OMG...My GOP company last night asked me "Why do you watch Colbert if you are a dem"

[KansasVoter]

They had NO IDEA that Colbert was a parody show. They HONESTLY thought he was a Republican.

I had no idea what to say to them. But after I told them they still don't believe he is not a pro-republican show.

Wow, Wow, Wow! Almost unbelievable.

[izquierdista]

1. There's no fool as foolish...

...as one who doesn't know he's being fooled.

[malaise]

16. Perfect

:applause:

[Enthusiast]

161. Very good! nt

[david13]

2. People what don't understand things, or why people say things,

are as common as dirt. So I guess.
But Colbert does such a fine edged job of it; he really does teeter on the brink. A lot of what he does is just plain old mockery.
How many times are people being mocked and they don't know it? I have seen many people think they are being mocked, when they are not.
dc

[MrsBrady]

106. i'm a songwriter and I hang out with a bunch of my songwriting buddies

all of us are lefties, but ONE guy (I love him in spite of his conservative political ways) is a hard core republican.
(As I say to my conservative friends..."I love you, let's not talk politics," :) )
A bunch of us were sitting around trading new songs.
He played this one about how Dick Cheney was the cause of all the trouble in the world all the way through history using specific historical events as his references.
It was pretty funny actually. He's a good songwriter.
He thought he was making fun of Lefties and Democrats, in how we complain about how Cheney caused so much trouble (how dare we :sarcasm:)
He thinks we're bitching for nothing.
However, his examples were so over the top as to be sarcastic...he didn't realize he wrote a song that actually made fun of Cheney. It bothered him that we liked the song. He was trying to aggravate us. :rofl:


I also have a song that is totally anti-war and calling bush "the best president we'll ever have", sarcastically of course.
Some time ago after I finished a set, "Bush is the best ever" line must have been the only thing this one woman heard all evening. She came up to me after my set and went on and on about how much she loved bush and love my song and was SOOOOO glad I supported the president (this was in 06 I think).
Which still makes me laugh out loud to this day (and right now) because the t-shirt I was wearing had a picture of Bush on it calling him a dictator. :rofl:
Some people are so so so soooooo clueless.

[John Q. Citizen]

125. Did you ever read Mother Night by Vonnegut. It's all about people mis-interpreting

other people.

[MrsBrady]

142. Thanks for the heads up. I'll look for it. n/t

[Enthusiast]

164. Thanks for the recommendation. nt

[Chulanowa]

133. Sorta like Reagan using "Born in the USA"

Point of fact, i detest that song. I hate hearing it, and I will shut off the radio every time it comes on. Not that i dislike the message. It just has not a single iota of musical talent within it. I can whack four chords and bray "Baaaaaaaaaaaaawrn in thuh yoooooooooesaaaaaaaay! I wuz baaaaaaaaaaaawrn..." too, doesn't make me talented.

[MrsBrady]

144. Springstein is a wonderful lyricist

His voice is hard for me to listen to sometimes.
I'm not a huge fan, but certainly he has had an impact
on so many songwriters, known and unknown.

[RT_Fanatic]

165. Wow. Bruce-hate much?

n/t

[Chulanowa]

179. At least with that song, yes

It makes me want to jam my thumbs into my eyes, because it's flat and repetitive and entirely too long. Plus the tune doesn't go well with the lyrics at all. i've heard several covers of the song in several genres (bluegrass being my favorite) but the original just gives me a headache.

But how dare I have a personal opinion, right? Bruce is an icon gawdammit! :rofl:

[mwb970]

141. Any chance you could post the songs you mentioned?

Or are they already online somewhere?

PS. I have a songwriting buddy who recorded a song called "I'm an Idiot", with many bush/cheney references. Do you think the righties would catch that?

[Enthusiast]

163. Entertaining story!

Keep 'em coming.

[abluelady]

3. "Almost" Unbelievable

Just more proof that Repugs don't think.

[felinetta]

59. Yeah, they have a genetic flaw! This is why their attempt at humor is so lame.

[AnneD]

127. Their genetic flaw....

they are missing their funny bone. Shows like Colbert only make it more apparent.

[Ricochet21]

73. I agree

I agree

[Jamastiene]

4. *snicker*

I would have had to hold the laughter back, then when they left :rofl:

[KansasVoter]

5. Good One!

[Ikonoklast]

6. They HAVE to be punking you.

No one can be that dim.

[KansasVoter]

8. I thought the same thing.......

But they were 100% serious. They honestly thought it. They actually quoted me a question he asks a lot "Was George Bush a great president or the Greatest President?"

