I don’t like Steven Colbert’s show as much as I like The Daily Show. I don’t think the shows all that funny. I do like Steve Cobert though. He was hilarious when he was on The Daily Show and in Strangers With Candy.
I think one major thing that is crucial to finding Stephen Colbert funny or not is how much you watch (or suffer…) the people he makes fun of, Bill “Papa Bear” O’Reilly in particular. If Colbert seems to be “whoring” himself at times, by constantly mentioning all the various parts of society that he apparently influences, it is precisely because O’Reilly does this on a regular basis. “I go from the gut, not the head” is also an O’Reilly-inspired schtick, I believe
The whole deal with the Hungarian bridge was probably the hardest I’ve ever laughed at the show, because not only was it a supreme case of “Stephen Colbert” (the character) ego-stroking, but because of the hyperbolic absurdity of the entire thing, there having been an online poll to select the name for the bridge and the second place vote-getter was the ubiquitous Chuck Norris (really…I went to the site, and although I don’t know Hungarian, “Stephen Colbert” and “Chuck Norris” were definitely there). Other segments that poke fun at the news establishment in general (Threat-Down, for example) are also great if you know where they’re coming from. I will admit that sometimes the humor just plain falls flat, but when Colbert gets it right, it’s some of the funniest commentary on TV.
**Welcome to the Dope ** and that is an excellent point you make. Some (much) of the Colbert Report’s humor is tied to parody of right wing talking heads. As someone who does not watch right wing or left wing talking heads, the parodies quite often do not work for me. TDS usually shows you what they are mocking.
In Steven’s favor, his parodies of stuff I do not know, beats the hell out of the lame skits SNL will put together on obscure TV shows.
Jim
Thanks for the welcome, it’s good to be here! 
That’s another good point about the differences between the Colbert Report and The Daily Show: while The Daily Show bases a good portion of its humor on the actual news-makers, The Colbert Report seems to me more like a broad spoof on the news establishment in general, especially with regards to pundits as opposed to straight news shows. The Daily Show is relatively easy to find humor in as long as you find the news itself to be joke-worthy (and this is usually not too hard). With pundits the absurdity goes beyond whatever is happening in the news and mingles with the persona and ego of the person giving the commentary, and that’s what Colbert is harnessing. One of the funniest things is that Colbert is constantly praising his “base” and calling on them to take action in sake of his “causes”, which several pundits have been known to do. It’s a somewhat elaborate way of getting everyone involved with the joke.
Yeah, but much more so if they’re a dick about it. Telling someone that the fact that they don’t like Linklater’s movies is irrefutable proof of their idiocy, downright rude for sure, but trying to explain the appeal of something to somebody you think it ought to appeal to, maybe still slightly rude, but forgivably so, like “how can you not like Linklater? Slacker reads like he wrote it for you personally!!” In fact, if it had been anybody else, I would have glanced over the thread and not responded or even thought a thing about it, but because I know Dinsdale to be a smart and funny guy with a “well developed sense of humor” and being that he’s one of my favorite posters to shoot the shit with, I of course found it surprising that he didn’t display the exquisite good taste to like the exact same things that I do. 
No, seriously, I can kind of see why somebody wouldn’t like him because he makes his character intentionally unlikable, but If you can get past that and see through the act, he’s hilarious. I guess part of what makes it work for me is that he’s so unlike the character. From all reports his people all love him to death and think he’s the greatest boss in the world, so the bits about him cluelessly mistreating his staff are funny. It’s not just a guy playing an asshole, it’s a nice guy playing an asshole.
I do. I also can’t think of a better example of the pot calling the kettle black. Not you, specifically, What Exit, but to the contrary, do you realize that something of a double standard exists to that extent with certain tersely-opinionated posters here whose kneejerk opinions are more than a little disrespectful? To their credit, they’re certainly free to espouse whatever opinion they like, but if someone wants to state their opinion and not support it beyond a “I don’t like/understand/agree with/approve of X” then don’t be surprised when someone like me comes by and makes a well-supported “decree” about my own opinion. That is what this is all about, isn’t it? Opinions? The interesting and unique thing about this board is that many of us can disagree in one thread and yet be best friends in another. It’s the people who hold a grudge or thread-stalk other users, or just put things down for the sake of doing so, that deserve to be called out.
