Apologies if already posted
The Boston Globe
TV show puts lawmakers on comedic hot seat
Politicians hope laugh a track to young voters
By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff | March 27, 2006
(snip)
Public humiliation on Comedy Central's ''The Colbert Report" is becoming a rite of passage for the closely divided House of Representatives, whose members allow themselves and their districts to be ridiculed in the interests of reaching young voters ahead of elections that could decide party control of the chamber. While few members of Congress survive their appearances with their professional dignity intact, some lawmakers are urging their colleagues to go on the show and its regular spot called ''Better Know a District," part of host Stephen Colbert's ongoing series on the House of Representatives.
''You get Gen-X," said Jack Kingston, Republican of Georgia, who has pushed his fellow GOP members to show their hipness -- and good sportsmanship -- by appearing on Comedy Central. ''When people who are 25 who have never voted for you think you are funny because you did the show, that's instant validity."
(snip)
Not all lawmakers were happy with their experiences. Frank, notorious on Capitol Hill for his rapier wit, is still irritated after his experience with Colbert, who asked Frank what it was like to live as an ''openly left-handed" American. Colbert said he thought Frank was ''a little overweight," and asked whether his wife minded. Frank, clearly annoyed, shot back: ''Let me explain a nice thing about me. Ignorance does not offend me." The Newton Democrat said he had not seen the show before he agreed to be a guest, but regretted his decision. He said he has not even watched his own spot on the show.
(snip)
Like it or not, more and more people in their 20s and 30s are getting their news from such shows as ''The Colbert Report" and ''The Daily Show," another of the cable network's offerings, said Democratic consultant Peter Fenn. Michael Franc, a congressional analyst with the Heritage Foundation, said such appearances can help a public official. Richard M. Nixon disarmed critics who thought he was too stodgy by doing a cameo on the 1960s hit show ''Laugh-in," while Bill Clinton's 1992 saxophone-playing appearance on the ''The Arsenio Hall Show" underscored Clinton's image as a young and forward-looking candidate. But American politics has seen nothing like Comedy Central's ''Daily Show" and its hit spinoff, ''The Colbert Report." On ''Laugh-in" and ''Saturday Night Live," candidates poked fun at themselves; on ''The Colbert Report" they let the host make fun of them for the entire segment.
(snip)
Several Capitol Hill press secretaries said they never want their bosses to appear on the show. But lawmakers, with the confidence of the amateur gambler who is certain he can beat the house in Las Vegas, are eager to show they can match Colbert's wit. Unfortunately, several of the guests said, the segments are creatively edited, excising clever comments and making it appear that the guests gave different responses than they did. Engel, for example, said he agreed to let Colbert stroke his mustache as well as comb it, though the edited interview had the Bronx Democrat refusing the first request.
(snip)
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/03/27/tv_show_puts_lawmakers_on_comedic_hot_seat/ 
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