My wife and I just tried not to laugh in their face.

[1monster]

121. Nearly a year ago I gave a ride home to two of my son's school mates. Some how

or another Steven Colbert's name came up and these two very Fundie (very nice kids, BTW) super conservative boys told me how great Colbert was because he was such a conservative. I laughed and told the that Colbert's show was not conservative, that it was very funny and spot on satire. They didn't believe me either.

I didn't laugh too much though. They were a freshman and a junior and don't yet have the experience to tell the difference between real and satire.

But we here on DU sometimes have the same problem when pieces from the Onion are posted.

[pipi_k]

11. Actually...

Yes they can be that dim.

I've known a couple of them for literally decades.

Scary, I know...

[corkhead]

22. Remember, he was one of the main speakers at Dim Son's Whitehouse Coorespondence Dinner

it turned into a roast and the roastees didn't know it.

Pukes' lizard brains don't get satire and sarcasm.

[rbrnmw]

42. The stuff they try to pass off as Satire is just horrid nm

[DIKB]

82. It doesn't register with them

they've heard "satire is an intelligence test" and don't realize how unintelligent they are, their egos don't allow for humility. Therefore, they say something cruel or horrifying and think it's funny, when others don't, they think, "Oh, you don't get it b/c it's 'satire.'"

[lurky]

128. Yes. I could think I could forgive them if they were actually funny.

I think the problem is that the best satire cuts the powerful down to size. Conservative satire by definition attacks the weak (the poor, minorities, do-gooders, gays, etc, etc). Not generally funny.

[catzies]

172. Agreed. Picking on the little guy is not humor, it's bullying. Picking on the rich & powerful

is a goldmine for humor & satire, same as it ever was. :)

[AnneD]

129. As is the stuff they pass of as porn...

bestiality and involving children. They seem to have some type of arrested sexual development and strict gender roles. Just my $0.02.

Very dull in the sack and they always live with the constant fear that some where some one is enjoying themselves in the sack more than they are. Which is true:evilgrin: This is true with any fundamentalist group ie the Taliban, the Young Republicans, the Freedom Foundation, etc.

[Barack2theFuture]

69. Bingo. Repukes have lizard brains.

And that little part of the primate brain that governs tribal hatred.

Contemporary "conservatives" have little to no reasoning capability and zero ability to parse humor, especially sarcasm and irony.

[rainy]

105. He ripped G. W. a new one. I've never seen such clever humor.

[Kurovski]

112. I think Laura Bush got it, as I recall.

[AnneD]

130. George married up when he married her.....

all he could bag up to that point was the Midland and Odessa oil field skanks.

[RT_Fanatic]

167. Oil field "skanks"?

Bigotry even on DU. Judge not.

[AnneD]

176. No, I am not judging....

what one has to do for a living, but they were skanks- not what Sr. wanted to further the political ambitions of the family. At the time he was drinking heavily and was into cheap and easy. I have close friends in the area and in the oil bidness. He had to work real hard not to find oil in the area he was at.

[90-percent]

151. White House Correspondent's dinner

Colbert's appearance there in 2006 was one of the bravest acts of subversive patriotism that occurred during the entire Bush era.

Stephen's courage while in the belly of the beast was truly awe inspiring to me. Talk about speaking truth to power and exposing the emperor has no clothes.

And just think how all the MSM stenographer's must have felt after seeing this performance. IF they are introspective, it could let them know how far they've fallen from their core ideals to become a journalist in the first place!

-90% Jimmy

[felinetta]

60. Don't underestimate their stupidity. Sharon Angle, Rand Paul, Palin, Faux goobers etc.

[pipi_k]

7. I know it's unlikely, but...

wouldn't it be the funniest fucking thing in the world if some of the Rush Limbaughs or Scott Hannitys of the world one day stood up and said, "Hey. Fools. Yeah, you on the Right...we've been mocking your stupid asses all this time, and you all fell for it".


Like I said, unlikely, but a person can hope, can't she?


:7

[KansasVoter]

12. I think 50% of Limbaugh is acting for his nutty audience.

[pipi_k]

15. So do I... He's sort of like an adult version

of a circus clown who ramps up the stupidity for the amusement of the audience, only people know the clown is just a clown doing what he does.

Limbaugh is a circus clown without the greasepaint, and because of that, lots of his audience don't even realize he's probably treating them like a bunch of five year olds at a birthday party. Keeping them busy while the adults look on with relief for having 20 minutes of time to themselves.