I’m sure Stephen is just as sorry as I am to be stepping all over people’s toes, but neither of us is going to walk on eggshells just because some people don’t like what we have to say. I’ll never profess to be as witty as Colbert (although I am just as charming), but when you make a profound statement like he does, you’re going to offend someone without a sense of humor. It’s a good way of separating the wheat from the chaff. I love both of these shows, not just one, and a big part of my point was that it takes an open sense of humor to admire Stephen Colbert, while the kind of person who only watches TDS and not TCR tends to be more snarky and critical of others, much like the nature of TDS. There are some who openly admit to not watching TCR because they don’t watch the shows which served to inspire it, which is symptomatic of people who don’t like and put down certain things: they refuse to even assess them on their own merits due to an unfair surrogate prejudice. A generalization, for sure, but I also find that the sort of person who likes Colbert doesn’t have tend to be the type to go around putting down stuff they don’t like because they tend to see multiple sides of an issue and are more accepting of others. Colbert instinctively knows that it’s infinitely more effective to understand and even become your opponent if you wish to successfully confront them, and yet his detractors (few they may be) still criticize him for it because he’s playing a pompous character. I can only sigh and shrug my shoulders at that kind of stunted logic, but if that’s what someone wants to say about Colbert, then that’s what I’ll say about them. They have stunted logic. And as for Colbert being one big strawman argument? Please, this whole board is one big strawman argument most of the time, and that’s a big part of what makes it interesting.
A lot of what this boils down to is someone putting down people or things they don’t like, talking shit just for the sake of it. In this case, they’re putting down something very unique and incredibly successful. When Colbert first started out, even I wasn’t sure if the show would be successful, but it found its feet quickly and only a year later he’s nearly eclipsed TDS in terms of cult popularity, and it’s not a small cult either. So when someone comes along saying that that they don’t like Colbert essentially on the basis that they can’t get past the way he looks at them or the way he speaks to them through a television set, it strikes me as insulting because it’s not at all constructive, it’s just negativity for negativity’s sake. I commented recently in a thread about why people feel obligated to put down things they don’t like, in which I related a story about how I turned negative statements around onto the person who was making them. Basically, I’m just returning the favor to keep things fair, so I apologize to all the people I offended with my broad no-sense-of-humor paintbrush.
Sorry for the mild hijack … I had to cover two topics. 
The tone this thread has taken reminds me of A Confederacy of Dunces. I know that book is very popular - considered a masterpiece by many. But I don’t care for it at all. I read it once, and didn’t care for it. Tried to read it again a year or so, and put it down maybe 100 pages in. Just had no interest in what happened next to a character I’d just as soon have run over by a bus sooner rather than later. (BIG walker Percy fan, tho!)
I just add that to let everyone truly appreciate my stunted ability to appreciate quality humor in all of its forms.
anam - Your latest post seems to suggest that I directed my opinions towards SC the person, rather than this particular show.
I apologize if the thread title caused you tho think that, but I have no awareness or opinion of SC outside of TCR. Our household only got cable a few months ago. I think I found his adopted persona amusing the first time I saw it, and I could well imagine appreciating it as a recurring skit in a variety show, or maybe even as a weekly series. But a half hour every night is WAY more than I personally care for.
“Negativity for negativity’s sake?” Perhaps, but I’m not sure. In my mind, it is more of an attempt to discover why I personally fail to appreciate/enjoy something that is so tremendously popular - especially among folks whose political beliefs are similar to mine. As well as a desire to find folk who feel similarly on this one issue so as not to feel quite so alone and “out of it.”
I’m also a little confused at your description of my comments as “insulting.” Insulting to whom? SC or anamnesis?
(BTW - that was really sweet, pravnik. Same back atcha!)
I should clarify the absurdity of the whole thing, as Stephen Colbert made it seem that the bridge would be named after the winner of the online poll, which was never the case. The winners (I think it was the top five names or something) of the online poll would be considered along with the suggestions of various civic leaders, politicians, etc., in the naming by parliament (or whoever it is that names bridges in Hungary–I forget at the moment).
So it has never been the case that “winner of online poll” = “name of Hungarian bridge.” It was essentially a fairly meaningless poll.
I thought it was safe to address you in this thread, where we agree that SC is funny. I appreciate everything you posted and have one more exception to continue the hijack.
Most of the strong opinions outside the pit are directed at non-posters. I have seen you in other threads where I also agree with you and I know you do not do this constantly. However, in two recent threads including this one, your comments painted all posters and all people that disagreed with your evaluation as lacking in intelligence. This is the only reason I brought it up. Others do it, but that is little reason for you to continue to do it.
I fully understand why some do not like the Colbert report and I understand why some find it more humorous than I do. The disagreement on these subjects is not a lack of intelligence or humor on the part of others.
