert supports gay marriage and other liberal causes. On some topics, like philosophy and religion, the pope, Mass, etc. the humor supports Church teaching, but on social issues the humor always runs against Church teaching.

That is, as far as I've seen... has anyone seen a joke support a conservative social issue?
[/quote]

Part of Colbert's character, for example, is that he is secretly gay, which is why he can't exactly make jokes that support Church teaching against gay marriage. It used to be a bigger part of his character, when political figures secretly being gay was a big thing in the news. But you rarely see references to that part of his character anymore. Still, jokes like that wouldn't fit in with his character. And as far as abortion goes...not only is that issue so politically "last week" as far as headline news goes, but nobody thinks it's funny anymore. But has he ever made a joke that "secretly" supports gay marriage, like his other jokes that support Church teaching? I can't think of any specific examples. So I won't assume either way, until I do see an example.

Immigration and the poor are also a social issues. Granted, they don't have the limelight like abortion and gay marriage do, but preferential option for the poor is still a major part of Catholic social teaching.

[Vincent Vega]

I thought this was about whether he was funny, not whether he was a good Catholic? The pope is probably a good Catholic, but I don't exactly chuckle my buns off at him.

[kujo]

He's hilarious, but assuredly not in a way that is universally-consumable. Some people take themselves, their "positions" and their station in life very seriously, while others take great joy in discovering and illuminating life's great and small absurdities. There will always be people beckoning us to "act like adults." I guess I'm just always sympathetic to the people sitting in the back of the classroom, giggling at the teacher's wedgie and making fluffy air extraction noises. Maybe that makes me immature.

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' timestamp='1326776226' post='2370362']
I thought this was about whether he was funny, not whether he was a good Catholic? The pope is probably a good Catholic, but I don't exactly chuckle my buns off at him.
[/quote]

It was brought up because someone knows the Colberts, and said that they were faithful Catholics. Then someone doubted that claim. Then, thread hijack.

[kujo]

[quote name='Basilisa Marie' timestamp='1326777282' post='2370375']
It was brought up because someone knows the Colberts, and said that they were faithful Catholics. Then someone doubted that claim. Then, thread hijack.
[/quote]

Yeah, but any thread that has to do with Stephen Colbert always gets hijacked by people who seem to hold him to a higher standard of religiosity than they probably hold themselves.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='kujo' timestamp='1326776864' post='2370370']
He's hilarious, but assuredly not in a way that is universally-consumable. Some people take themselves, their "positions" and their station in life very seriously, while others take great joy in discovering and illuminating life's great and small absurdities. There will always be people beckoning us to "act like adults." I guess I'm just always sympathetic to the people sitting in the back of the classroom, giggling at the teacher's wedgie and making fluffy air extraction noises. Maybe that makes me immature.
[/quote]
I think this has already been discussed in this thread - note the op(Hasan), even. It's possible to not find somebody funny simply because one doesn't think they're funny, not just because one is a tightwad.

[ardillacid]

The question of his catholicism wasn't brought up by someone who isn't a fan, Mr kujo

[kujo]

[quote name='ardillacid' timestamp='1326779241' post='2370395']
The question of his catholicism wasn't brought up by someone who isn't a fan, Mr kujo
[/quote]

I was speaking more generally, Mr. Ardillacid. And as you might have inferred by the tenor and content of the conversation that followed, my point is valid--there are some members of this particular Catholic community who take great pleasure in wagging their fingers at people who might or might not share their particular views on certain subjects.