:7

[Bigmack]

28. Rushbo the Evil Clown... every Coulrophobic's nightmare..ntt

[white_wolf]

62. So Limbaugh is a circus clown

and Beck is a self-admitted rodeo clown? This explains Stephen King's inspiration for IT. Though Beck and Limbaugh are slightly more evil.

[alphafemale]

49. It was absolutely an act at one time.

The "Rush Limbaugh" was a character that the radio DJ Jeff Christie developed as a comedy shtick.

But, I think the role corrupted the character of the player long ago.

At some point, he started to actually believe the stupid shit he was vomiting out.

[Mariana]

56. I think that's true.

His job is to gather an audience every day for the advertisers on his show to pitch their crap to. He does that by saying what his audience wants to hear. If says stuff they don't like, they'll turn him right off.

Remember how shocked the RWers were when Rush had Sir Elton John sing at his most recent wedding? They were just gobsmacked that Rush could be friends with a homosexual, liberal European. They expect him to hate people like that, just like they do.

My dad is forever telling me ridiculous shit he's heard on Rush's show. He swallows every word and just can't believe that talk show hosts can "lie" on the air and get away with it. I say, "Dad, was Sean Connery 'lying' when he stood in front of a movie camera and said, 'My name is Bond. James Bond'? It's the same kind of thing. He's a performer playing a role."

The difference, of course, is that Connery expected people to understand he was pretending. Rush knows that his audience believe he's telling the truth. That makes him evil.

[pipi_k]

61. About what's real and what isn't, and what we're willing to believe...

Remember that movie "Babe", about the talking pig and talking farm animals?

By the end of the movie, a part of my mind was convinced that animals talked when humans weren't around. Or could, if they'd only try hard enough. It all seemed so..."normal".

:7

[krkaufman]

103. ... for profit, that is. n/t

[TheDebbieDee]

107. I believe this, too! Rush Limbaugh is a composite character

played by a drug-addicted, impotent, closeted man named Rush Limbaugh. Andrew Dice Clay did the same thing, but he didn't get away with it for nearly as long!

Every time KO awards Limp-balls the Worst Person in the World, Limp-balls show get free publicity.

[Enthusiast]

168. He obviously doesn't

believe even half of what he says.

[NYC Liberal]

80. O'Reilly admitted on Colbert that his show is an act. nt

[stopwastingmymoney]

109. maybe unlikely but...

I still think Ann Coulter will come out some day and say exactly that

[droidamus2]

147. Some thought that

When Limbaugh first started out in Sacramento, CA their were people that thought he was a liberal making fun of the conservatives too bad they weren't right.

[madmom]

9. repugs don't understand satire.

[lonestarnot]

10. ROFLMAO!

[glitch]

13. "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on"

- George "Junior" Bush

[snot]

17. Pls tell me he really said that -- but did he?

[glitch]

18. Indeedy.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:George_W._Bush

[snot]

23. Um. Your source lists this in the "Fake Quotes?" section, mentioning

it's also been attributed to others.

I mean, I wish it were true, but its status seems doubtful.

[glitch]

83. Oh! thanks. I just grabbed the first google. I remembered it in real life,

but I could have remembered the spoof as real. It's been awhile.

[treestar]

14. OMG

Being fooled by comedian Limbaugh is one thing. Being fooled by Beck is another step up. But to be fooled by Colbert you have to be brain dead.

IMO Colbert is the best of the comedians, because you can tell it's meant to be funny. Comedian Limbaugh sounds serious and so many take him seriously.

[shanti2]

132. Funny

My nephew stood there and told me that Colbert and Jon Stewart
were both Repubs. I almost lost my supper. I read that Beck
has said that if people believed him they were stupid.  I
honestly think all of them are just leading people on and
taking the money and laughing all the way to the bank.

[Cant trust em]

19. Conservatives don't have a sense of humor. It goes against their grain. nt

[corkhead]

25. What are you talking about? They have pitch perfect humor. You forgot Mallard Fillmore...

[PSzymeczek]

88. Mallard Fillmore is not funny.

Mallard Fillmore is, however, mean-spirited.

[Jim Sagle]

95. Even more hilarity, from Chris Muir's Day by Day:

[JHB]

138. The lamest of Lame Ducks

A one-note pony that owes its existence to being used as "balance" for Doonsbury, Boondocks, and the like.

[alterfurz]

81. "Republicans don't have a sense of humor...

...they have a mean streak, and think it is the same thing."

[Canuckistanian]

20. You have to be as literal as possible with these people

They don't get sarcasm.

That's why FAUX news never uses sarcasm or irony or subtlety. They use personal stories. Only single or double syllable words.
And of course, a friendly "interpreter" to tell you EXACTLY what today's news means and what YOU should think about it.