We have had threads on the Marx Brothers where people chime in to explain that they do not find them funny. While I have a hard time understanding this opinion, I do not assume and I especially do not post that there is something wrong with them. (Even if I think there might be ;))
Jim
That might be part of it right there; a lot of people who enjoy the show followed him over from the Daily Show.
You might find Colbert funnier if you you’d seen him progress from his original role on the Daily Show. The whole grating right-wing pundit thing was created for the Colbert Report, his Daily Show act was different. On the Daily Show he was primarily a politically neutral in-the-field reporter with a superhuman gift for saying the most absurd things imaginable with a completely deadpan delivery. Back then, most of the people being interviewed for the show had no idea that it was a comedy show and were completely baffled by the surreally ludicrous questions this serious-looking professional was asking them.
He also had a great back and forth rapport with Stewart. One example that sticks in my mind was when he was reporting to Jon about how the North Koreans had moved from the medium range Nodong missile to the long range Taepo Dongs. He went on very matter of factly about how the North Koreans could once be said to have Nodongs, but now had the Taepo Dongs that could kill thousands.
“Stephen, are these the missles that the North Koreans were testing a short while ago?”
“No, John, these aren’t those Taepo Dongs.”
Occassionally, very, very rarely, he would have to break character because what he was saying was so absurdly funny he just cracked up. He did this in the Taepo Dong bit and another one about Prince Charles wishing he was Camilla Parker-Bowles’ tampon, when he lost it so hard he could barely finish the skit. Having seen all that and his progression to his current exalted position makes me enjoy the show a lot more.
Aw, shucks.
Tsk tsk tsk. Surely you should know you should never let the “facts” (poll not definitive) get in the way of the Truthiness of the situation (“Stephen was robbed!”) 
Um. Yeah, because we can really be “constructive” about this. What, is the staff of the show reading these threads and tweaking their show based on the discussion? The thread is ABOUT DISLIKING THE COLBERT REPORT. Saying you don’t like him is just participating in a discussion. I don’t care for the show because his delivery is more irritating than funny to me. It isn’t because I “don’t get the joke” it’s just that I don’t like his delivery. One of the main components of a comedian’s style is his delivery, and so most people form their opinions about whether or not they like a comedian based on his content and his delivery.
And I don’t watch people like O’Reilly because why the hell should I? I find him irritating–why should I subject myself to TELEVISION I find irritating? Maybe if you’re bedridden and have nothing better to do, but there aren’t enough hours in the day to live my life, watch the tv shows I like, and then ALSO watch shows that annoy the crap out of me. :dubious: Which is basically the reason I don’t watch the Colbert Report. I have seen bits here and there that I’ve thought were funny in small doses, but overall the irritating-to-funny ratio tips in favor of finding something better to do with that 30 minutes of my time.
Here is another example: I don’t like the “preacher character”. As a sketch on Kids in the Hall once pointed out, “every comedian has one”. It’s an impression of an over the top southern preacher. And I can’t stand it. Doesn’t matter if the person is funny as hell and the actual jokes they’re saying are hilarious–that “preacher cadence” is like nails on a chalkboard to me, and whether it’s real or a parody doesn’t much change how annoying I find it. And yes, I admit it’s probably partially because I have “church issues” but that’s neither here nor there.
Which is mainly why I am lurking but staying out. It seems my fellow fans are a bit too eager to tell everyone else that they are wrong for not appreciatting him. Here is what i don’t like.
It is difficult to watch Stephen Colbert knowing how his over all comedic abilities (and I know them from TDS) are being suppressed by his having to stick in character 100% of the time. I wonder how long he can keep this shtick up without driving himself crazy. I wonder how long he can keep his show new and innovative (It is to those of us that like him.) At some point people will have to get bored with this, so I think the show in this form is doomed to failure.
I will not reply to this with reasons I like the show because that is not what this thread is about.
I, like many other of the posters, have come to prefer Colbert to TDS and their ever revolving line-up of correspondents.
I don’t watch most of the correspondents segments on TDS–the current and recent ones just kinda suck. I still heart Jon though.
I logged in just to say I love TCR and Stephen’s character. Love everything about them. I hope you naysayers learn the error of your ways.
Just want to join the anti-Colbert grouping… Loved him on TDS, totally dislike him on his own show… and I’ve even seen O’Reilly and know what Colbert is parodying…
Gotta agree with OpalCat - there are too many more important things to do in life than forcing myself to watch TCR… I haven’t even finished reading Ulysses yet, and that’s been on my to-do list since about 1980!
Colbert doesn’t have a hope in hell with me…