General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDid you know that Stephen Colbert "fell flat" at the WH Correspondents dinner?
MSNBC is filling this hour about the dinner. The host said there's a danger about the
guest comedian falling flat and he used Colbert's appearance as an example.
WTF?
edit to add: This wasn't a random comment. It was deliberate and they had the clip ready to go.
avebury
(10,952 posts)who would call out W could be zinging the target every time. Colbert was brillent that night.
YvonneCa
(10,117 posts)edhopper
(33,579 posts)to the sycophantic press corp at the dinner who were up Bush's ass.
To all else who saw it, he was hysterical.
RKP5637
(67,108 posts)Cha
(297,218 posts)pancake But, anyone who was capable of critical thinking thought he was superb!
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)He was hosting an event that most people who were there, liked Bush and didn't get the jokes. Bush himself probably didn't get half of them.
3catwoman3
(23,984 posts)I'm not much of a betting woman, but I'd lay a few bills on that one without any hesitation.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)he got quite a bit of it. He was pissed.
Demeter
(85,373 posts)You are using Brit-slang, no?
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)pissed off as in angry. It shows mostly in his eyes.
hatrack
(59,585 posts)Colbert, or his own absolute inability to get up out of his chair and punch Colbert.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)Blue Owl
(50,372 posts)n/t
malaise
(268,997 posts)Only ReTHUGs and their media whores and hacks thought he fell flat.
He was fugging brilliant - thing is they all missed that his character on his program is satire and it blew up in their ignorant faces right at the dinner. It was one fabulous night that I'll never forget. It was also a great tribute to Helen Thomas.
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)The pseudo jouralists
fredamae
(4,458 posts)back then, that Colbert was a "gop conservative"?
Imo Colbert was perfect that night.
eShirl
(18,491 posts)I imagine the butts of the jokes wouldn't be very amused though
pa28
(6,145 posts)Reaction shots from the audience reminded me of that scene from The Producers during "Springtime for Hitler". It was magic.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)Which host said that?
GreatCaesarsGhost
(8,584 posts)He is an African-American with really short hair but he did say he'd be back on at 9pm.
Cha
(297,218 posts)GreatCaesarsGhost
(8,584 posts)Cha
(297,218 posts)Squinch
(50,949 posts)lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)Most of the Washington jet set and administration
Squinch
(50,949 posts)comments to the faces of those who made those comments in all seriousness. Then their red faced fury...
It was genius on about twelve levels.
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)hilarious. However, It made me feel a sense of satisfaction that "finally", someone is throwing the garbage and hurt right into the face of these animals.
but I understand the irony, because it was this same group that was too stupid to realize the Stephen's character was not a conservative comedian, but a comedian mocking their hypocrisy
hootinholler
(26,449 posts)Warpy
(111,256 posts)I will always treasure the look on Donald Trump's face as he exited that venue.
Cha
(297,218 posts)Warpy
(111,256 posts)I think he only saw the ghost a few days later.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)And the jokes hit waaaay too close to home for those assholes
2pooped2pop
(5,420 posts)lol
SolutionisSolidarity
(606 posts)If the audience was the presstitutes in attendance, then yes, his routine did not win them very happy. If his audience was people at home who are sick of the back-slapping elites and their annual jokefest, he knocked it out of the park. I guess we can see what camp this particular host falls into.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)George W. Bush?
John1956PA
(2,654 posts)I laughed out loud when I read that line of Colbert, delivered at the dinner.
A certain national columnist holds himself out as a purveyor of humor. After Colbert's speech, the columnist wrote that the line was "lame" and that Colbert was not humorous. In response, the columnist received a food of emails (including one of mine) from Colbert defenders. A week later, the columnist wrote that he deleted the emails without reading them. I never read his column after that.
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)John1956PA
(2,654 posts)You can easily find the column. It was embarrassing with regard to his boasting that he is a master of humor and with regard to his missing the wit in Colbert's line about the Hindenburg.
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)mattclearing
(10,091 posts)Just curmudgeonly nonsense, devoid of any kind of intellectual honesty. You could tell something was going to be ill-considered and wrong by the presence of his by-line.
John1956PA
(2,654 posts)It was his idea of showing he was fair.
One observer wrote that Cohen is a populist. I am not sure what that term means. Regardless, I stopped reading Cohen's column, and stopped visiting the Washington Post website, after Cohen criticized Stephen Colbert's material. I may have sent an email to the Washington Post editor explaining my decision to stop visiting the site.
mattclearing
(10,091 posts)You know someone has no principles when they equate the two parties. It's an unintended shorthand for, "disregard my unconsidered opinion."
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)but the free pass they gave to him
Colbert was extraordinary that night. No he wasn't funny, but hard, and honest, straight, and provided a mirror to most of those to look at in that room of themselves, and their direct or indirect responsibility for the death, destruction, and cost they contributed to
They could not handle the truth
What Colbert did was extremely brave that night
Remember the bush administration had ruined a lot of people with rovian tactics, and the press only too willingly obliged
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)stagmeyer
(7 posts)"I stand by this man. I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message: that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound -- with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world.
Now, there may be an energy crisis. This president has a very forward-thinking energy policy. Why do you think he's down on the ranch cutting that brush all the time? He's trying to create an alternative energy source. By 2008 we will have a mesquite-powered car!"
nyquil_man
(1,443 posts)with his dead-on impersonations of dead people.