Propaganda is always served in small, prepackaged, easy to understand chunks.

That's the beauty of Colbert. He uses the same propaganda techniques, but if you listen to what he's actually saying, it's devastating to conservatives.

[unblock]

21. that's because most right-wing arguments these days are already self-parody

seriously, rush said "I tell people don’t kill all the liberals. Leave enough so we can have two on every campus — living fossils — so we will never forget what these people stood for."

how the hell is anyone really supposed to distinguish that statement from parody?

it's only because rush is an avowedly right-wing propagandist, whereas colbert has taken pains off the show to distinguish himself from his on-air character (noting, in particular, that his character is an "idiot") that we know rush was at least half-serious and colbert is satire.


if colbert had been the originator of that exact same rush quotation, we would have known it to be satire. conversely, if rush had originally said nearly anything from the colbert report, we would have known him to be serious.

[Karenina]

24. TODAY? This so many years after

THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-869183917758574879#

An oldie but goodie! :rofl:

[KansasVoter]

26. And they had even seen that video!

[Karenina]

38. Ignorance can be cured. Stupid is forever.

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. Colbert would LOVE to hear this.

Imagine the mischief he would do.

[drm604]

29. I've heard this before.

Apparently there are a number of right-wingers who seriously think Colbert is on their side.

I think it says a lot about how they think and why they fall for crazy stuff like birtherism, death panels, and claims that the President is a Nazi Socialist Muslim terrorist.

It's pretty discouraging actually. How can you ever hope to get through to people like that? :shrug:

[stubtoe]

30. Right over their heads, isn't it?

*facepalm*

[pipi_k]

31. Hey, I just thought of something...

what with all the Freepers we just gotta know lurk here, I wonder if any of them ever thought the late Bob Boudelang was a hell of a guy and a real Patriot?

:rofl:

[many a good man]

32. One of the 32%?

[Bozita]

33. Statistically speaking, exactly 50% of the US population is below average

Garrison Keillor may be right about Lake Wobegon, but he sure doesn't know about your town.

[dsc]

79. only if the average you are referring to is the median

and only if you put the words at or before the word below. To take one, very simple, counterexample. Say you are in a class with five people. One scores 0 on a test (doesn't turn it in) and the other four score 90. The mean in that case is 360/5 which is 72. Only one student is below the 72.

[d_r]

155. but iq scores are evenly distributed

[savalez]

34. This just proves how brilliant Colbert is!

[Schema Thing]

43. I disagree.

Colbert is brilliant, but he is not in any way making an effort to make anyone believe he is truly a conservative. He is unabashed in his liberalism and progressivism.


What it shows is that frighteningly large percentage of our population are mentally ill. I'd say "stupid" instead of mentally ill, but that wouldn't explain it. They aren't stupid per se, their minds are insulated from assessing reality accurately if reality challenges their ego.

[slampoet]

48. I call it a complete lack of being able to see anyone else's point of view.

It is amazing how lacking empathy is in the general population.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

35. No.

:rofl:

That's a tad scary.

[Parker CA]

36. Nuance and sarcasm are not processed by most GOP minds. That's why Obama's put it in D analogy is

so perfect. Stupid simple. Everyone gets it.

[ejpoeta]

37. i figured that was why he was invited to speak at the correspondence dinner a few years ago.

they seemed completely surprised when he slammed them so thoroughly. some people don't get sarcasm i guess.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

39. Teh Stupid

burns dully.

[Hawkowl]

40. I am completely unsurprised

This is the main reason I'm not that big a fan of Colbert. His parody is just to life-like. I think there is a substantial portion of the population who actually believe his schtick. No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.

[rurallib]

41. I have a bridge to sell in Brooklyn

Can you introduce me to them?

[sendero]

44. These people are regularly voting..

... against their own interests. Of course they are stupid.

The fact that Sara Palin isn't literally LAUGHED OFF THE POLITICAL STAGE is proof these people are just fucking stupid. Too stupid even to comprehend their own stupidity.

[KansasVoter]

47. + 1000

[seabeyond]

45. my son is in highschool.... higher level classes. he tells me it is an OMG moment

the kids that think colbert is repug.... and like the show. one of his mouth hanging open moments.

[slampoet]

46. I watched a Religious Round Table where four Guys thought that Colbert was for real.....

IT was an Evangelical, a Catholic priest who was older, and two Presbyterian types

And they ALL thought that Steven Colbert was for real.


