Stephen Colbert's last show tonight from Iraq, and The Thunderbirds (planes)! That was

[babylonsister]

so funny! Poor baby. I really think it was real.

And going after KBR! Nice night to shine.

[Historic NY]

1. Them T-birds made him puke they always do.

[Gregorian]

2. I am totally not impressed with his week in Baghdad.

And that last joke about the wiring under his desk that was built by KBR was in such bad taste that even I was repulsed.

I know he has a tough audience. But he lost some respect from this viewer.

I'm not as willing to be as inclusive. I would have never given Bush or Palin a presence either.

Oh well...I am one of the more leftist viewer I suppose. Sorry if I don't completely find his week to be a positive experience.

[babylonsister]

5. I thought bringing up KBR was brilliant. No one else is, and they've

electrocuted a lot of soldiers, I'm thinking around 18. Someone needs to bring it up. Think about it: KBR electrocuted them because of the cheap help they hired and the nonexistent oversight.

Who should pay? The assholes who hired them or KBR for not being monitored or even fined for the many horrors they've been involved in? Women being raped? That was hushed up right quick.

[Gregorian]

8. You know, I suppose there is no good way to bring it up, and be humorous about it.

Honestly, I thought Stephen did a miraculous job. And partly because of his willingness and ability to pay tribute to Bob Hope in a subtle way. But even that got me a bit upset. I hated Bob Hope. Even as a child I knew what a Republican was. That doesn't detract from what Hope did. And that's my problem. I am a perfectionist. I cannot stand compromise. It's what makes Colbert as well as Obama so powerful.

But it was thinking about those who had been electrocuted, as the audience laughed over that KBR joke, that I found so repulsive. You bring up a good point. It's not trivial. This may be comedy, but in a time so dark that we have lost sight of justice and media integrity, it may be all we've got.

Stephen really let down this week. I felt that he was not playing a role as much as if he had been in studio. That bothered me. As though he were swaying to the right in real life. I fear that I'm not very bipartisan. Perhaps being so left, as good as it is, isn't something to aspire to in the real world. You and I both wanted the perfection of Kucinich. We hold important social valuables close to our hearts. It hurts to see them diminished. Maybe bipartisanship and compromise doesn't actually diminish anything. I fear that it does.

[MADem]

12. I agree with you completely.

And the fact of the matter is, when you're living and working in a place where an unanticipated RPG or an IED can ruin your fucking day, and you might find yourself outside the Pearly Gates with no notice, the humor does get a bit dark. It's how you push those concerns away.

It was a great joke--dark, but great. It sure let people in that audience know that the KBR wiring issue IS something that we're aware of back home.

[NYC_SKP]

7. The Troops were Impressed. That is all that really matters.

Colbert with troops, filmed by a SgtStryker52:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stK15VP9CxE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StcZ8RA-T80

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLR6Rvnrcp8

http://www.sgtstryker.com/

:patriot:

[Gregorian]

10. That's a really good point.

One that flashed upon me several times. It was about them. And they have sacrificed a hell of a lot, regardless of whether one believes in the mission or not.

Thanks for the reminder. Now I'm a bit shy that I lost sight of that. Colbert is way ahead of my consciousness. But that's why we love him.

[NYC_SKP]

13. Did you watch any of the youtubes?

I know that Comedy Central was probably focused on ratings and dollars, but it was really heart warming to see Colbert with the troops.

:toast:

And, he declared us the winners of the war!!! :P

[Gregorian]

15. Yes. It's obvious the troops are representative of our entire society.

Those were true Colbert lovers.

But that statement about winning the war was exactly one of the things that infuriated me most about his week. What total bs. First, we didn't win anything. And it wasn't a war. It was an attack. And a war crime. There was absolutely nothing funny about that at all. And if you disagree with me, I'll explain where I'm coming from. I see this through the context of a grieving Iraqi mother. Of an Iraqi child whose parents are dead. Not through red white and blue. I see the truth. And it isn't a laugh, under any circumstance. That statement was just plain offensive.