Whisp
(24,096 posts)WhiteTara
(29,713 posts)but they all had to laugh. My favorite all time was when he flipped Scalia off! That was priceless. IIRC they thought he really was right wing on his Report. He was incredible and they are terrified because he'll be on every night of the week.
missingthebigdog
(1,233 posts)Big brass ones.
lob1
(3,820 posts)I'm paraphrasing, but he was talking about congress and how it moves at the speed of a glacier. Then he said, as if reflecting, "Glacier. Savor that word. People won't know what it means in 50 years."
I thought Colbert was hilarious and very brave.
Cha
(297,218 posts)"I thought Colbert was hilarious and very brave" I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment.
Rowdyboy
(22,057 posts)Sounds like sour grapes to me. I found him hilarious.
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)They were able to do cheap shots that don't go anywhere and they were able to fawning praise, and they were able to regurgitate press releases. When he got up and did substantive critique of the president, it showed them up for what they were - lazy and unprofessional.
So naturally it flopped with the press corps.
Bryant
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)I've re-watched it many times. It's fun to watch people shifting in their seats as Colbert repeatedly shows that the emperor has no clothes, all while staying in character.
Crunchy Frog
(26,582 posts)And I also remember him being absolutely brilliant and progressive viewers being thrilled.
KT2000
(20,577 posts)There was a change in tone after that dinner. It was like he opened the window and let some fresh air in - and then others joined in. They wish it fell flat.
lpbk2713
(42,757 posts)Apparently this includes the crowd at MSRNC.
His shtick isn't meant to generate yuks every thirty seconds.
And I thought he did pretty good when I saw it.
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)The audience saw it as cringe humor, and they cringed. Not much laughter.
But the entire planet outside that room was laughing their asses off. My ass, it literally fell off. Fortunately I grabbed it back from the damned coyotes.
TroglodyteScholar
(5,477 posts)They were the targets of his barbs.
I couldn't believe my eyes when that performance was taking place. Beautiful.
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)I watched it live on CSPAN - when I heard that Colbert was doing that gig, my first reaction was "WTF are these people thinking? This won't go the way they're thinking, at all!". My second thought was "Holy #%^*, this will be one of the funniest events in history." And it was.
Wow.
deutsey
(20,166 posts)The fact it fell with such a thud among the chattering, sycophantic class means it was a huge hit among everyone in that small circle.
JHB
(37,160 posts)...they are not amused in the manner to which they have become accustomed.
Ptah
(33,028 posts)LittleGirl
(8,287 posts)I've never seen it. awesome.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Fucking brilliant. Those people were laughing despite themselves. They knew Colbert was insulting the President but they laughed anyway. Bush was steaming.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)sliced and dice. If it fell "flat" it's only because some people can't handle the truth.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Cha
(297,218 posts)G_j
(40,367 posts)into immediate fans.
madamesilverspurs
(15,801 posts)with all the people in that room. They were in shock, unaccustomed to that level of truth-telling delivered very publicly. And being on camera, there was no way for him to be immediately "Dixie Chicked". Brilliant. And in that crowd, damned brave.
NobodyHere
(2,810 posts)Colbert had tons of funny jokes. I'm talking about the dinner in the mid 2000s
However he looked very nervous,as if he thought there was a sniper aiming for his forehead the entire time. Like he was going to get shot for making fun of Bush. It certainly wasn't his best performance.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)career in front of him!
90-percent
(6,829 posts)Stephen was given a golden opportunity to speak truth to power and he did it with a courage along the lines of whats best about the ideals of the Founding fathers.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002623922#post5
-90% Jimmy
Marr
(20,317 posts)It was also the only time it was actually funny. I'm not at all surprised that the courtiers still don't get it.
Gothmog
(145,231 posts)Bush did not understand Colbert's jokes but these jokes were great
MADem
(135,425 posts)opinions.
The Republicans HATED Colbert's performance. In that sense, from their perspective, he did fall flat.
That said, the "normal" people--like people who post here, were thrilled with his efforts that evening.
Where you stand depends on where you sit. That was the "Watch What You Say, Watch What You Do" era.
cthulu2016
(10,960 posts)It was a very funny and edgy set he did, and it fell flat. The audience gaped at him like fish.
Baitball Blogger
(46,705 posts)bathtub with all his kids? Or of the nekkid picture of young Jeb?
What is it with that Bush family and bathtubs?
Puzzledtraveller
(5,937 posts)sabbat hunter
(6,829 posts)flopped when he did it during the Clinton administration. For a long time he poked fun at himself about it.
doc03
(35,336 posts)I couldn't stand GW Bush I thought he was disrespectful of the office and made an ass of himself. I like Jon Stewart but can't tolerate Colbert, don't think he is funny at all.
boston bean
(36,221 posts)So, no.. it didn't fall flat for me!
geckosfeet
(9,644 posts)The bit with Helen Thomas was great.
I think it "fell flat" because because the room was full of republicans and he was ripping them a new one.
Colbert's Speech at the White House Correspondents Dinner
rudolph the red
(666 posts)My kids laughed their butts off.
lame54
(35,290 posts)It's easy for a comedian when the crowd is into it and dying laughing
But when the jokes are met with silence most stand-ups whither and die
Not Colbert - he kept going and skewering everybody in the room
That was one of the ballsiest things I've ever seen
On a side note - the word ballsiest didn't come up in spell check