.gif)
Stephen Colbert (character)
Encyclopedia
The Reverend / Sir / Dr. / Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A., brain-child of Google
, is the persona of political satirist
Stephen Colbert
, as portrayed on Comedy Central's
The Colbert Report. Described as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed high-status idiot", the character is a self-obsessed right-wing
commentator. He incorporates aspects of the real Colbert's life and interests and is modelled primarily as a parody
of cable news pundits, particularly Bill O'Reilly
.
Colbert first appeared as a correspondent on Comedy Central
's news parody series The Daily Show
in 1997 and remained a regular contributor until 2005, when he left to host The Colbert Report, a spin-off
show satirizing personality-driven political pundit programs. He has also been featured in a number of other public performances, most notably at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
, and as the author of the 2007 book I Am America (And So Can You!)
.
program The Dana Carvey Show. While only lasting seven episodes in early 1996, it provided Colbert with roles that would help forge his future onscreen persona. This was largely due to its format of delivering sketch performances directly to the camera. Although they did not air, several sketches inspired by The Onion
also had Colbert playing a deadpan
anchor delivering the news. In an interview with The New York Times
regarding The Dana Carvey Show, Colbert noted, "If you have an opportunity to give it right to the audience, there’s a special connection that you make by looking at the camera".
Upon the show's cancellation, Colbert was cast for The Daily Show
by co-creator Madeleine Smithberg. This was thanks to his performance as a nauseated waiter on The Dana Carvey Show.
Colbert appeared as a correspondent
on The Daily Show between 1997 and 2005. During this time, the comedian developed the character that would later form the basis for his Colbert Report persona, one that its creator calls a "fool who has spent a lot of his life playing not the fool". Colbert frequently cites Stone Phillips
— whom he describes as having "the greatest neck in journalism
" — as a source of inspiration for the character, as well as Geraldo Rivera
, "because he's got this great sense of mission… He just thinks he's gonna change the world with this report." As a correspondent, Colbert was regularly pitted against knowledgeable interview subjects or host Jon Stewart
in scripted exchanges which typically revealed the character's lack of knowledge of whatever subject he was discussing. Other Daily Show correspondents have since adopted a similar style; former correspondent Rob Corddry
recalls that when he and Ed Helms
first joined the show's cast in 2002, they "just imitated Stephen Colbert for a year or two".
that center largely on the personal views of their hosts. Because of this enlarged role, the personality and beliefs of the Stephen Colbert character have become more clearly defined over the course of the show, complete with a fictitious backstory that has been revealed piecemeal in short monologues accompanying a part of the program. It was not until September 2011 that guest Al Gore
mentioned that "Stephen Colbert" is merely a character, a move that shocked Stephen Colbert.
The character Colbert portrays in Report originated as an amplification of his self-important Daily Show correspondent. As they developed the character and the show, however, Colbert and his staff began to look at some more specific models. Bill O'Reilly, whom the character affectionately nicknames "Papa Bear", is the most commonly cited point of reference. In a 2006 episode of The Colbert Report, Colbert remarked that, "if it wasn't for [O'Reilly], this show wouldn’t exist". In adapting the character for the Report, Colbert has also mentioned Aaron Brown
, Anderson Cooper
, Sean Hannity
, Lou Dobbs
and Joe Scarborough
as having an influence over his performance. References to the character's abuse of prescription drug
s are believed to be an allusion to Rush Limbaugh
's addiction to painkillers.
As the show has progressed, the character has increasingly moved into less political situations, such as a green screen
challenge and a "Meta-Free-Phor-All" metaphor
contest with Sean Penn
in which his pundit models would not necessarily engage. "I've found that at the base of it is still that character from The Daily Show who is a well-intentioned, poorly informed high status idiot, that I can apply to other issues," Colbert says.
The nightly in-character guest interviews were initially of concern to Colbert, who worried his character's belligerent nature would be off-putting to guests. However, since the show's debut, he says he has found he is able to "slide the intensity" of his behavior depending on his interviewee's ability to respond to his aggressive approach. Colbert now often cites the interview segment as his favorite part of the show, because it allows him to improvise. Colbert advises his guests to disabuse the character of his ignorance. "Don't let me get away with anything. Don't try to play my game. Be real. Be passionate. Hold your ideas. Give me resistance. Give me traction I can work against."
. Co-written with Paul Dinello
and the writers of The Colbert Report, I Am America delves into what the character considers to be the most pressing issues facing America. The book takes influence from the literary endeavors of the character's pundit models, such as O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor
(2000) and Hannity's Deliver Us From Evil
(2004), which Colbert says he "forced" himself to read as a reference. I Am America is considered a pure extension of the Report; however, the written medium allowed the writers to employ different styles, such as long-format arguments, that they could not have used on television. "You can actually spend 20 pages talking about religion whereas in the show, two pages is about as long as we hold any one idea", Colbert explains. In doing this, the writers "discovered things that [the character] cared about that… they didn't know he cared about before".
A character similar to Colbert's Daily Show persona featured in the 2003 book Wigfield: The Can Do Town That Just May Not by Colbert, Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris
. Russell Hokes, a self-aggrandizing journalist, was voiced by Colbert in both stage performances of the text and the audiobook. Colbert likens Hokes to his self-important correspondent character, but "more extreme, more self-involved".
; both are the youngest of 11 children; both played Dungeons & Dragons
as teenagers; and both are practicing Roman Catholics. Colbert's own interest in and knowledge of religion, science fiction
and J. R. R. Tolkien
's The Lord of the Rings
story will often show through in the Report. His character has a chocolate portrait of Viggo Mortensen
(who portrayed Aragorn
in Peter Jackson
's The Lord of the Rings films
) in a place of honor on his shelf; Mortensen briefly reprised the role of Aragorn in the Reports September 13, 2007 episode. However, Colbert tries to limit references to Lord of the Rings because he says, as a fan, he does not want to "debase" Tolkien's work by having his character like it. Occasionally, Colbert will mention his real-life siblings on the show. In one episode, he placed his brother Ed, a lawyer who advises the International Olympic Committee, "On Notice" for refusing to grant the show the rights to air footage of a dispute between two American speed skaters
. Ed later appeared at the start of the February 22, 2010 edition advising Stephen on how to cover the Vancouver Winter Olympics
since his character doesn't have the television rights to the games. However, footage from the Richmond Olympic Oval
was used since Stephen was named a special advisor to USA Speedskating. Generally, journalists covering the Olympics don't have access to the venues unless their employer has the rights to Olympic TV coverage, and can't show moving video coverage of any official Olympic event unless they have permission from the rights holder.
