Calling The Colbert Report a national treasure via On The Media was a bit much from host Brooke Gladstone because the show appeared only a cable, was despised by those on the Right that knew they were being ridiculed and most over 50 didn’t get it. However, I loved it whenever I found the time to watch. Heck I still had Dish when Colbert was launched in 2005. This led to everyone saying, I guess Comedy Central is trying to be the fake news network; David Spade’s Entertainment Tonight spoof died quickly and I think there was an attempt to launch a Black-take on the news. Colbert’s crowning achievement was the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The Busheviks realized too late they were being skewered and the “professional” media ran for cover claiming he wasn’t funny; I’ve known since college that so-called journalists don’t like it when you point out how full of crap they are.
I’m glad the show survived as long as it did. Doing a satire of Bill O’Reilly was a huge risk. The Daily Show‘s audience rarely watches Faux News yet enough people understood the point. Plus America is known as an Irony-Free Zone. You could say for several years, Colbert was our Ali G, just funnier and less obnoxious. Once the word was out amongst the Punditocracy (Rahm Emmanuel forbid any congressional freshmen from speaking to him), Colbert shifted gears to keep the jokes running.
I did watch the last episode through CC’s web site. The closing musical number was touching. All the former guests participating was impressive for a cable program.
Now the world will be watching and waiting to see what follows. Will Colbert as himself be funny enough to take on David Letterman’s aging mantle against Jimmy Kimmel and Fallon? I’d say the odds favor Colbert over Kimmel, Fallon is hard to tell. Will Larry Wilmore find his own voice to succeed as he follows The Daily Show? Giving up on the show’s title The Minority Report doesn’t give me much hope.
Thanks Stepehen! You’ve come a long way since Exit 57 and Strangers with Candy! It would be awesome if Shout Factory makes Exit 57 available to the public again.