The RABBI whose people seem to know comedy when they see it, was trying to convice his fellow religious leaders that they were mistaken and that Colbert is a parody. None of them believed the Rabbi and one of the priests didn't even seem to realize what parody was or why someone would use it as a tool.

[mwb970]

143. You make an interesting point.

Jews are religious, but they're great at humor. Most of the funniest comedians of the last century (and many in this one) were Jewish.

So why are so many Christians - or at least the Taliban-like ones - so resolutely lacking in humor, to the point that they fail to even recognize it, much less enjoy or produce it?

Conservatives simply baffle me.

:shrug:

[slampoet]

150. Jews question their religion and have a tradition of celebrating this.

The less you question the funnier you are not.

[Beaverhausen]

50. I found a few on his facebook page who also don't know he's being satirical

there are truly stupid people out there.

[Initech]

51. Those who are too stupid to not be able to recognize satire shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Although the internet has proven that there's a fine line between satire and reality.

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rhett o rick]

76. Please. The people being referred to here are not retarded. They may be ignorant and Republicans

but please dont refer to them as retarded. Used as you used it, the word is a slur.

[Name removed]

78. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jenny_D]

53. Yeah, I also know some people like that...

they also think WWE wrestling is real. Everything is black and white, they completely lack the ability to discern sarcasm or parody, and of course, are Republican to the core. The wifey lllloooovvveess Sarah Palin, and even styles her hair in a Palin poof. They cling the words of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck like maggots to a turd.

Obviously, we don't go out of our way to socialize with these people.

[Poboy]

54. I find this happens sometimes in music as well, but for

different reasons. There is a coworker of mine that is a typical brainwashed rightwinger, and is also a huge Rage Against The Machine fan.
The guy has a RATM bumper sticker, sings along to their songs, knows all the words, etc. when played in the office, etc.

And yet, spouts off right wing talking points all the time.
RATM lyrics are nothing but indictment after indictment of the corporate and right wing.

Huge fan. I guess he just likes the angry sound? There massive disconnect there though.

Bizarre.

[GreenPartyVoter]

68. Definite disconnect in that case, although I suppose sometimes people will

overlook a viewpoint if they like the music enough.

[Frisbee]

93. You have to draw a line sonewhere though...

I must admit that being of a certain age, I grew up listening to Ted Nugent, and still love the music of that era. I would NEVER consider buying one of his albums or playing him on a jukebox these days though considering he may just be the most despicable righty entertainer alive.

[Frisbee]

92. Not unlike...

the repukes who don't realize Born In The USA is a protest song.

[suffragette]

55. I remember when Tom DeLay's website put Colbert on their front page

and it stayed up on his legal fund's front page for a couple days.

Colbert does pitch perfect satire, which clearly goes over the heads of many of those targeted by it.


Here's a great thread from that time:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1275178#1275617




Screen capture from a DU post:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2645258#2646923




ETA: picture

[slay]

66. That was some funny shit! And goes to prove

people who vote Republican ain't always that bright! Hell Republicans in general. :evilgrin:

[suffragette]

71. It was hilarious!

And it did prove those points well.

:evilgrin:

[inna]

94. OMG! this is hilarious

[suffragette]

It was wild seeing that posted on Delay's legal fund site

And it stayed there and stayed there.

We thought someone there would surely get it and have it taken down right away, but it wasn't taken down until well after Think Progress posted about it.

His defense fund even sent out an email about it to DeLay's supporters - that's how convinced they were by Colbert's satire.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

100. You could tell when Delay did his interview with Colbert that

he thought he was talking with one of his own.

[brewens]

101. That interview actually ended up on the Tom Delay defense

fund web site for a couple of days if I remember right. Then someone clued them in and they took it off. Right-wingers really don't get satire. Then they get really mad when they realize you are making fun of them. It's really fun to see that moment that it finally sinks in. But you have to be very very patient sometimes.

[suffragette]

178. Even more so that Delay's defense fund actually placed Colbert's video

on the front page of their site and sent out emails promoting that.
That's how convinced they were - of the complete opposite of reality - as usual.


And Colbert does an excellent job of satire by taking their complete opposite of reality point of view and decimating it.

That they can't even understand the satire is more proof of their lack of critical thinking skills.

[slampoet]

57. BTW - I know a person who has been interviewed on the Colbert show and this is what Steve said......

...right before the interview Steven came up to my friend and said

"Hello good to have you here. I don't know if you are familiar with the show but I play the world's biggest egotistical asshole on the show and i play it for laughs. Your objective in the interview is to overcome me or knock me off my game."

[inna]

96. wow, that's interesting.

he gets so much into the character though, it's perfectly understandable he has to warn people in advance so they don't freak out during the show.