In an appearance at Harvard University
in 2006, Colbert revealed that his character's fear of bears was in part inspired by a recurring nightmare he has had, in which a bear is standing between him and his goal. The character's phobia
, which was initially referenced in the show's first "ThreatDown" skit, was originally slated to be a fear of alligator
s. By the time the Report went to air, however, the alligator story was several weeks old, and the writers chose to use a more recent news item involving a bear in its place.
After Colbert received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Knox College, the show began listing his name in the ending credits as "Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A." even though using both the name prefix and post-nominal letters
is technically incorrect. During the show, the character will sometimes refer to the degree and the qualifications he mistakenly believes it bestows upon him.
In May 2007, Colbert was voted the "2nd Most Influential person in the World" by a Time Magazine online poll. The 1st spot was taken by Rain, a young Korean pop star with a large following in Asia and the United States. Colbert then declared Rain his 'arch-nemesis', and began mentioning him frequently on the Report. Colbert filmed a satirical music video poking fun at Rain's popular single "How to Avoid the Sun" and referencing several stereotypical South Korean dishes and products. The one-sided feud eventually culminated in Colbert challenging Rain to a competition on air. After telling Colbert "not to quit his day job", Rain appeared in a short segment on the show and competed (and won) a DDR
dance-off with Colbert. Both have been defeated by Shigeru Miyamoto
in recent polls, though they still continue to be strong contenders.
On June 27, 2007, Colbert broke his left wrist on the set of the Report while performing his warm-up for the show. This quickly became a regular source of comedy on the show as the self-absorbed character requested his audience send flowers, launched a campaign against Hollywood's supposed glorification of "wrist violence", and began a "wrist awareness" campaign with "WristStrong
" silicone bracelets
. Although his wrist has now healed, he continues to wear and promote his "WristStrong" bracelets. On August 23, 2007, the cast was removed on air and was put up for auction to the general public, complete with celebrity signatures, on eBay
, where it achieved a winning bid of $17,200. All of the proceeds from both the cast and the bracelets were donated to the Yellow Ribbon Fund
.
Like his portrayer, Stephen T. Colbert is the youngest of 11 children, born into a devout Roman Catholic family—the character's family was so devout, in fact, they sent their teenage son to an "exorcism
day camp" when they discovered he liked Dungeons & Dragons
. In his in-character appearance on The O'Reilly Factor, Colbert stated that he is of Irish
descent and only adopted the French
pronunciation of his surname to "get the cultural elites" on his side. Colbert has made conflicting statements regarding his middle name, which he has at different times stated to be Tyrone (Colbert's actual middle name), Tiberius (like that of Captain James T. Kirk
), Lee-Harvey
, and Qxyzzy.
The character has said he was regularly beaten up in high school, and by the time he left for college he was determined never to be a victim again. As such, on the first day of his freshman year he walked into class and punched the first person he saw (unfortunately, this happened to be his ethics
professor). He attended Dartmouth College
, although his acceptance into the university appears to have been largely influenced by a claimed familial relationship with a wealthy donor, and graduated in the top 47 percent of his class with a major in history. He has also referred to Bob Jones University
as an alma mater
.
Prior to embarking on a career in journalism, Colbert worked as a carnival roustabout and a construction worker. During the 1980s, he was the lead singer and guitarist of an ABC
-like New Wave
band called "Stephen and the Colberts". The comedian portrays his character's younger self in the band's music video
, wearing worn jeans, cowboy boots and a spiky hair style. Their only revealed song to date is entitled "Charlene (I'm Right Behind You)", one of numerous references to an ex-girlfriend (and cousin) whom he continues to stalk
despite numerous restraining order
s. This song has been made available for download
for free in the video game Rock Band
. On the May 14, 2008 episode, Colbert claimed to have been the "totalitarian ruler of Malawi
from 1982 to 1984".
Colbert later moved into reporting, working in TV news for several stations in Virginia
and North Carolina
. Occasionally he will show footage of himself as a "young man" (portrayed by Colbert, wearing a false moustache) working as an anchor at a local news station (WPTS) in Patterson Springs, North Carolina
, still displaying his trademark outrage over minor municipal issues in the manner of 20/20 correspondent John Stossel
. In 1997, Colbert was promoted to anchor of the Channel 7 News on WPTS Patterson Springs after outing
the previous anchor, Wayne Colt, for his cocaine
addiction. His ensuing investigative reports into Colt's downfall earned him a local Emmy, and eventually a correspondent position at The Daily Show. This corresponds with the year the comedian joined the cast of the show.
Colbert often makes digs at the expense of Daily Show host Jon Stewart
. He has implied a strained relationship with Stewart, in contrast with the real Colbert's admiration for the comedian, and suggests that his departure from The Daily Show occurred under dubious circumstances. The character has described Stewart as a sexual predator
and has been known to become tearful when his name is brought up. On the other hand, Colbert has also implied that he only got his own show by blackmail
ing Stewart with incriminating photographs.
Colbert is described in America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, to which he was a contributor while serving as a 'Daily Show' correspondent, as holding the positions of the Arthur Schlesinger
Professor of American Studies at Harvard University, and of Chief Defender of International War Crimes at the World Court
in the Hague
. The book also states that he is the seven-time recipient of the
Werner Heisenberg
Prize for Excellence in Theoretical Mathematics
. Paradoxically, Colbert is described as being barely capable of feeding himself
as well as being "personally unpleasant
".
Colbert was mock-knight
ed by Queen Noor of Jordan with Narsil
(also known as Andúril), the actual prop sword from The Lord of the Rings films
, on his April 7, 2009 show in exchange for leading the "Colbert Nation" in signing the Global Zero
declaration. He is now listed in the ending credits as "Sir Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A."
