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Stephen Colbert: Comedian, Comedy Central, Daily Show And Strangers With Candy
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Published: December 14, 2007
In an age where journalism standards have been lowered and the news media is designed to provide entertainment and political spin, it's refreshing to know that political satire is alive and well. Perhaps the most well known and effective political satirist in the country is Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report.
Successfully pointing out the vices and follies of the very groups he humorously imitates, Stephen Colbert has won numerous awards, hosts one of the most popular satirical television programs, and is a permanent fixture in American pop culture.
Stephen Colbert cultivated his comedic writing and acting skills at the famous improvisational theater The Second City in Chicago, Illinois. It was here that he met fellow comedians Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. The three would go on to create their own sketch comedy series, Exit 57, for Comedy Central. Although the series was short lived, it received favorable reviews and led the troupe to develop a new series for the network, Strangers with Candy. The series parodies after school specials and centers on Jerri Blank, a convicted 46-year-old runaway returning to high school. (Jerri, played by Amy Sedaris, returns to high school after spending time in prison for stealing a TV.) In addition to writing Strangers with Candy, Stephen Colbert also starred as the closeted high school English teacher, Chuck Noblet. After two seasons, Comedy Central dropped Strangers with Candy, and Colbert joined the cast of the The Daily Show in 1997.
As a news correspondent on The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert received the exposure and experience to hone his trademark satirical comedic skills and personality. Colbert created the persona of the fool who has spent a lot of his life playing not the fool. In other words, he created a character that is misinformed and ignorant about many political and social issues, but tries to pass off his ignorance with bravado and patriotism. Besides his humorous correspondent pieces, Stephen Colbert also became famous for his This Week In God segment. Featuring a god machine the comedian would summon at the beginning of each segment, This Week in God was a humorous slant on prevalent religious issues in the media. Stephen Colbert received critical acclaim and recognition for both his writing and comedic persona on The Daily Show. He was awarded 3 Emmys between 2004-2006 and and his own spin-off series, The Colbert Report, in 2005.
The Colbert Report follows The Daily Show and is designed to parody political talk shows. Stephen Colbert stars as the host of the show and parodies right wing pundits such as Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. The set is designed with American flags and patriotic symbols, including the American Eagle. The show's format typically beings with an opening sequence in which Colbert outlines the topics that will be addressed on the show. This is usually followed by The Word in which Stephen Colbert begins a monologue focused on a one word topic that is juxtaposed with a satirical talking points screen. The show concludes with a guest interview.
The Colbert Report has had a major influence on American culture. Perhaps the biggest impact has been the adoption of the word 'truthiness' into American culture. Defined by Stephen Colbert on the series' debut, truthiness is the quality by which one purports to know something emotionally or instinctively, without regard to evidence or intellectual examination. The word has since been included in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and been used by journalists to describe government half-truths.
Stephen Colbert has also achieved success outside of his show. Most notable was his appearance at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Standing just a few feet away from President Bush, Stephen Colbert delivered a speech in which he satirized the president, the War on Terror, and the media. Although he received unfavorable reviews from the attending media, his performance became a instant Internet sensation.
Stephen Colbert remains one of the most highly successful comedians and writers. Not only is he the host of a highly rated and critically acclaimed comedy series, but he has also written a best selling novel, I Am America (And So Can You!). It takes considerable ambition and talent to achieve comedic success on several mediums, as well as have a Ben & Jerry's ice cream named after you. Recognized as one of the 100 most influential people of 2006 by Time magazine, Stephen Colbert plans to use his influence in the political realm, and has announced his bid to run for President in 2008; however, only in his home state of South Carolina. It will be interesting to see how far this comedian's influence actually extends.
Sources:
"Stephen Colbert." Wikipedia. 12 Nov. 2007. 12 Nov. 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Colbert.
"The Colbert Report." Wikipedia. 12 Nov. 2007. 12 Nov. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Colbert_Report.
"Strangers with Candy." Wikipedia. 12 Nov. 2007. 12 Nov. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangers_with_Candy.
