Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Colbert makes sushi meal of Bush.

Stephen Colbert is a sharp and very, very funny US satirist.

I am told by an American friend that he parodies the pro-war US right-winger so well that many have trouble distinguishing the parody. They won't have any trouble now.

At the White House Correspondents' Dinner last night his cutting, slashing, stabbing satire was on display as he disembowled the press corps for their obsequiousness to the White House agenda. But he saved his most withering wit for Boy King George; I most enjoyed Colbert's reference to Bush's response to global warming:

"[Talking to Jesse Jackson] is like boxing a glacier...Enjoy that metaphor, by the way, because your grandchildren will have no idea what a glacier is."

That got a laugh. But I was struck by how most of the audience, the American press, seemed too shit scared to have a laugh at their president's expense. It is quite a sad indictment on the democracy and freedom that is so readily touted. I really am not kidding, you have to see the video for yourself. Link :::[WMP] via Crooks and Liars. George and Laura bolted as soon as they could.

Update: The bovine press corps may still be chewing Colby's speech over, but the American street certainly is reacting. As of this posting 6,344 heartfelt "thank you's" were posted to a site set up by Stephen Colbert fans for exactly this purpose. At a rate of about 30 posts a minute at time of posting you get the idea that a lot of Americans are frustrated with the fact that no one has so obviously stood up to Bush before. Link :::[ThankyouStephenColbert.org]. I just hope the glacier gag doesn't get lost on all in this orgy of gratitude.

Update: Just over 24 hours later and the outpouring of gratitude is still flowing strongly at a rate of one thank you every seven to eight seconds:

22402 Thank Yous. Add another »

They are all saying the same thing, "thank you for expressing what I feel about this picture", and there seems to be general consensus that Stephen Colbert has huge ones:


  1. 22571
    Helen Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:30 am

  2. Thank you,

    Mr. Colbert, for talking the talk and walking the walk! You say you have balls, and you actually do. Thank you for making a difference. :-)

  3. 22570
    Elliott Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:30 am

  4. Thank you Mr. Colbert for expressing the thoughts of the average intelligent American.

  5. 22569
    lmjohn Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:30 am

  6. Thank you, Stephen Colbert!

  7. 22568
    Sandra Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:30 am

    Stephen, you were smart, funny and dead-on target?thank you! Hopefully, you have inspired the rest of us to stand up as well?I will.

  8. 22567
    Mot Draw Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:30 am

    Thank you. Don?t ever stop speaking truth to power ? or truth to truthiness.

  9. 22566
    FRED Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:30 am

    Count Me In. It?s about time this FREAK, LIAR, War Criminal (Bu$h) heard a dose of Truthiness. THANK YOU, STEPHEN!!!!!

  10. 22565
    Robert Dillman Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:30 am

    ??as big as church bells.?
    Thank you, thank you, thank you! Too bad most everybody on the room was either too dim, too self-important or too ..well ..evil to appreciate most of your comments. It was very satisfyling to see W have to sit through a little of the truth ? I doubt he recognized it as such, but made me feel better.
    Would that the SCLM had the courage shown by Mr Colbert. I hope he doesn?t get disappeared.

  11. 22564
    Professor Peewee Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:30 am

    If only the ?real? reporters had as much courage?

    Thank you Mr. Colbert.

  12. 22563
    JShafland Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:30 am

    Great job! You and Jon are keeping us sane.

  13. 22562
    Richard Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:30 am

    The NSA cut me off, so let me try again.

    You?re the comedy Solzhenitsyn. You used a perfect opportunity brilliantly, even if the reality authorities agree it never happened. If you get sent to a gulag there are at least 22442 of us who will be looking for you.

  14. 22561
    Todd Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 10:29 am

    Thank you for doing what so few Americans have the courage to do - to stand up to their mythological symbols and their mis-use. Americans have lost control of their democracy, and are therefore a shame and a cancer unto the world, but people like you, Stephen, give me hope that your herd will shake off its stupor and cast off its dictator. Oh, and America should start writing apology notes to the world - for the next 50 years.

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It's quite bizare. The scene is like the entire playground coming to thank the guy who stood up convincingly to the playground bully. I wonder whether this ongoing tribute is made stronger by the stupified reaction of the press audience at the dinner, and the media's subseqent total passing over of a modern day David vs. Goliath story in favour of a new Bush twins spin. I wonder where this all ends? From a planetary perspective there is a poetic justice if this stream of gratitude becomes a flood that washes Bush and the vandals and vulcans and plunderers away. I don't want to talk up a damp squib though, 22402 thank you Mr Colbert's in 24 hours is quite enough of a statement in itself. As Poetry Hut points out:

Hmmm

Yeah, the media has become a bunch of cowering shills:

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