Colbert dropped hints of a potential presidential run throughout 2007, with speculation intensifying following the release of his book, I Am America (And So Can You!), which was rumored (invariably by Colbert himself) to be a sign that he was indeed testing the waters for a future bid for the White House
. Colbert staunchly refused to confirm or deny his candidacy, stating he had not yet made up his mind and must first talk the possibility over with his family.
Colbert confirmed his presidential ambitions on his October 16, 2007 show, stating his intention to run both on the Republican and Democratic platforms, but only as a favorite son
in his native South Carolina. In an interview with Larry King
he revealed that, as his running mate, he would consider Mike Huckabee
(who himself jokingly offered Colbert the vice presidential position). He also speculated on the possibility of a Colbert-Putin
or Colbert-Colbert ticket. Colbert abandoned plans to run as a Republican due to the $35,000 fee required to file for the South Carolina primary
. On November 1, 2007, it was announced that he would not appear on the Democratic primary ballot either, after being deemed ineligible by the South Carolina Democratic Party executive committee. Several days later he announced that he was withdrawing from the race, saying that he did not wish to put the country through an agonizing Supreme Court
battle.
The show went on hiatus immediately after this as a result of the Writers Guild of America Strike. When it returned to air on January 7, 2008 without a writing staff, the character justified his absence by stating that he had taken some time off to have "a good cry" about his failed presidential attempt. He said that he had returned to air in celebration of Huckabee's success in the Iowa Caucus
, something for which he considers himself personally responsible as Huckabee has appeared on the Report on numerous occasions to invite Colbert to be his running mate.
Despite having withdrawn from the presidential race, Colbert continued to be referred to as an active candidate in the Marvel Universe
. Colbert '08 paraphernalia appeared in the artwork of various Marvel
comics, and Colbert himself teamed up with Spider-Man
in the October 2008 comic Amazing Spider-Man #573. On November 5, 2008, Marvel announced that its fictional newspaper The Daily Bugle was reporting Colbert's victory over both John McCain
and Barack Obama
. However, several hours later Marvel released a second Daily Bugle article correcting its initial reports, stating that while Colbert had won the popular vote Obama had secured more electoral votes, thus winning the presidency. "Oops, our bad", said Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada
of the confusion. "We completely forgot the Marvel Universe reflects what happens in the real world."
cal, xenophobic
and fiercely anti-intellectual
. He claims to be politically independent, like his idol Bill "Papa Bear" O'Reilly; although in fact the character fawns over the Bush administration
and the Republican Party
, and frequently asks his guests, "George Bush
: Great president, or the greatest president?" Since the election of Barack Obama
, Colbert continues his right-wing views, but claims he will "support our new President as long as [he] remains popular". Colbert emphasizes that his character is genuinely well-meaning and wants to do the right thing, but does not have the tools to achieve it "because he has no curiosity, he doesn't like to read and he won't listen to anybody except the voices in his head".
Colbert is deeply self-centered and takes everything personally, a trait which is reflected in his discussion of the news and current events. According to the comedian, "There's nothing too large that doesn't involve him. Every news story is really about him ... Everything he cares about is a news story because he cares about it." This is expressed in his frequent attacks on and feuds with well-known figures such as The Decemberists
, Sean Penn
, Conan O'Brien
, Rain, Barry Manilow
, Tony Bennett
, and Don Rickles
(the latter three of whom beat out Colbert for Best Individual in a Variety or Music Program
at the Emmys). The comedian equates these feuds with Bill O'Reilly's culture war
s.
A recurring joke on the show is centered around Colbert's deep-seated phobia
of bears, which he describes as "godless killing machines". Colbert has also stated on the show numerous times that he is in favor of the removal of his Sarah Palin affiliations.
Central to Colbert's personality is his rigid belief that "what I say is right, and [nothing] anyone else says could possibly be true", regardless of any evidence to the contrary. He discussed this in the Reports first Wørd segment, using the term "truthiness
" as he explained what he perceives to be the difference between "those who think with their head and those who know with their heart". He has further gone on to ascribe "truthiness" to other institutions including Wikipedia
, which he believes upholds his view that reality can be determined by consensus opinion, and often encourages viewers to use Wikipedia to "change reality". Colbert believes that if a majority of people want something to be true, that thing therefore must become the truth. For instance, after months of scoffing at global warming
, Colbert suddenly reversed his position, conceding its existence only due to the box office
success of An Inconvenient Truth
, a sign that "the free market
has spoken".
Colbert describes himself as racially color-blind
and unable to visually identify a person's race, explaining, "Now, I don't see race … People tell me I'm white, and I believe them, because I own a lot of Jimmy Buffett
albums." His race-blindness is a recurring joke, and this statement is often repeated on the show with different punch lines. For this same reason he believed that he was black when he had an emotional breakdown after watching Obama's inauguration video. He later qualified these statements in his book, stating, "When I say I don't see race, I mean I don't see Black people
. But I can spot a Mexican
at a hundred paces." Despite all these claims, Colbert often boasts that he has a large number of token
minority friends (including Jon Stewart as "[his] Jewish friend"), although in the photos shown these friends appear decidedly uninterested in him. He has stated a similar inability to distinguish between the sexes, claiming to only "see an American". This comes in contradiction of his at times sexist behavior, for instance, calling only on men during an open discussion with his audience on women's issues.
The comedian has said that he likes playing weak characters, and particularly revealing weaknesses in high status figures. During the course of the show, he will frequently peel back the Colbert character's apparent bravado to expose a very weak inner core. In one instance, Colbert demands one of his staff members subject him to simulated waterboarding
, only to break down into pleas for mercy upon hearing a water bottle cap popped. In another episode, he criticizes The Today Show cohost Matt Lauer
for saying that it's unacceptable for men to cry, only to sob hysterically upon learning that Katie Couric
has left the show. These status shift
s occur commonly, and comprise a central component of the show's comedy.
Colbert frequently uses his show as a platform for promoting his own fictional merchandise, including colognes, science fiction novels, medication, and his own sperm
.