[slampoet]

120. Well the guy i know is a heavy science geek so i figure he needs all the warnings he can get.

....and Colbert seems to have a Wonderful empathy for the geeks.

It was very possible my friend hadn't seen the show.

[red red red]

58. Unbelievable!...

and 'they eat, and breathe, and multiply' :crazy:

[GreenPartyVoter]

63. !!

:rofl:

[ebbie15644]

64. You should tell them

You like a diversity of opinions and ask them to start watching Rachel Maddow! LOL

[GreenPartyVoter]

65. And TDS (In case they tune in just to Colbert)

[Buns_of_Fire]

67. While Jon Stewart is very, very good at what he is...

Stephen Colbert is also very, very good at what he isn't. And he's even picking up some of the under-fifteen-brain-cell crowd as a bonus!

[TuxedoKat]

170. Yes

I posted elsewhere in this thread about watching Stewart and Colbert with my 13 year old who totally gets both of them. I'm going to see how my 8 year old reacts to Colbert now. It will be curious to see how much she gets.

[white_wolf]

70. I just started watcing his speech for the white house corresponent dinner

and i have to ask. Is Bush really that stupid? I know he is an idiot but you think he would be able to tell his opponents from his friends. Also I am curious to know was Stewart there since he is as big as Colbert.

[Quantess]

77. And you know the idea to invite Colbert went past more than one person,

so that meant more than one WH staffer was confused.

[annabanana]

87. Considering that the WHCD is where his fame went beyond the

late night progressive crowd, It's possible that the wonks in DC had no idea what his schtick was.. just that he was young and a "hot ticket".

[Carni]

72. OMG is that stupid?!?!

But hey actually if you think about it he sounds just like FOX lol

[and-justice-for-all]

74. What a load of stupid!!! it is funny they fall for Colbert's sarcasm...

But no one said pukes were smart.

[Curmudgeoness]

75. OMG, are you telling me that Colbert is a parody show?

Well, damn, I guess I have to stop hating him now. :rofl:

[KansasVoter]

84. :-)

[JohnnyK]

131. Wait a sec, Curmudgeoness...

... your signature quote "Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant? I am halfway through my fish burger and I realize, I could be eating a slow learner" wasn't said by Lyndon Johnson, but by Lynda Montgomery.

[Curmudgeoness]

175. You just can't trust anything you find on the internet! Jeez,

I saw that quote on a website full of quotes and thought it was funny, and funnier still that it would have been said by Johnson, who I just didn't expect to have that sort of sense of humor. I will fix this now. Isn't as funny when it isn't LBJ though. Thanks.

[alfredo]

85. Andy Kaufmann is smiling.

[RagAss]

90. Amen. How many of these same idiots actually believed he was...

randomly picking women out of the NBC studio audience and wrestling them onstage in the early 1980's ?

That's when I first started to realize this country was f*cked !

[alfredo]

99. He pulled off one of the greatest practical jokes ever.

[AllyCat]

86. pffttppp!!! Oh that's great!

idiots are everywhere.

[Kalun D]

89. Repugs, there's only 2 types

the extra rich

and the extra stupid

the bush admin also thought Colbert was a righty, they let him headline the correspondents dinner and Colbert treated us to the best lambasting of a sitting president in history.

[BrklynLiberal]

91. Do not burst their bubble!!!!!!!!!

He may be able to subliminally restore their brain cells.

[Stevenmarc]

97. You need to re-invite them but print up some Brooklyn Bridge stock certificates first

[existentialist]

98. After all,

"Reality has a well known liberal bias."

[grantcart]

102. My sister in law's two favorite shows are O'Reilly and Colbert

When she told me that I just looked at her in stunned silence.


What can you say to a family member.

[rainy]

104. Show them the video of the correspondence dinner Steven did years ago and ripped

G.W. a new one. They will see the light.

[MrsBrady]

108. you sould show them this link...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/27/colbert-study-conservativ_n_191899.html


it will rock their world....

they might (oops) learn something :rofl:

[October]

110. Someone please forward this to Colbert!

It is remarkable.

Sophisticated satire goes right over their heads! Wow is right.

[MannyGoldstein]

111. Colbert Study: Conservatives Don't Know He's Joking

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/27/colbert-study-conservativ_n_191899.html

This study investigated biased message processing of political satire in The Colbert Report and the influence of political ideology on perceptions of Stephen Colbert. Results indicate that political ideology influences biased processing of ambiguous political messages and source in late-night comedy. Using data from an experiment (N = 332), we found that individual-level political ideology significantly predicted perceptions of Colbert's political ideology. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the groups in thinking Colbert was funny, but conservatives were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements. Conservatism also significantly predicted perceptions that Colbert disliked liberalism. Finally, a post hoc analysis revealed that perceptions of Colbert's political opinions fully mediated the relationship between political ideology and individual-level opinion.

