The Audience Certainly DID Laugh At Colbert. Stop The Revisionist Crap

[KittyWampus]

I do not understand WTF some DU'ers are talking about. THEY LAUGHED. The audience laughed. It wasn't miked but you could still hear them laughing in the background. I watched it a second time a little while ago on CSPAN and am sick of reading the bogus claim that the audience was not laughing.

There were points where people didn't respond, and at those same points I didn't either... as the balloon over my head said "oh man, he didn't just say that?!"

Yeah, at a few points, the audience was saying "holy crap" and SO WAS I. A freaking natural reaction to an outrageous lampoon of an arrogant president and lazy press.

This is the epitome of revisionist bullshit history. And what is really bizarre is THE VIDEO IS FRESH. Anyone can click on a link and watch and listen and HEAR THEM LAUGHING.

[NightOwwl]

1. It's funny...the first time I watched, I thought the audience...

was very subdued. However, when I watched a second time, I heard lots of laughter and even some woo-hoos from the back of the room.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Yes, people were laughing

Even Scalia laughed at himself while Colbert cursed him in Italian.

However, even from watching C-SPAN, you could cut the tension in the atmosphere with a knife. Especially, after W decided Colbert wasn't so funny anymore.

[Ian David]

6. I watched it on MS-NBC and heard almost no laughter...

but they sure showed Bush looking like he'd just fallen of a Segway.

[CoffeeCat]

11. I watched it on CSPAN too, and when the camera showed...

..audience members--many of them looked very nervous--like they were afraid to laugh.

I really thought this was part of the hilarity. Here was have a comedian talking about the
proverbial "elephant in the living room" to a group of people who hides the elephant on the daily
basis---while the elephant sits up on the stage.

This was truly one of the great moments of political comedy.

Colbert also gave it to reporters. He lambasted them for being pansy-faced wussies, as much as he skewered Junior for being the idiot that he is.

:) Still laughing....the more you see it--the better it gets.

[NorCalDem]

3. what are you talking about, did Colber do something funny?

edited to add, nevermind, i figured it out :)

[corbett]

21. Valiant But Only Somewhat Funny

I love Colbert but this farce was only funny in spurts. It is remarkable and historic for the courage it demonstrates. Way to go!!!

[displacedtexan]

4. You're absolutely correct!

You have to see and hear the audience.

Part of their reaction was watching Dubya's sour mug for his reaction.

[Cleetus]

5. why should they laugh?

Colbert nailed their asses when he suggested that they have been nothing more than glorified stenographers for the past 5 years. They didn't laugh for the same reaon that the chimp didn't laugh. Like the republican controlled houses, the press played dead and rolled over for the chimp. Helen Thomas was the only one of them who should have been laughing. That woman has more balls than the entire WHPC combined.

[KittyWampus]

10. Not everyone was a mediawhore in that room, BTW. Ex. Laurence Fishbur

there were PLENTY of people there who were not targets of the humor.

There were plenty of people laughing.

[Cleetus]

18. Media whores, that's what they were..

For the past 5 years the WHPC were all media whores. Who gave two shits about the DSM? I can't remember a single one of these assholes mentioning the DSM in real time. Two years after the event, when it was becoming clear that the wheels were coming off the bush wagon, only then did they begin to speak up. When MIller ended up in the can, that's when the WHPC grew some balls. I remember the day. I remember the exact moment the WHPC grew some balls.

For the most part, the WHPC kissed the chimps ass for years. Maybe now, after Katrina, Schaivo, Spying, Torture, DPW, Harriet Myers, a dozen ex-generals looking for rummys head, sky high gas prices, maybe after all this bush-driven shit the WHPC feels it can safely critize the chimp, but it hasn't always been this way.

For the most part, the WHPC have been glorified stenographers for years, failing to ask the tough questions. Except for a few, like Helen, who waited for years for the chimp to acknowlwdge her when she had her hand up.

Except for a small group, they are all a bunch of spineless media whores.

[stray cat]

7. Laughing is relative

Some people laughed - some points it was awfully quiet. Some times there were long pauses followed by some laughter. It certainly wasn't a lively audience in response to a comedy routine. However, Colbert wasn't your average comedy.

[Southsideirish]

8. I'm sure they found it shockingly humorous but, like the kid talking back

to the teacher in school, the rest are delighting in it but too afraid to show they are lest THEY be the ones in trouble next. It was great and I love Colbert now and 'didn't even know who the hell he was before.

[CoffeeCat]

9. I also thought that the audience was not laughing at times...

I could definitely feel a bit of "Oh shit, I can't believe he's saying that!" in the air.

My husband and I were watching it together, and laughing our asses off.

I kept saying to my husband, "Look at the audience members! They look so nervous and some of them look pissed off or even afraid to laugh!"

My husband snapped back, "Of course! They're tools!"

I think there is some merit to the opinion that there was a bit of nervousness in the air--at times.

We all know how repressive this administration is. They were sitting up high--with their eye on everyone. Letting out belly laughs every time Bush was verbally set on fire--might not have been a good career move with these thugs.

I hear what you are saying--there was a lot of laughter. However, there is no doubt that many in the audience seemed uncomfortable or strained. I'm sure they thought it was just as funny as we did. They just wanted their jobs on Monday morning--so they weren't rolling in the aisles.

Man, I was!!!!! Colbert kicks ASS!!!

[Mojambo]

12. I think this whole thing has been a tad overanalyzed. n/t

[MichiganVote]

13. God....Amen to that. I nomiate you for the front page of DU!

[juajen]

14. I agree

I also clearly heard the laughter. You could see the myriad expressions; some of chagrin, some of surprise and delight, and then the caution. Obviously, a lot of people did not want to be seen exploding with laughter. Toooo scary.

I thought the two presidents skit was hilarious, and I laughed a lot. Colbert's Report was too sad to laugh for me; although I did laugh in places. T'was very upsetting.

[applegrove]

15. I just watched it. And there was too much silence. For sure there

was a scattering of laughs and such. But even Helen Thomas had to keep it in .. at then end there.. because it was such a funeral.

It was hilarious. If that had played out on Colbert's show, we would have all started to laugh and kept on. As it was - there seemed to be some confusion over someone speaking the truth with truthiness.

[ContraBass Black]

17. The audience wasn't on microphone at the time.

[ContraBass Black]

16. Seconded.

:thumbsup:

[brentspeak]

19. What's the big deal either way? People are making too much

of Colbert's performance last night.

[KittyWampus]

20. It helped release pent up frustration. My only objection is the incorrect

assertion that the audience wasn't laughing.