, Iraq
on June 5, 2009, to film a week of shows called "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando
" The episodes were filmed June 7–9, 2009. Al-Faw Palace
's rotunda (also where U.S. President Barack Obama
spoke during his visit to Baghdad, Iraq) was used for the filming of Operation Iraqi Stephen. Stephen had a suit tailored for him in the Army Combat Uniform
pattern and went through an abbreviated version of the Army
's basic training
regimen.
The suit was specially tailored by Brooks Brothers with the camouflage fabric supplied by Magna Fabrics.
The first episode included an interview with Multinational Force - Iraq commander General Ray Odierno
, which was interrupted by U.S. President Barack Obama
. Obama stated that if Colbert really wanted to be a soldier, along with his attendance to Basic Combat Training, he needed to have his hair shaved off. Obama then ordered General Odierno to "shave that man's head". General Odierno then began to shave Colbert's head; the job was finished during the commercial break by one of Colbert's staff members. The episode also featured a message to the troops from U.S. Senator
John McCain
with a friendly reminder to "always remember to clean your musket
s", a lesson he claimed to have learned at Valley Forge
, as a reference to old age jokes that he faced during the 2008 Presidential Election. Several other prominent politicians, including former presidents Bill Clinton
, George H. W. Bush
, and George W. Bush
, along with Vice President Joe Biden
and then Alaska governor Sarah Palin
recorded messages for the troops that were aired in the following episodes.
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, is the persona of political satirist
Political satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
, as portrayed on Comedy Central's
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
The Colbert Report. Described as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed high-status idiot", the character is a self-obsessed right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
commentator. He incorporates aspects of the real Colbert's life and interests and is modelled primarily as a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of cable news pundits, particularly Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
.
Colbert first appeared as a correspondent on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's news parody series The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
in 1997 and remained a regular contributor until 2005, when he left to host The Colbert Report, a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
show satirizing personality-driven political pundit programs. He has also been featured in a number of other public performances, most notably at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
Stephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
On April 29, 2006, American comedian Stephen Colbert appeared as the featured entertainer at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which was held in Washington, D.C., at the Hilton Washington hotel...
, and as the author of the 2007 book I Am America (And So Can You!)
I Am America (And So Can You!)
I Am America is a 2007 satirical bestseller book by American comedian Stephen Colbert and the writers of The Colbert Report. It was released on October 9, 2007, with the audiobook edition released several days earlier. The book is loosely structured around the fictional life story of Stephen...
.
The Dana Carvey Show
Colbert's earliest mainstream exposure came in the primetime sketch comedySketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
program The Dana Carvey Show. While only lasting seven episodes in early 1996, it provided Colbert with roles that would help forge his future onscreen persona. This was largely due to its format of delivering sketch performances directly to the camera. Although they did not air, several sketches inspired by The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
also had Colbert playing a deadpan
Deadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
anchor delivering the news. In an interview with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
regarding The Dana Carvey Show, Colbert noted, "If you have an opportunity to give it right to the audience, there’s a special connection that you make by looking at the camera".
Upon the show's cancellation, Colbert was cast for The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
by co-creator Madeleine Smithberg. This was thanks to his performance as a nauseated waiter on The Dana Carvey Show.
The Daily Show
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
on The Daily Show between 1997 and 2005. During this time, the comedian developed the character that would later form the basis for his Colbert Report persona, one that its creator calls a "fool who has spent a lot of his life playing not the fool". Colbert frequently cites Stone Phillips
Stone Phillips
Stone Stockton Phillips is an American television reporter and correspondent. He is the former co-anchor of Dateline NBC, a newsmagazine TV show. He also has worked as a substitute anchor for NBC Nightly News and Today and as a substitute moderator on Meet the Press. He is known for his clear...
— whom he describes as having "the greatest neck in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
" — as a source of inspiration for the character, as well as Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
, "because he's got this great sense of mission… He just thinks he's gonna change the world with this report." As a correspondent, Colbert was regularly pitted against knowledgeable interview subjects or host Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
in scripted exchanges which typically revealed the character's lack of knowledge of whatever subject he was discussing. Other Daily Show correspondents have since adopted a similar style; former correspondent Rob Corddry
Rob Corddry
Robert William "Rob" Corddry is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his work as a former correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and for his starring role in the comedy film Hot Tub Time Machine...
recalls that when he and Ed Helms
Ed Helms
Edward Paul "Ed" Helms is an American actor and comedian known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as Andy Bernard on the US version of the sitcom/mockumentary The Office and for his role as Dr. Stu Price in The Hangover films.- Early life :Helms was born and raised...
first joined the show's cast in 2002, they "just imitated Stephen Colbert for a year or two".
The Colbert Report
In 2005, Colbert left The Daily Show to host a spin-off series entitled The Colbert Report, a parody of personality-driven political pundit programs such as Fox News's The O'Reilly FactorThe O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
that center largely on the personal views of their hosts. Because of this enlarged role, the personality and beliefs of the Stephen Colbert character have become more clearly defined over the course of the show, complete with a fictitious backstory that has been revealed piecemeal in short monologues accompanying a part of the program. It was not until September 2011 that guest Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
mentioned that "Stephen Colbert" is merely a character, a move that shocked Stephen Colbert.
The character Colbert portrays in Report originated as an amplification of his self-important Daily Show correspondent. As they developed the character and the show, however, Colbert and his staff began to look at some more specific models. Bill O'Reilly, whom the character affectionately nicknames "Papa Bear", is the most commonly cited point of reference. In a 2006 episode of The Colbert Report, Colbert remarked that, "if it wasn't for [O'Reilly], this show wouldn’t exist". In adapting the character for the Report, Colbert has also mentioned Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown is an American broadcast journalist most recognized for his coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks, his first day on air at CNN...
, Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...
, Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
, Lou Dobbs
Lou Dobbs
Louis Carl "Lou" Dobbs is an American journalist, radio host, television host on the Fox Business Network, and author. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009 when he announced on the air that he would leave the 24-hour cable news television network.He was born in Texas and lived...
and Joe Scarborough
Joe Scarborough
Charles Joseph "Joe" Scarborough is an American cable news and talk radio host, lawyer, author, and former politician. He is currently the host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, and previously hosted Scarborough Country on the same channel...
as having an influence over his performance. References to the character's abuse of prescription drug
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
s are believed to be an allusion to Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
's addiction to painkillers.