[iris27]

116. So according to this study, conservatives think Colbert is playing some meta-game

where he pretends to be joking, but really believes the things he says? I guess none of them have ever seen an interview with the "not-in-character" Colbert.

Actually, IMHO, it's fairly easy to tell when his character's and his real beliefs briefly align...it's happened once or twice with some of the more outspoken atheist guests he's had...when he, as an actual practicing Catholic, thinks they've gone too far with something they've said. His response is quick and biting, and suddenly deadly serious, though the manic grin is back in a flash.

[TuxedoKat]

171. I'd like to see some of those episodes

do you remember any of the guests on those particular shows?

[Control-Z]

113. I'd heard rumors of the same,

around the time of the 2006 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, when Stephen Colbert just killed. Bush still doesn't know what hit him that night, or rather, that he was even hit.

I didn't believe it at first - that conservatives thought he was one of theirs, but I've become convinced that evidently they do. Dumbasses!!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

114. He has them fooled and I know OTHERS

they really don't get it.

[EC]

115. Should have asked them if they had ever seen him

on The Daly Show or asked why him and Stewart are such great friends...or ever seen him before?

[Marr]

117. Read the Authoritarians if you haven't already. The author talks about the

authoritarian follower mind, and how it can't seem to process certain things, like satire and hypocrisy. It's practically a mental defect.

I've heard of several other Republicans who just couldn't grasp the fact that Colbert's show is satire. It's almost sad.

[Althaia]

135. link to free online version of The Authoritarians

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

One of my nephews thinks Colbert is for real. One of my nieces went to see his show as part of the studio audience, and she said that before each taping, he explains to the audience that the show is satire and he's playing a character.

[mwb970]

146. Now that's interesting!

I had never put together the well-known inability of conservatives to recognize satirical humor and their evident blindness to the overwhelming hypocrisy of their republican leaders and media icons. But now I see. It's the same thing!

Conservatives always focus on surfaces only and completely miss the depth and inner reality of things in general. (Worship the flag, trash the nation.) And these are the people driving the political debate!

:eyes:

[colsohlibgal]

118. Box of Rocks

There are a surprising number of righties who actually think he is one of them, proof once and for all that wing nuts suffer from irony deficiency, mostly because they tend not to be the brightest light bulbs in the world.

[sakabatou]

119. Wow.

[blondeatlast]

122. I suppose I shouldn't pity him--but I'm human, and I'd rather mock

and point and giggle.

After the hell Bush/Reagan/Bush put us through (not to mention Newt and DeLay) I feel more than entitled to do so.

[markpkessinger]

123. Irony is beyond them

In my experience, any humor more sophisticated than slap-stick goes right over conservative heads. Irony? Forget it!

[iris27]

124. Best comment on the HuffPo post about the same topic:

"Oh, God. I just read 'A Modest Proposal.' Are you trying to tell me that I shouldn't have eaten that Irish baby?"

[defendandprotect]

126. You know, honestly, I don't watch much of it because it always

seems to be too much right wing!!

Can't help it!!

Guess I'm just not familiar enough with O'Reilly type things?

Loved Colbert's admonition of press at that WH press dinner a few years ago!!

And, also loved his Daily Show Routine re religion ... what was it called . . . ???

"God talk"? "God around the world" . . . ???

Can't remember -- but loved it!

[northoftheborder]

154. It was "This Week in God".

I'm shocked at this thread showing that multitudes of people out there think Colbert is really a conservative!!!!! I could believe a few without humor cells believing his act, but that many is sad to contemplate. What do those people think when he sometimes cracks in laughing spasms at his own outlandishness???? He is just brilliant, a genius. It's fun to watch his guests; even though they (surely, mostly) know he is an act, he is so good, that at the time they get caught up in it and respond negatively in their facial expressions!

As I recall, at that Whitehouse Cor. dinner, Colbert was mostly making fun of the Media; they got it, and did not like it, and did not laugh much. I don't know what the President thought - his dimness is too painful to try to remember.

[defendandprotect]

174. Well, I'm shocked at myself . . .

I just got really irritated at his presentations of stuff --

presenting rw talking points -- and before he can get to any laughing at

it -- I'm gone!

I can't stand it --

I really, really miss "This week in God!" -- that was great!

And I miss the old Colbert !!

