"The Colbert Report": Week of 9/22/14

[trow125]

9/22/14 TWEEDY - Album, “Sukierae”
9/23/14 NAOMI KLEIN - Author, “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate”
9/24/14 BILL COSBY
9/25/14 WALTER MISCHEL - Co-author, “The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control”

 

I like the fact that the press release doesn't give an ID for Bill Cosby. It could just say, "BILL COSBY - it's f@#%ing Bill Cosby."

[Victor the Crab]

I like the fact that the press release doesn't give an ID for Bill Cosby. It could just say, "BILL COSBY - it's f@#%ing Bill Cosby."

 

Bill Cosby dissaproves of your swearing! >:(

 

(Couldn't help but think of Cosby's appearance on TDS and how dissapointed he was with Jon and all the swearing on the show)

[Fremde Frau]

But Jon wasn't swearing; he was speaking Yiddish! >_>

[attica]

I bet "Stephen" does not pass the Marshmallow Test.

 

Yay, Tweedy!

[Brandi Maxxxx]

I like the fact that the press release doesn't give an ID for Bill Cosby. It could just say, "BILL COSBY - it's f@#%ing Bill Cosby."

I would have gone for "Bill Cosby - Star of Ghost Dad."

[ABay]

My choice would be Bill Cosby--hilarious. In the 1960s.

[Sharpie66]

I saw Cosby in concert a few years ago, and he intermittently cringingly curmudgeon and LMFAO hilarious. He did a 20 minute completely improved bit just by chatting with the theater volunteer who brought him some water on stage that had me nearly in tears it was so funny.

It will be interesting to see which Cosby shows up.

Edited September 18, 2014 by Sharpie66

[Victor the Crab]

Four words: Bill Cosby, PUDDIN' POPS!

[Victor the Crab]

And when we look up the word "dick" in the dictionary, we will see Charles Krauthammer's undead picture next to it. It's amazing he can make a diagnosis of Obama with his head up his ass.

[attica]

This is a safe place, I think, so I think I'll tell my Jeff Tweedy story:  Back at the dawn of the millennium, an organization with which I am involved had an afternoon event in a fancy space in a major American city. The event was to celebrate the previous century's contribution to Poetry, or you know, a bunch of people reading poems to maybe a hundred Thurston-and-Lovey types.  Most of the readers were also Thurston-and-Lovey types. Amongst the selections were some song lyrics, so there was one lady singer who performed some Gershwin and Porter tunes, and then this tousled dude with an acoustic guitar took his place at the mic. He looked around at the blue-hairs and wondered good-naturedly what on earth a guy like him was doing there, but answered his own question with some Guthrie and Seeger stuff. Completely unassuming, completely willing to play a wee bit of commie folk music for a decidedly capitalist-pig crowd. For free. No diva, no rock star 'tude.

 

Jeff Tweedy is A Good Egg in my book.

 

And it looks like his son is good eggy, too.

[eejm]

The two background singers with Tweedy last night were part of the band Lucius.  They're great - even Paul Krugman is a fan.

[Victor the Crab]

The Russkies can have Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer. I've had that piss in a can before, and it really does taste like the washoff of a clydesdale, as Stephen proved at the end. Maybe they can make it taste better.

[annabel]

Bill Cosby was in town a couple of years ago and did an hour long interview on a local NPR morning show. It was so rambling and disjointed it was painful to listen to. Hope he's in better shape with Stephen.

Edited September 24, 2014 by annabel

[peeayebee]

I have a feeling Cosby won't come across too well. Maybe they'll just talk about the 30-yr anniversary of The Cosby Show.

[attica]

I'm too afraid to jump down an internet wormhole, so I'll ask here: is there actually controversy about Han shooting first? Isn't that accepted canon?

[peeayebee]

George Lucas changed that scene when he rereleased the first movies, so Han does not shoot first.

[attica]

Oh. I never saw the re-releases. That makes sense. Thanks, pee!

[Fremde Frau]

Nooooo. Han shot first, George. Deal with it. No do-overs. /old rage (not directed at peeayebee or attica)

 

Is it just me, or did Huffman seem a little starstruck by Colbert? Anyway, he lost that interview, but I felt for him on the religion question. It's hard not to think of the studies conducted on how atheists have less chance than anyone else of holding office. (In other news, nobody understands or respects agnosticism. Rinse, repeat.)

 

We most definitely if unintentionally kill bees for honey.

Edited September 25, 2014 by Fremde Frau

[Victor the Crab]

I'm going to miss the Atone Phone.

 

Only Fox News would find something they consider wrong about Obama and drive it into the ground.

 

Didn't think I'd enjoy that double segment with Bill Cosby. But it was rather enjoyable.