As the show has progressed, the character has increasingly moved into less political situations, such as a green screen
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
challenge and a "Meta-Free-Phor-All" metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
contest with Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
in which his pundit models would not necessarily engage. "I've found that at the base of it is still that character from The Daily Show who is a well-intentioned, poorly informed high status idiot, that I can apply to other issues," Colbert says.
The nightly in-character guest interviews were initially of concern to Colbert, who worried his character's belligerent nature would be off-putting to guests. However, since the show's debut, he says he has found he is able to "slide the intensity" of his behavior depending on his interviewee's ability to respond to his aggressive approach. Colbert now often cites the interview segment as his favorite part of the show, because it allows him to improvise. Colbert advises his guests to disabuse the character of his ignorance. "Don't let me get away with anything. Don't try to play my game. Be real. Be passionate. Hold your ideas. Give me resistance. Give me traction I can work against."
Books
Colbert is the central character in the 2007 book I Am America (And So Can You!)I Am America (And So Can You!)
I Am America is a 2007 satirical bestseller book by American comedian Stephen Colbert and the writers of The Colbert Report. It was released on October 9, 2007, with the audiobook edition released several days earlier. The book is loosely structured around the fictional life story of Stephen...
. Co-written with Paul Dinello
Paul Dinello
Paul Dinello is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and an alumnus of Chicago-based The Second City, Improv Institute, and Annoyance Theatre...
and the writers of The Colbert Report, I Am America delves into what the character considers to be the most pressing issues facing America. The book takes influence from the literary endeavors of the character's pundit models, such as O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
(2000) and Hannity's Deliver Us From Evil
Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism
Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism is a 2004 best-selling book by conservative political commentator and media personality Sean Hannity.-Summary:...
(2004), which Colbert says he "forced" himself to read as a reference. I Am America is considered a pure extension of the Report; however, the written medium allowed the writers to employ different styles, such as long-format arguments, that they could not have used on television. "You can actually spend 20 pages talking about religion whereas in the show, two pages is about as long as we hold any one idea", Colbert explains. In doing this, the writers "discovered things that [the character] cared about that… they didn't know he cared about before".
A character similar to Colbert's Daily Show persona featured in the 2003 book Wigfield: The Can Do Town That Just May Not by Colbert, Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris
Amy Sedaris
Amy Louise Sedaris is an American actress, author, and comedian. She is known for playing the character Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central television series Strangers with Candy. Sedaris regularly collaborates with her older brother, humorist and author David Sedaris...
. Russell Hokes, a self-aggrandizing journalist, was voiced by Colbert in both stage performances of the text and the audiobook. Colbert likens Hokes to his self-important correspondent character, but "more extreme, more self-involved".
Non-fictional elements
Certain elements of the character are drawn from the real Colbert's personal life. Both the real Colbert and the character were raised in Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
; both are the youngest of 11 children; both played Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
as teenagers; and both are practicing Roman Catholics. Colbert's own interest in and knowledge of religion, science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
story will often show through in the Report. His character has a chocolate portrait of Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
(who portrayed Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
in Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's The Lord of the Rings films
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
) in a place of honor on his shelf; Mortensen briefly reprised the role of Aragorn in the Reports September 13, 2007 episode. However, Colbert tries to limit references to Lord of the Rings because he says, as a fan, he does not want to "debase" Tolkien's work by having his character like it. Occasionally, Colbert will mention his real-life siblings on the show. In one episode, he placed his brother Ed, a lawyer who advises the International Olympic Committee, "On Notice" for refusing to grant the show the rights to air footage of a dispute between two American speed skaters
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
. Ed later appeared at the start of the February 22, 2010 edition advising Stephen on how to cover the Vancouver Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
since his character doesn't have the television rights to the games. However, footage from the Richmond Olympic Oval
Richmond Olympic Oval
The Richmond Olympic Oval , or the Richmond Oval is a facility in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. It was the venue of the speed skating events and the official Olympic anti-doping lab of the 2010 Winter Olympics...
was used since Stephen was named a special advisor to USA Speedskating. Generally, journalists covering the Olympics don't have access to the venues unless their employer has the rights to Olympic TV coverage, and can't show moving video coverage of any official Olympic event unless they have permission from the rights holder.
In an appearance at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 2006, Colbert revealed that his character's fear of bears was in part inspired by a recurring nightmare he has had, in which a bear is standing between him and his goal. The character's phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
, which was initially referenced in the show's first "ThreatDown" skit, was originally slated to be a fear of alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
s. By the time the Report went to air, however, the alligator story was several weeks old, and the writers chose to use a more recent news item involving a bear in its place.
After Colbert received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Knox College, the show began listing his name in the ending credits as "Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A." even though using both the name prefix and post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
is technically incorrect. During the show, the character will sometimes refer to the degree and the qualifications he mistakenly believes it bestows upon him.
In May 2007, Colbert was voted the "2nd Most Influential person in the World" by a Time Magazine online poll. The 1st spot was taken by Rain, a young Korean pop star with a large following in Asia and the United States. Colbert then declared Rain his 'arch-nemesis', and began mentioning him frequently on the Report. Colbert filmed a satirical music video poking fun at Rain's popular single "How to Avoid the Sun" and referencing several stereotypical South Korean dishes and products. The one-sided feud eventually culminated in Colbert challenging Rain to a competition on air. After telling Colbert "not to quit his day job", Rain appeared in a short segment on the show and competed (and won) a DDR
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in Europe and Australasia, is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the...
dance-off with Colbert. Both have been defeated by Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
in recent polls, though they still continue to be strong contenders.
On June 27, 2007, Colbert broke his left wrist on the set of the Report while performing his warm-up for the show. This quickly became a regular source of comedy on the show as the self-absorbed character requested his audience send flowers, launched a campaign against Hollywood's supposed glorification of "wrist violence", and began a "wrist awareness" campaign with "WristStrong
Livestrong wristband
The LIVESTRONG Bracelet is a blue silicone gel bracelet launched in May 2004 as a fund-raising item for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, founded by cyclist and pnumonia survivor Lance Armstrong. The bracelet itself was developed by Nike and their ad agency Wieden+Kennedy.-Purpose:The bracelet is...