[babylonsister]

17. Do you know what Colbert's usual schtick is? He

lets everyone know how conservative he is, has convinced them, but he's not.

I think you took this whole thing too literally.

And I'm sorry for your sorrow, but why have you been so quiet about your trials? I've agreed with you many times, but you just threw me for a loop.

[Gregorian]

22. I do know his routine. It went beyond decent, I thought.

Interesting how much I enjoy him. And how much I end up defending him to my parents. Yes, they're 85 and devout lovers of Jon and Stephen. But my dad gets like I've just gotten here. And I have to explain.

The difference between his show and the troops was I didn't believe what he was saying was any kind of shtick. He was being honest with them. At least that's my take on it.

I feel funny putting so much time into a thread like this. It was light and simple, and I made it difficult. Oh well. :)

[NYC_SKP]

18. I don't think those facts escape many of the troops.

We must disagree on the "winning" comment.

I think of it as difusing the tension of the fakeness of it all, a slap in the face, not an empty patriotic rally cry.

On the show he satirized the fact that war was never declared, so that there is no war to win, his schtick is always about bashing the fakeness of this whole mess, and I think calling it a win was consistent with that.

[Gregorian]

23. OK, I think I missed the value of his irony.

Thanks. I know this was supposed to be a light thread. And I appreciate your sticking with me. I didn't sense irony in his voice. It could have been a number of things. But you're right, he does make statements on his studio show that make it clear where he stands.

He's no idiot. I thought perhaps he was. Fool me once.... :)

[NYC_SKP]

24. His RW personna is pretty convincing to the unaware. And I winced at a couple of the things he did.

I do not think it was a good idea on the last show to try to get the head NCO to order the crowd to "do the hokey pokey"...

Compared to Jon Stewart, Colbert is more consistent in his editorial stance-- he is a make believe Bill-O, always playing the part, so everything he does is satire against the right.

Thanks for hanging in there! :toast:

[Gregorian]

14. Oops wrong post

[elleng]

20. Its SO GOOD to hear the troops laughing!

:thumbsup:

[MADem]

9. I think you have to play to your audience. His audience is servicemembers from both parties.

Obama and Biden didn't have any trouble participating, nor did McCain or Palin. It's not about prosecuting a political agenda, it's about providing a morale-boosting load of humor for the troops on duty in Baghdad. To try to politicize that sort of venue and push a partisan agenda on military personnel, who do a good job of keeping their heads down in a political sense (despite a few high profile assholes who never got the memo) is just misguided.

I take my hat off to Colbert--he played it just right--not too over the top, and always for laughs.

[Gregorian]

11. You nailed it. Just like the above post.

As a member of this forum, I want to see fireworks. So many years of crime and injustice. But you are absolutely right about the venue. I knew that. But I lost sight of it. The word I have trouble with is compromise. That was not the New York city studio audience.

[Duer 157099]

3. I've been enjoying his week in Iraq

His boot camp segments were hysterical.

[Gregorian]

4. It was enjoyable.

I regret posting my somewhat critical thoughts above. I think he must have felt obliged to refrain from being as divisive as I would have liked. After all, the audience is comprised of both parties.

[ellie]

21. I am still laughing

over the boot camp segments. Especially when his iPhone was attached to his helmet.

[NC_Nurse]

6. He rocked! Totally. I'm so glad he did this for the troops and didn't back away

from issues like DADT. His satire points out the ridiculous without the anger that would turn off many.

I think he did a great job.

[fujiyama]

16. That was really something

Colbert is a riot. I can't believe they got Bush to do that clip. That flight was INSANE. I would love to fly in something like that. BTW what was he eating beforehand? Whatever it was, it probably was not a good idea before the flight.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

19. No one can say

Stephen Colbert hates the troops. Loved his camouflage suit and the golf club. Gotta give him props for going to Iraq - he's got a big family of his own.:patriot:

[rvablue]

25. Of course it was real! I'd love to see some of these chickenhawks go up

with the Thunderbirds, like Crybaby Beck, the Manatee or the Pigboy.

But that'll never happen. Cowards to the core!

Colbert rocks!!!