"About the Show: History." The Colbert Report. 1995-2007. Comedy Central. 12 Nov. 2007. http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_rep ort/about_the_show.jhtml.
"About the Show: Host." The Colbert Report. 1995-2007. Comedy Central. 12 Nov. 2007. http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_rep ort/host/stephen_colbert.jhtml.
Stephen Colbert cultivated his comedic writing and acting skills at the famous improvisational theater The Second City in Chicago, Illinois. It was here that he met fellow comedians Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. The three would go on to create their own sketch comedy series, Exit 57, for Comedy Central. Although the series was short lived, it received favorable reviews and led the troupe to develop a new series for the network, Strangers with Candy. The series parodies after school specials and centers on Jerri Blank, a convicted 46-year-old runaway returning to high school. (Jerri, played by Amy Sedaris, returns to high school after spending time in prison for stealing a TV.) In addition to writing Strangers with Candy, Stephen Colbert also starred as the closeted high school English teacher, Chuck Noblet. After two seasons, Comedy Central dropped Strangers with Candy, and Colbert joined the cast of the The Daily Show in 1997.
As a news correspondent on The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert received the exposure and experience to hone his trademark satirical comedic skills and personality. Colbert created the persona of the fool who has spent a lot of his life playing not the fool. In other words, he created a character that is misinformed and ignorant about many political and social issues, but tries to pass off his ignorance with bravado and patriotism. Besides his humorous correspondent pieces, Stephen Colbert also became famous for his This Week In God segment. Featuring a god machine the comedian would summon at the beginning of each segment, This Week in God was a humorous slant on prevalent religious issues in the media. Stephen Colbert received critical acclaim and recognition for both his writing and comedic persona on The Daily Show. He was awarded 3 Emmys between 2004-2006 and and his own spin-off series, The Colbert Report, in 2005.
The Colbert Report follows The Daily Show and is designed to parody political talk shows. Stephen Colbert stars as the host of the show and parodies right wing pundits such as Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. The set is designed with American flags and patriotic symbols, including the American Eagle. The show's format typically beings with an opening sequence in which Colbert outlines the topics that will be addressed on the show. This is usually followed by The Word in which Stephen Colbert begins a monologue focused on a one word topic that is juxtaposed with a satirical talking points screen. The show concludes with a guest interview.
The Colbert Report has had a major influence on American culture. Perhaps the biggest impact has been the adoption of the word 'truthiness' into American culture. Defined by Stephen Colbert on the series' debut, truthiness is the quality by which one purports to know something emotionally or instinctively, without regard to evidence or intellectual examination. The word has since been included in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and been used by journalists to describe government half-truths.
Stephen Colbert has also achieved success outside of his show. Most notable was his appearance at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Standing just a few feet away from President Bush, Stephen Colbert delivered a speech in which he satirized the president, the War on Terror, and the media. Although he received unfavorable reviews from the attending media, his performance became a instant Internet sensation.
Stephen Colbert remains one of the most highly successful comedians and writers. Not only is he the host of a highly rated and critically acclaimed comedy series, but he has also written a best selling novel, I Am America (And So Can You!). It takes considerable ambition and talent to achieve comedic success on several mediums, as well as have a Ben & Jerry's ice cream named after you. Recognized as one of the 100 most influential people of 2006 by Time magazine, Stephen Colbert plans to use his influence in the political realm, and has announced his bid to run for President in 2008; however, only in his home state of South Carolina. It will be interesting to see how far this comedian's influence actually extends.
Sources:
"Stephen Colbert." Wikipedia. 12 Nov. 2007. 12 Nov. 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Colbert.
"The Colbert Report." Wikipedia. 12 Nov. 2007. 12 Nov. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Colbert_Report.
"Strangers with Candy." Wikipedia. 12 Nov. 2007. 12 Nov. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangers_with_Candy.
"About the Show: History." The Colbert Report. 1995-2007. Comedy Central. 12 Nov. 2007. http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_rep ort/about_the_show.jhtml.
"About the Show: Host." The Colbert Report. 1995-2007. Comedy Central. 12 Nov. 2007. http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_rep ort/host/stephen_colbert.jhtml.
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