" silicone bracelets
Gel bracelet
Gel bracelets, or jelly bracelets are an inexpensive type of wristband. They come in a variety of colors, and several can be worn on each arm. They have been popular in waves throughout the Western world and elsewhere since the 1980s...
. Although his wrist has now healed, he continues to wear and promote his "WristStrong" bracelets. On August 23, 2007, the cast was removed on air and was put up for auction to the general public, complete with celebrity signatures, on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
, where it achieved a winning bid of $17,200. All of the proceeds from both the cast and the bracelets were donated to the Yellow Ribbon Fund
Yellow Ribbon Fund
The Yellow Ribbon Fund is a charity that primarily helps returning American service men & women, injured during active service, who are recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital...
.
Fictional biography
Colbert's fictional history is not always rigidly adhered to by the show's writers. The comedian himself says that, "My character's history may not always be perfectly consistent … There's my bio and there's my character's bio, and then there's my character's history, which is slightly different than my character's bio." His early life, prior to becoming host of The Colbert Report, is expanded upon in I Am America (And So Can You!).Like his portrayer, Stephen T. Colbert is the youngest of 11 children, born into a devout Roman Catholic family—the character's family was so devout, in fact, they sent their teenage son to an "exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
day camp" when they discovered he liked Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
. In his in-character appearance on The O'Reilly Factor, Colbert stated that he is of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent and only adopted the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
pronunciation of his surname to "get the cultural elites" on his side. Colbert has made conflicting statements regarding his middle name, which he has at different times stated to be Tyrone (Colbert's actual middle name), Tiberius (like that of Captain James T. Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
), Lee-Harvey
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
, and Qxyzzy.
The character has said he was regularly beaten up in high school, and by the time he left for college he was determined never to be a victim again. As such, on the first day of his freshman year he walked into class and punched the first person he saw (unfortunately, this happened to be his ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
professor). He attended Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, although his acceptance into the university appears to have been largely influenced by a claimed familial relationship with a wealthy donor, and graduated in the top 47 percent of his class with a major in history. He has also referred to Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
as an alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
.
ABC (band)
ABC are an English band, that charted ten UK and five US Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990. The band continues to tour and released a new album, Traffic, in 2008.-Formation:...
-like New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band called "Stephen and the Colberts". The comedian portrays his character's younger self in the band's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, wearing worn jeans, cowboy boots and a spiky hair style. Their only revealed song to date is entitled "Charlene (I'm Right Behind You)", one of numerous references to an ex-girlfriend (and cousin) whom he continues to stalk
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
despite numerous restraining order
Restraining order
A restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
s. This song has been made available for download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
for free in the video game Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. On the May 14, 2008 episode, Colbert claimed to have been the "totalitarian ruler of Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
from 1982 to 1984".
Colbert later moved into reporting, working in TV news for several stations in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Occasionally he will show footage of himself as a "young man" (portrayed by Colbert, wearing a false moustache) working as an anchor at a local news station (WPTS) in Patterson Springs, North Carolina
Patterson Springs, North Carolina
Patterson Springs is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 620 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Patterson Springs is located at ....
, still displaying his trademark outrage over minor municipal issues in the manner of 20/20 correspondent John Stossel
John Stossel
John F. Stossel is an American consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author and libertarian columnist. In October 2009 Stossel left his long time home on ABC News to join the Fox Business Channel and Fox News Channel, both owned and operated by News Corp...
. In 1997, Colbert was promoted to anchor of the Channel 7 News on WPTS Patterson Springs after outing
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
the previous anchor, Wayne Colt, for his cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
addiction. His ensuing investigative reports into Colt's downfall earned him a local Emmy, and eventually a correspondent position at The Daily Show. This corresponds with the year the comedian joined the cast of the show.
Colbert often makes digs at the expense of Daily Show host Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
. He has implied a strained relationship with Stewart, in contrast with the real Colbert's admiration for the comedian, and suggests that his departure from The Daily Show occurred under dubious circumstances. The character has described Stewart as a sexual predator
Sexual predator
The term sexual predator is used pejoratively to describe a person seen as obtaining or trying to obtain sexual contact with another person in a metaphorically "predatory" manner. Analogous to how a predator hunts down its prey, so the sexual predator is thought to "hunt" for his or her sex partners...
and has been known to become tearful when his name is brought up. On the other hand, Colbert has also implied that he only got his own show by blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
ing Stewart with incriminating photographs.
Colbert is described in America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, to which he was a contributor while serving as a 'Daily Show' correspondent, as holding the positions of the Arthur Schlesinger
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Sr.
Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Sr. was an American historian. His son, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. was also a noted historian.-Life and career:...
Professor of American Studies at Harvard University, and of Chief Defender of International War Crimes at the World Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
in the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. The book also states that he is the seven-time recipient of the
Werner Heisenberg
Werner Heisenberg
Werner Karl Heisenberg was a German theoretical physicist who made foundational contributions to quantum mechanics and is best known for asserting the uncertainty principle of quantum theory...
Prize for Excellence in Theoretical Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. Paradoxically, Colbert is described as being barely capable of feeding himself
Starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...
as well as being "personally unpleasant
Narcissistic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder is a personality disorder in which the individual is described as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity...
".
Colbert was mock-knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed by Queen Noor of Jordan with Narsil
Narsil
Narsil is a fictional sword featured in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. It is introduced in The Lord of the Rings as having once belonged to King Elendil of the Dúnedain...
(also known as Andúril), the actual prop sword from The Lord of the Rings films
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
, on his April 7, 2009 show in exchange for leading the "Colbert Nation" in signing the Global Zero
Global Zero (campaign)
Global Zero is an international initiative launched in December 2008 to promote the elimination of nuclear weapons. It proposes a phased withdrawal and verification for the destruction of all devices held by official and unofficial members of the nuclear club...
declaration. He is now listed in the ending credits as "Sir Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A."
Colbert '08
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. Colbert staunchly refused to confirm or deny his candidacy, stating he had not yet made up his mind and must first talk the possibility over with his family.
Colbert confirmed his presidential ambitions on his October 16, 2007 show, stating his intention to run both on the Republican and Democratic platforms, but only as a favorite son
Favorite son
A favorite son is a political term.*At the quadrennial American national political party conventions, a state delegation sometimes nominates and votes for a candidate from the state, or less often from the state's region, who is not a viable candidate...
in his native South Carolina. In an interview with Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
he revealed that, as his running mate, he would consider Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
(who himself jokingly offered Colbert the vice presidential position). He also speculated on the possibility of a Colbert-Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
or Colbert-Colbert ticket. Colbert abandoned plans to run as a Republican due to the $35,000 fee required to file for the South Carolina primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
. On November 1, 2007, it was announced that he would not appear on the Democratic primary ballot either, after being deemed ineligible by the South Carolina Democratic Party executive committee. Several days later he announced that he was withdrawing from the race, saying that he did not wish to put the country through an agonizing Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
battle.
The show went on hiatus immediately after this as a result of the Writers Guild of America Strike. When it returned to air on January 7, 2008 without a writing staff, the character justified his absence by stating that he had taken some time off to have "a good cry" about his failed presidential attempt. He said that he had returned to air in celebration of Huckabee's success in the Iowa Caucus
Iowa Republican caucuses, 2008
The 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses took place on January 4, 2008. The Iowa Republican caucuses are an unofficial primary, with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a straw poll...
, something for which he considers himself personally responsible as Huckabee has appeared on the Report on numerous occasions to invite Colbert to be his running mate.
Despite having withdrawn from the presidential race, Colbert continued to be referred to as an active candidate in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. Colbert '08 paraphernalia appeared in the artwork of various Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
comics, and Colbert himself teamed up with Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
in the October 2008 comic Amazing Spider-Man #573. On November 5, 2008, Marvel announced that its fictional newspaper The Daily Bugle was reporting Colbert's victory over both John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. However, several hours later Marvel released a second Daily Bugle article correcting its initial reports, stating that while Colbert had won the popular vote Obama had secured more electoral votes, thus winning the presidency. "Oops, our bad", said Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada
Joe Quesada
Joseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
of the confusion. "We completely forgot the Marvel Universe reflects what happens in the real world."
Characteristics
Described as a "caustic right-wing bully", an "arch-conservative blowhard", and by his creator and namesake as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high status idiot", Colbert is egomaniaEgomania
Egomania is an obsessive preoccupation with one's self and applies to someone who follows their own ungoverned impulses and is possessed by delusions of personal greatness and feels a lack of appreciation. Someone suffering from this extreme egocentric focus is an egomaniac...
cal, xenophobic
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
and fiercely anti-intellectual
Anti-intellectualism
Anti-intellectualism is hostility towards and mistrust of intellect, intellectuals, and intellectual pursuits, usually expressed as the derision of education, philosophy, literature, art, and science, as impractical and contemptible...
. He claims to be politically independent, like his idol Bill "Papa Bear" O'Reilly; although in fact the character fawns over the Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
and the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, and frequently asks his guests, "George Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
: Great president, or the greatest president?" Since the election of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Colbert continues his right-wing views, but claims he will "support our new President as long as [he] remains popular". Colbert emphasizes that his character is genuinely well-meaning and wants to do the right thing, but does not have the tools to achieve it "because he has no curiosity, he doesn't like to read and he won't listen to anybody except the voices in his head".
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
, Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
, Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
, Rain, Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
, Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, and Don Rickles
Don Rickles
Donald Jay "Don" Rickles is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic....
(the latter three of whom beat out Colbert for Best Individual in a Variety or Music Program
Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program. Awards in this category from 1974 through 1978 were presented for Outstanding Supporting Actor or Actress in A Variety Show or Special...
at the Emmys). The comedian equates these feuds with Bill O'Reilly's culture war
Culture war
The culture war in American usage is a metaphor used to claim that political conflict is based on sets of conflicting cultural values. The term frequently implies a conflict between those values considered traditionalist or conservative and those considered progressive or liberal...
s.
A recurring joke on the show is centered around Colbert's deep-seated phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
of bears, which he describes as "godless killing machines". Colbert has also stated on the show numerous times that he is in favor of the removal of his Sarah Palin affiliations.
Central to Colbert's personality is his rigid belief that "what I say is right, and [nothing] anyone else says could possibly be true", regardless of any evidence to the contrary. He discussed this in the Reports first Wørd segment, using the term "truthiness
Truthiness
Truthiness is a "truth" that a person claims to know intuitively "from the gut" or that it "feels right" without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts....
" as he explained what he perceives to be the difference between "those who think with their head and those who know with their heart". He has further gone on to ascribe "truthiness" to other institutions including Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
, which he believes upholds his view that reality can be determined by consensus opinion, and often encourages viewers to use Wikipedia to "change reality". Colbert believes that if a majority of people want something to be true, that thing therefore must become the truth. For instance, after months of scoffing at global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, Colbert suddenly reversed his position, conceding its existence only due to the box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
success of An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times.Premiering at the...
, a sign that "the free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
has spoken".
Colbert describes himself as racially color-blind
Race-blind
Color blindness is a sociological term referring to the disregard of racial characteristics when selecting which individuals will participate in some activity or receive some service....
and unable to visually identify a person's race, explaining, "Now, I don't see race … People tell me I'm white, and I believe them, because I own a lot of Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
albums." His race-blindness is a recurring joke, and this statement is often repeated on the show with different punch lines. For this same reason he believed that he was black when he had an emotional breakdown after watching Obama's inauguration video. He later qualified these statements in his book, stating, "When I say I don't see race, I mean I don't see Black people
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
. But I can spot a Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
at a hundred paces." Despite all these claims, Colbert often boasts that he has a large number of token
Tokenism
In the arts, employment, and politics, tokenism is a policy or practice of limited inclusion or artistic and/or political representation of members of a traditionally marginalized group, usually creating a false appearance of inclusive practices rather than discrimination, intentional or not...
minority friends (including Jon Stewart as "[his] Jewish friend"), although in the photos shown these friends appear decidedly uninterested in him. He has stated a similar inability to distinguish between the sexes, claiming to only "see an American". This comes in contradiction of his at times sexist behavior, for instance, calling only on men during an open discussion with his audience on women's issues.
