Huff Post: Ignoring Colbert

[immoderate]

I saw this at the Huffington Post, and after a search, found it in Editorials forum, posted by Dudley_DUright, and I thought it might get some additional attention here in GD.

Ignoring Colbert: A Small Taste of the Media's Power to Choose the News

The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner was televised on C-Span Saturday evening. Featured entertainer Stephen Colbert delivered a biting rebuke of George W. Bush and the lily-livered press corps. He did it to Bush's face, unflinching and unbowed by the audience's muted, humorless response. Democratic Underground members commented in real time (here, here, and here).

<snip>

On Colbert's gutsy delivery, watertiger writes, "Stephen Colbert displayed more guts in ten minute of performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner than the entire Bush family. He, along with the ever-feisty Helen Thomas, deftly exposed the "truthiness" to the world (or at least those who were watching) that Bush AND the D.C. press corps are indeed a naked emperor and his gutless courtiers."

<snip>

This is the power of the media to choose the news, to decide when and how to shield Bush from negative publicity. Sins of omission can be just as bad as sins of commission. And speaking of a sycophantic media establishment bending over backwards to accommodate this White House and to regurgitate pro-GOP and anti-Dem spin, I urge readers to pick up a copy of Eric Boehlert's new book, Lapdogs. It's a powerful indictment of the media's timidity during the Bush presidency. Boehlert rips away the facade of a "liberal media" and exposes the invertebrates masquerading as journalists who have allowed and enabled the Bush administration's many transgressions to go unchecked, under-reported, or unquestioned.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-daou/ignoring-colbert-a-smal_b_20092.html

--IMM

[spotbird]

1. The silence about Colbert's

preformance proves the truth of it. Ironic isn't it?

[Warpy]

10. It proves it was too subtle for conservatives, who are spending

the day trying to figure out whether or not they've been insulted.

Really.

[katinmn]

2. Good find!

[KharmaTrain]

3. Talking Truth To Power Usually Gets Ignored

Colbert was intrepid and many of us will look back on his performance last night as being one of the gutsiest of all time. He had all the elements that are destroying this country and put them in their proper perspective. They didn't laugh. Damn straight...the truth hurts. Had they laughed that would have been a greater cause for concern as it would have proved that the "fifth estate" had really sold out rather than attempting to pretend to be "balanced". I'm so sick and tired of these stenographers saying that "since we piss off both sides, we must be getting it right". Bullshit...it's when you don't print the exact story and words the way Rove dictates them, then that's showing "librul bias". Colbert showed them how hypocritical they all are and damn right they didn't like it.

This man sets himself in the class with some of the greatest satyrists like Mort Sahl, Will Rogers and Lenny Bruce...talking straight and saying things people don't want to hear, but need to hear.

Kudos Mr. Colbert!!!

[immoderate]

5. Yes. He literally stunned them.

To your great list I would add: Mark Twain, Charlie Chaplin, and Abby Hoffman, all of whom are smiling down on Mr. Colbert today.

--IMM

[lonestarnot]

6. They are still scratching their watches and winding their asses!

[BrklynLiberal]

8. ROTFLMAO!

:silly:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

11. Ignored by those in power, but not by the increasing numbers....

...of the disaffected.

IMHO, this will be seen later as one of the points that signalled the beginning of the end for the NeoCon Junta.

[KharmaTrain]

14. Just Another Drumbeat

If you want to peg a date when the Neocon world began to fall apart, I'd cite "Mission Accomplished Day"...the saddest moment for American journalism as Tweety sucked up to asshat's codpiece. From then the slide has been slow and gradual as the real truths of this regime and its manipulation of the corporate media has come to light.

Colbert slammed two major homers this week. First, his destruction of Krystol on the Colbert Report and his performance last night. This truly was an effort that demanded, required and Colbert delivered with "juevoes grande".

[Gabi Hayes]

16. I thought Dionysus was more of a leading satyrist than Sahl

but I could be wrong

[tridim]

4. We just need to make sure it goes viral

The video is already making the rounds quickly.

Fuck the worthless media.

[Us vs Them]

12. Amen! I've seen this in more places today than I could have imagined

It's all over every forum and community I belong to, including celebrity gossip sites.

[immoderate]

7. This is a dupe -- Hey, I didn't see it!

Full blog is posted here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1065021

--IMM

[kentuck]

9. Ignore?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1061317&mesg_id=1061317

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

13. The final sentences pack a punch and say what I've been saying for five

years now...only not as eloquently as this:

A final thought: Bush's clownish banter with reporters - which is on constant display during press conferences - stands in such stark contrast to his administration's destructive policies and to the gravity of the bloodbath in Iraq that it is deeply unsettling to watch. This may be impolitic, but wouldn't refraining from frat-style horseplay be appropriate for this man? Or at the least, can't reporters suppress their raucous laughter every time he blurts out another jibe... the way they did when Colbert put them in their place?

MKJ

[elehhhhna]

15. so, the anthrax mailings worked, huh?

[politrix]

17. It Was Like Watching Malcolm X

With Jokes...


Downright legendary.

[AnnInLa]

18. Goodness....is Peter Daou a regular reader of DU?