[2KllMckngBrd]

See I had the exact opposite reaction to The Cos. I thought why is his fam still letting him out there like that. He's lost a hell of a lot more than a few steps, and it makes me uncomfortable to watch. That opening joke he kept trying to set up about Betsy Ross put a knot in my stomach and I had to turn the channel. I think you have to know when it's time to hang it up. And I think he's past that time. His fam needs to take the "keys", and let him know that his "legacy" (as Ed Koch was so worried about) is safe.

 

Whether you liked Joan Rivers or not you could see that she still had it and was w/it. I don't wanna see one of my fav actors/comic stumble on live tv. I loved re-runs of I Spy (think his name was Scotty, or that could have been Robert Culp) growing up. And of course he'll always be sweater loving Heathcliff Huxtable. His stand-up specials still get quoted by me. But it's time for him to exit the stage.

[peeayebee]

The interview wasn't the trainwreck I was anticipating, but that's because Stephen knew how to make Cosby look as good as possible. I agree that Cosby should retire. I feel bad for him as he tries to make jokes. However, I did enjoy his talking about Morgan Freeman waiting for him, Belafonte, or Poitier to die so he could play them in a movie. That was pretty funny.

[Fremde Frau]

He was pretty awkward last year on TDS, too. It makes me sad to see him, but if he still feels rewarded going out there, I guess nobody can or should stop him.

 

Stephen did a graceful job.

[Juneau Gal]

Cosby has been cringeworthy for years now. It makes me very sad to see as one of my very first memories is of hearing my parents playing one of his old comedy albums (Chickenheart!).

I do not think he will ever exit stage of his own accord. This is a man who appeared on TV very, very, very soon after the murder of his son. He is a creature of TV and needs it. There is something deeply sad and uncomfortable to watch about that.

[CattyTiger]

Uh-oh, Stephen, better watch out for Bitsy's wrath.  Maybe I'll check to see if Elisabeth is going to start a feud with him now.  That'd be fun - haha.

 

Wow, Stephen had to work with the Cosby interview.  It's like I could see his mind working to make the Cos look good.  The Morgan Freeman bit was the only time Stephen might have relaxed. 

[ABay]

"Chickenheart" was brilliant. I Spy was both fun and groundbreaking. After that, meh.

[attica]

See, I think Stephen was working too hard with the interview and it might've benefitted from some chillin'.  I got that BC's reference to Betsy Ross was the beginning of an answer to the question/jape about the crest on his jacket, but Stephen took it to left field, and then BC took it, um, lefter.  I think they kept talking past each other.

 

Cosby is problematic for me for reasons that have nothing to do with his declining abilities, but I don't think that was the ish here.

[futurechemist]

I've never really seen Cosby's standup, so I thought the way he's portrayed by shows like Family Guy / Simpsons / South Park was a horrible caricature.  Except it was accurate.  I kept wondering if he'd had some ... snacks ... before the interview because there really wasn't much of a narrative for the interview.  Parts of it were funny, parts of it weren't funny, but I could see the kernel of a good joke in there, and parts of it were just awkward to watch.

 

I liked the return of the Atone Phone and the many "Oops Jew" anagrams.  That was really Terry Gross wasn't it?

[Victor the Crab]

I'd take Stephen's idea and turn it into a comedic action movie. I'd take Bill's idea and laugh at him for thinking it would be applicable in real life.

 

At least it was heartening to know the Fox News ladies thought the Cocks on Fox - Bolling and Gutfeld - were disgusting and offensive about the woman fighter pilot.

[peeayebee]

"Cocks on Fox" is perfect.

 

Was that really Stephen's childhood notebook?

[attica]

Were ninjas a thing in Stephen's schooldays? I think not.

 

I would just like to say I Called It regarding Stephen's taking and failing the Marshmallow Test. Not that this was a yoooge leap in intuition, but I wouldn't be a Colbert National if I didn't gloat.

[Juneau Gal]

I'm Colbert's age and yeah, ninjas would have been a thing when he was in school. Remember, we would have had Kung Fu fighting, the show Kung Fu, Bruce Lee movies, etc., lots of ninja allusions in our childhood. For a self professed comic book, sci fi, action figure geek like Colbert, ninjas probably were in his world.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Juneau Gal

[bluepiano]

Stephen is going out (sigh) on a high. The piece on his grade school notebook was hysterical. A great F.U. to Bill O'Reilly, who like every other Fox blowhard loves to pontificate about war and the military when they don't have the slightest iota of real knowledge on the subject. (Having all successfully ducked military service, like the super patriots they are).

 

When I was a kid I knew every line on Bill Cosby's "Why is There Air" album by heart. Pure comedy gold. But when I soured on him is when he become corporate America's number one pitchman for sale. The Simpsons did a great take-off on that, when they had him pontificating "life is like a Jello pudding pop, no it's like Kodak film...etc."

Edited September 27, 2014 by bluepiano

[ALenore]

In the interview with the author of The Marshmallow Test, I loved how Stephen slipped in a reference to "S'mores Law" (takeoff on "Moore's Law").  I wonder if he wrote that joke ahead of time or made it up on the spot.