[Q3JR4]

134. My most republican friend once fawned over Colbert.

I never told him what he was buying into, because I didn't actually believe that anybody would take the Report seriously.

I was totally wrong with that one.

Q3JR4.

[Capitalocracy]

136. There's a South Park episode about this

where Stan attempts to demonstrate how John Edward fools everyone and only manages to convince people he has psychic powers.

[peekaloo]

137. Because you are a Dem and not Dim.

:hi:

[mwb970]

139. They're all like that.

Today's conservatives are the dimmest bulbs that have ever conspired to bring America down. I have heard numerous dull-witted right-wingers praise Colbert as being "one of them", which is evidently an accepted truth in the primate cage, or wherever these people hang out.

Simple-minded fools with the brains of toddlers will never be able to "get" (or even recognize) satire, humor, nuance, or subtlety. (Ever tell a 2-year-old a joke?) They also don't do self-awareness or insight, nor do they respond in any way to reality in the form of facts, evidence, logic, or history. They also lack all empathy for others.

Conservatives are missing big parts of what makes us human. What's left?

[the other one]

140. Colbert is NOT liberal or conservative

He is an equal opportunity mocker.

It seems a lot of liberals don't get it either.

[KansasVoter]

158. 80% of the time he slams the GOP!

[TexasProgresive]

145. I knew bigots that loved "All in the Family"

The so identified with Archie Bunker that they never realized what the show was about. Stupid is as stupid does.

Robert Heinlein wrote: You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their emotions quicker than you can convince one man by logic. It doesn't have to be a prejudice about an important matter either. Zebadiah Jones from If This Goes On AKA Revolt in 2100

[mwb970]

148. Even if you tell them they're wrong, they just dig in.

Check out this post on "Belief and the ‘Backfire phenomena’":

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x256387

[spicegal]

149. You've got to be kidding. Unbelievable.

How could anyone make that mistake. He's on Comedy Central for crying out loud, and was previous on The Daily Show. There's no accounting for ignorance.

[DeeDeeNY]

152. If Republicans had enough original thinking power to realize

it's satire, in all likelihood they'd also have enough critical thinking skills to realize they're being sold a bunch of lies and hype by their Republican idols. But considering that a whole segment of the Rush followers call themselves "ditto heads" that really says it all about how much they can think on their own.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/341481/july-28-2010/the-word---ownership-society

[GrantDem]

153. Yes…

I remember reading a poll that indicated that a large repubs believe Colbert is an actual conservative. I can't remember the exact numbers but it was well over 50%.

[Sparkly]

156. Why do they think the audience laughs??

:wow:

[KansasVoter]

181. I asked them. And showed them a Youtube video that was obvious parody!

[dubyadiprecession]

157. Republicans don't like intellectuals

cause you know....smart people think too much.

[greiner3]

159. Soon after the Colbert Report began broadcasting;

There were quite a number of posts on freeper world. They were all positive to the show. They too admired and praised Steven. When it was pointed out on the MSM that it was all satire there was nary a word again about this phenomenon.

[Enthusiast]

160. Yup.

They simply don't get it. Republicans/right wingers were the same way with Archie Bunker. Pretend reality is not funny. This is why all the comedy greats are of the liberal bent.

[The Wizard]

162. The are oblivious to satire and irony

Remember when Pox News tried to compete with the Daily Show with their own version of political humor. The show lasted a week.
They just don't get it, never will.
The time will come when they're relegated to bottom of the barrel jobs and wonder how they got there.
Facts are Kryptonite to Republicans.

[truth2power]

166. Understanding satire would fall into the category of a higher order thinking skill.....

The same people who can't figure out that their candidates are just bloviating and not answering substantive questions put to them aren't going to understand satire, either. :eyes:

[TuxedoKat]

169. This is amazing

and scary. Just shows you some people don't or won't think too deeply and just take things at face value. It's no wonder they are the way they are. My 13 year old daughter started watching Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert with me last year and totally gets it. We watch alot of MSNBC, and in the car satellite radio is on the liberal station so she is familiar with political issues. I'll have my 8 year old watch a few episodes of Colbert to see how much she gets. A few days ago I introduced her to Mad Magazine and showed her a section on racial profiling. After I explained what it was, she got the jokes.

[Name removed]

173. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KansasVoter]

180. Wow, calling me a liar! Alerted!

[Cleita]

177. Remember when they invited him to speak at the

correspondent's dinner thinking he was a Republican and then he poked fun at President Bush while he and Laura were sitting there? You'd think they would have gotten it then. From the look on Laura's face, she got it.

:rofl: