The Atlantic: Colbert "pulled his punches" at the White House Correspondent's Dinner..

[Fumesucker]

http://correspondents.theatlantic.com/james_warren/2009/12/a_special_colbert_report_a_comic_and_chums_offer_a_post-mortem_on_a_famous_washington_dinner_suggest.php

With a tape of the hour-long session from Second City, I just watched as Colbert explained the creation of the "well-intentioned idiot" he portrays. ("The character really means well. He's willfully ignorant of what you know and care about. He's not mendacious and stupid. He's innocent and stupid, like a puppy who's urinating on your politics, not destroying your politics.") But a question-and-answer period inspired the best exchanges, starting with one on Colbert's appearance at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

<snip>

Added Colbert: "We felt like we were throwing joke Molotov cocktails, and then the room burst into flames." Throughout the panel discussion, gently moderated by NPR's Peter Sagal, one was reminded of one of the elements separating comic pros, like Colbert and colleagues, from your "hilarious friend" at the office and other funny amateurs, namely the Colbert crew's lightning speed. It's the difference between college football and the NFL.

Colbert disclosed that he did substantial self-editing upon looking at the president and discerning that he wasn't ecstatic. He had planned to play off Medal of Freedom awards Bush had given former CIA Director George ("It's a slam dunk") Tenet and former Iraq administrator L. Paul Bremer; joshing about how Bush was clearly giving awards to everybody in sight.

"'But nobody gives this man an award,'" Colbert recalled as the thrust of the riff he scrapped. "'That ends tonight. I'm going to give the highest honor I can give....a certificate of presidency.'"

<snip>

More at the link..

[dkf]

1. Too much material.

W was a gift to comedians.

[Fumesucker]

2. A gift for comedians true, for the country not so much..

A few more paragraphs..

Colbert said he was genuinely surprised that he'd been invited to the affair and, with his colleagues, "worked very hard on it and the actual performance." It was an honor, a rare opportunity. "The actual performance was enjoyable for me. I really liked the jokes and was eager to do it."

Tom Purcell, a Second City alum and the television show's co-executive producer, explained the tactical rationale: Bush, he said, was the typical "Big Man" one might find in innumerable institutional settings. "We thought it was the Big Man. He hires somebody to make fun of him, and he chuckles. You see it at office Christmas parties. You say the boss is so cheap that....and he laughs and everybody laughs. That's what we thought we were doing. They wouldn't have brought us in if they didn't know what jokes we did."

Of course, in hindsight, that didn't seem exactly true, suggesting slightly insufficient due diligence by the association.

"We dipped a wick in a can of grape soda, threw it against a wall and little did we know the entire room was soaked in gasoline," said Purcell.

[dkf]

5. Or the person who did the due diligence had a wicked sense or humor.

lol.

[malaise]

14. It was absolutely brilliant

M$Greedia tried to ignore it but he tore them all a new one.

[SpiralHawk]

18. "You'll get yours, Colbummer. Grrr." - xCommander AWOL (R)

[bkohatlanta]

25. Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Helen Thomas were the only real Journalists in that Room.

At least since Molly Ivins died.

[90-percent]

3. Colbert

Steven's performance at that dinner was one of the most heroic things any public figure ever did during the entire Bush administration.

I was awe inspired by his cajones of inconel.

-90% Jimmy

[Greybnk48]

6. That was not only heroic, it was a tipping point.

That was an important night for this country, and thanks to you tube many many people saw it. Someone finally turned to * in a very public setting and said "Dude, you're naked." It was awesome.

[AzDar]

10. +1

[tomp]

17. agreed. a heroic, revolutionary act, as yet unsurpassed in true patriotism. nt

[UTUSN]

4. K&R #8 for COLBERT was the only courageous comic at theShrub assfests.

The first one of Shrub's, when (SNL) Darrell HAMMOND a-hole was scared to death by CHEENEE's threats and copped out, was pitiful. He always cops-out, "I'm just a COMEDIAN!1"

[blogslut]

7. It was a performance for the ages

While this article is interesting I would rather see a video of Colbert's give and take during that Second City thingy.

Actually, I'm hoping they release a documentary of that Second City anniversary dealio. I really want to watch it.

[Fumesucker]

11. I'd like to see it too.. n/t

[ThoughtCriminal]

8. The hit on the media was even better than the hits on Bush

it was on target and I don't think they liked it.

[Fumesucker]

13. You definitely got that right, pompous bufoons don't like to be deflated..

Particularly as publicly as that was.. :evilgrin:

[Laurab]

9. K&R nt

[aquart]

12. I would have enjoyed the awarding of that "certificate of presidency."

[Berry Cool]

15. I will never forget watching it on C-SPAN with my jaw on the floor.

I was "oh no he din't"-ing through the whole thing.

[progressoid]

16. It was a thing of beauty. n/t

[Kber]

19. Watched it live and it was absolutely cring inducing

but awesome!

[joeunderdog]

22. too bad they pulled it.

for a while you could get it on YouTube, but they took care of that quick. I'd buy the dvd if I could.

[PSzymeczek]

20. If THAT was pulling his punches,

The alternative would have left the place in flames.

[ljm2002]

21. Wow, that's amazing...

...I too consider it a performance for the ages, not only for comic brilliance but for sheer gutsiness. Colbert will forever remain on my list of the greats, because of that performance.

[JHB]

23. Too bad...

I think it would have done this country a huge service if someone (Colbert, or better yet Kerry or Gore) had relentlessly jabbed at the Squanderer-in-Chief until he blew up in public.

[lob1]

24. I've never had more respect for a man than when Colbert

roasted Bush. He looked Bush in the face and called him an idiot.