REVIEW: The Colbert Report

UNIVERSAL REMOTE

Stephen Colbert has long been my favorite part of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. His take on pompous, overly loud journalists is classic. (And his God Machine bit, complete with fake beep-a-doop-eep game show sound effects is brilliant.) I particularly like the way he over-enunciates everything, which is more Stone Phillips than Bill O'Reilly. If anyone on that show deserves a spin off, it's him.

And so it's here. The Colbert Report is very, very funny but I worry that it will get a little tiring. Whereas as Jon Stewart has a seperation between himself and the news he is making fun of, Colbert is the joke. And unlike The Daily Show, there are no correspondents to cut to, there's just him. But if you're like me and Colbert is your favorite part of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report should be right up your alley.

The show's opening montage is a wonderful send up of everything Fox News. Complete with a crazy animated eagle, Colbert waving a flag, words like "Integrity" and "Grippy" floating around, it is a perfect satire of cable shows that are constantly pulling out yardsticks to measure how patriotic they are. And his set is a small wonder. As he pointed out in the first episode Monday, his name is plastered everywhere and the desk is shaped like a giant "C." But my favorite sight gag was when he stood in front of a painting of himself standing in front of a painting of himself. (Get it?) He and his producers seem to have really thought things through.

"Like any good newsman, I believe that if you're not scared, I'm not doing my job," he says as he stares into the camera with the righteous certainty of a man unconfused by the facts. "There's a whole big world to fix," he said. "There's nothing to fear but fear itself. I'll change that."

Perfect. His first monologue was hugely promising, both funny and a pointed commentary. (To see it, go here and click on "Truthiness." You may need to click through to the "video" section.)

Anybody who knows me knows that I am no fan of dictionaries or reference books. They're elitist for constantly telling us what is or isn't true, what did or didn't happen...I don't trust books. They're all fact and no heart. And that's exactly what's pulling our country apart today. Because face it, folks, we are a divided nation... We are divided by those who think with their head, and those who know with their heart.

Consider Harriett Miers. If you think about Harriett Miers, of course her nomination's absurd! But the President didn't say he thought about this selection, he said this:

President Bush: "I know her heart."

Notice that he didn't say anything about her brain? He didn't have to. He feels the truth about Harriett Miers. And what about Iraq? If you think about it, maybe there are a few missing pieces to the rationale for war. But doesn't taking Saddam out feel like the right thing...right here in the gut? Because that's where the truth comes from, ladies and gentlemen...the gut.

Did you know that you have more nerve endings in your stomach than in your head? Look it up. Now, somebody's gonna say `I did look that up and its wrong'. Well, Mister, that's because you looked it up in a book. Next time, try looking it up in your gut. I did. And my gut tells me that's how our nervous system works.

Now I know some of you may not trust your gut...yet. But with my help you will. The "truthiness" is, anyone can read the news to you. I promise to feel the news...at you.

That's the deal. It's certainly worth a look. My guess is Colbert will tone down the act a little (like he seemed to in his interview with Leslie Stahl on Tuesday). But for anyone who hates loudmouth know-nothings like Bill O'Reilly and Limbaugh, this show is for you. It's on Monday through Thursday at 11:30 on Comedy Central. Post your thoughts.

ASIDE: Did anyone see the aforementioned O'Reilly on The Daily Show last night? (I think it re-airs tonight at 7 if you're interested.) He actually seemed kind of mad at Jon Stewart. Stewart, to his credit, never took the bait. And he got off a great zinger. Admitting that while he "added insult to injury" when making fun of the news, O'Reilly just "added more injury."

And how pathetic is O'Reilly's continued anger at the French?

UPDATE (7:41 pm): Watch the humorless douche in action.