The comedian has said that he likes playing weak characters, and particularly revealing weaknesses in high status figures. During the course of the show, he will frequently peel back the Colbert character's apparent bravado to expose a very weak inner core. In one instance, Colbert demands one of his staff members subject him to simulated waterboarding
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
, only to break down into pleas for mercy upon hearing a water bottle cap popped. In another episode, he criticizes The Today Show cohost Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
for saying that it's unacceptable for men to cry, only to sob hysterically upon learning that Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
has left the show. These status shift
Status shift
A status shift is the transition from one social status to another one. Some statuses are mutually exclusive, like military or civilian, laicos or religious, noble or commoner. Other statuses are not mutually exclusive, but contextual...
s occur commonly, and comprise a central component of the show's comedy.
Colbert frequently uses his show as a platform for promoting his own fictional merchandise, including colognes, science fiction novels, medication, and his own sperm
Sperm
The term sperm is derived from the Greek word sperma and refers to the male reproductive cells. In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell...
.
2009 visit to Baghdad, Iraq
Stephen Colbert arrived in BaghdadBaghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
on June 5, 2009, to film a week of shows called "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando
Going commando
Going commando is the practice of not wearing underwear under one's outer clothing. The term is theorized to be related to the much earlier term "going regimental", which refers to wearing the kilt military style, that is, without underwear...
" The episodes were filmed June 7–9, 2009. Al-Faw Palace
Al-Faw Palace
The Al Faw Palace is located in Baghdad approximately 5 kilometers from the Baghdad International Airport, Iraq...
's rotunda (also where U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
spoke during his visit to Baghdad, Iraq) was used for the filming of Operation Iraqi Stephen. Stephen had a suit tailored for him in the Army Combat Uniform
Army Combat Uniform
The Army Combat Uniform is the current combat uniform worn by the United States Army. It is the successor to the Battle Dress Uniform and Desert Camouflage Uniform worn during the 1980s and 1990s. It features a number of design changes, as well as a different camouflage pattern from its...
pattern and went through an abbreviated version of the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's basic training
Recruit training
Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
regimen.
The suit was specially tailored by Brooks Brothers with the camouflage fabric supplied by Magna Fabrics.
The first episode included an interview with Multinational Force - Iraq commander General Ray Odierno
Raymond T. Odierno
Raymond T. Odierno is a United States Army general and the 38th and current Chief of Staff of the Army. Odierno most recently commanded United States Joint Forces Command from October 2010 until its disestablishment in August 2011. He served as Commanding General, United States Forces – Iraq and...
, which was interrupted by U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Obama stated that if Colbert really wanted to be a soldier, along with his attendance to Basic Combat Training, he needed to have his hair shaved off. Obama then ordered General Odierno to "shave that man's head". General Odierno then began to shave Colbert's head; the job was finished during the commercial break by one of Colbert's staff members. The episode also featured a message to the troops from U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
with a friendly reminder to "always remember to clean your musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s", a lesson he claimed to have learned at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
, as a reference to old age jokes that he faced during the 2008 Presidential Election. Several other prominent politicians, including former presidents Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, along with Vice President Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
and then Alaska governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
recorded messages for the troops that were aired in the following episodes.
Other appearances
- White House Correspondents' Association DinnerStephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association DinnerOn April 29, 2006, American comedian Stephen Colbert appeared as the featured entertainer at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which was held in Washington, D.C., at the Hilton Washington hotel...
, April 29, 2006 - 58th Primetime Emmy Awards58th Primetime Emmy AwardsThe 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on Sunday, August 27, 2006 on NBC at 8:00pm ET with Conan O'Brien hosting the show...
, presenter, August 27, 2006 - Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Benefit for Autism, October 15, 2006
- Friendly Neighborhood Spider-ManFriendly Neighborhood Spider-ManFriendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The title is derived from a trademark self-referential comment often made by Spider-Man , ironic in that Spider-Man is often falsely considered by the general public to be a dangerous vigilante and/or a criminal,...
#15, December 20, 2006 - The O'Reilly FactorThe O'Reilly FactorThe O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
, in-character interview, January 18, 2007 - 59th Primetime Emmy Awards59th Primetime Emmy AwardsThe 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...
, presenter, September 16, 2007 - Meet the PressMeet the PressMeet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
, in-character interview as presidential candidate, October 21, 2007 - Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, February 4, 2008 and February 17, 2009 - 60th Primetime Emmy Awards60th Primetime Emmy AwardsThe 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards was held on Sunday, September 21, 2008, at the newly opened Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by Tom Bergeron, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst, and Ryan Seacrest and televised in the United States on ABC.The Creative Arts Awards...
, presenter, September 21, 2008 - Testimony, in character, in front of the United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement, September 24, 2010. However, Colbert did break character when he responded to questions by Congresswoman Judy ChuJudy ChuJudy May Chu, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
. - The Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
#573, October 15, 2008 - Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, Co-host to Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear October 30, 2010
See also
- Cultural impact of The Colbert ReportCultural impact of The Colbert ReportThe Colbert Report, which premiered in American cable television on October 17, 2005, has had a cultural impact since its inception, when the show introduced Truthiness as a word...
- Tek JansenTek JansenTek Jansen is a fictional character featured on The Colbert Report and in a comic book series published by Oni Press. Jansen originated as a recurring joke in the form of a supposed self-published science fiction novel on the Report, reportedly as a parody of Bill O'Reilly's 1998 novel, Those Who...
- Who Made Huckabee?Who Made Huckabee?Who Made Huckabee?, also known as The Colbert/O'Brien/Stewart feud, refers to a mock rivalry that occurred among late night talk show hosts Stephen Colbert, Conan O'Brien, and Jon Stewart in early 2008, reportedly over who was responsible for then-presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's success in...
External links
- Colbert Nation—The official Colbert Report website, featuring daily reports of the show and videos.
- Wikiality—A Wikipedia parody based on Colbert's idea of Wikiality.
- Make Me America—The official I am America (And So Can You) book website.