All Blog Posts from Public Eye

When life gives you lemon, you make lemonade.

And when a writer’s strike shuts down TV, media types try to douse reality with sugar water and look at the bright side, too.

How else to explain two recent pieces about hoiw MediaLand residents are making do without current episodes of “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report?”

According to Slate:

A Grey's Anatomy rerun is a bummer only if you've already seen that episode, a Daily Show rerun is the television equivalent of a day-old newspaper. It's birdcage liner.

A five-year-old episode of The Daily Show, on the other hand, is pure gold.

And a piece in this week’s Boston Phoenix tries to suggest that not even the writer’s strike can stop the force of nature named Stephen Colbert:

In fact, Colbert has reached such revered status at this juncture that even in a period of relative inactivity — not doing a show, not running for president — people are talking about him, wondering about him, and waiting for his next move.

Really? Are you spending time pondering Colbert, talking about him and wondering about him?
Yeah. Me neither.

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Newton’s Third Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Campaign journalism works in much the same way. A candidate enjoys some positive press and then – with a precision you could darn near set a watch by – he or she starts to get criticized. It’s a little like Wack-a-Mole, where you pop up and get smacked. And it’s a little like skeet – you aim high for the sky, but then once you hit a certain trajectory, POW the shots start coming.

Two examples of late: Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. He was the media darling Cinderella story of the Iowa straw poll, way exceeding the expectations set by the media.

Based on those results and a great on-camera persona, Huckabee built up a little steam, started showing up on cable news political shows, had a “Real Time with Bill Maher” one-on-one and gained traction with his momentum and awshuckiness.

Then, Newton’s Law of Media Backlash took effect.

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Stephen Colbert, like savoir faire, is everywhere.

It’s no news that the host of “The Colbert Report” is running for President. It’s been the talk of the political world and blogosphere ever since he announced two weeks ago.

But today’s New York Times piece got me wondering. Former TVNewser Brian Stelter wrote:

Stephen Colbert’s presidential candidacy may be phony, but his supporters are very real…

One of them — a group created by Raj Vachhani and titled “1,000,000 Strong for Stephen T Colbert” — has grown to more than a million members in just over a week, making it the most popular political group on Facebook by far.

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“People say that young people get their news from Jon Stewart and myself and other late-night people, but I think they wouldn’t get the joke if they didn’t know some of the news already.

"I think those studies are a little off.”

Stephen Colbert, “Meet The Press” online interview, sounding strangely familiar

You think “Meet The Press” and you think stalwart Inside the Beltway folks. Broder. Novak. Dowd. The usual suspects.

You don’t think Bill Cosby. (For the 3,000 broadcast, by the way. Thanks, FishbowlDC) And you really don’t think Stephen Colbert.

And yet, there was Bill Cosby this past Sunday – along with Harvard Medical School Professor Alvin Poussaint, M.D. – discussing his new book and America’s ongoing discussion of race for the entire hour.

Then it was reported that Stephen Colbert will be appearing this week to discuss, this writer presumes, his new book as well as his decision to enter the South Carolina presidential primaries – in both parties.

What gives?

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Today’s the day. “I Am America (And So Can You!)” – the first book by Stephen Colbert’s alter ego – is out today in bookstores across America. (What? You never read “Wigfield?” Get thee to a Border’s!) A Washington Post slightly-humorless review came out today – why even mention verifying his truthiness? -- and it’s lukewarm on the book:

[N]one of "I Am America" rings as uncomfortably true as Colbert's blistering speech at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Dinner, which is reprinted as an appendix here. While the humor in the book at times feels blunted and overly general, at the dinner he had a specific target: President Bush sitting just a few feet away from him and the journalists and politicians in the tables before him…Reading it now, you also can get a sense of the political convictions behind the comedian, the convictions that sharpened his jokes and that emboldened him to make them at such a historically cozy event. Funny as "I Am America" is, it lacks that critical force.

There are myriad reasons why Stephen Colbert is fascinating: his razor-sharp satire; his deadpan delivery; his speed-of-light quick wit.

But I’ve got my own reason for being fascinated by Colbert: He’s an enigma.

That’s right. The guy who’s seemingly ubiquitous from magazine covers to ice cream containers to presenting Emmy Awards?

An enigma.

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Last night, Katie Couric appeared on "The Colbert Report." You can watch the interview on Comedy Central's Web site.

At one point, Colbert noted that Couric added "a little casual touch at the top of the news – you say 'hi, everybody.'"

Responded Couric: "Well, now it's a little formal. It's 'hello, everyone.'"

She then went on to explain why she leads the show with those words.

"Well, you know, I thought about it, and I thought, really, the only people who say 'good evening' are doormen and maitre d's…I found it just to be a little pretentious and portentous," she said. "So I thought something more relaxed and casual would be a little more accessible."

We certainly aren't the only ones to have wondered for some time now about the answer to what may become one of the more pressing questions of this generation: Why do congressmen keep appearing on "The Colbert Report"? (Although, for the record, and in the interest of comedy, we really, really hope they don't stop.)

Rep. Lee Terry, of the Fighting 2nd (Nebraska's second district) and of this memorable episode of "Better Know A District" responds on today's Los Angeles Times op-ed page. "Did Colbert make a fool of me? Absolutely," writes Terry. "But, to tell you the truth, the 'Better Know a District' segment was one of the best appearances I've made as a congressman."

Seriously?

Apparently, yes. Writes Terry: "Doing the show was a way to put a face, and a joke, to my name — and a way for my constituents to see me in something other than an opponent's 30-second attack ad." He adds that the rest of the country also "learned a little something about the Fighting 2nd," such as the substantial presence of telecommunications centers in the state, which is also home to the tallest structure between Minneapolis and Denver. While he's been interviewed many times, writes Terry, "I've never had as many people (i.e., potential voters) approach me on the street as I have since my appearance on 'The Colbert Report.'"

Enter the old "all publicity is good publicity" adage, which -- as most people who are familiar with incidents such as Dan Quayle's very public misspelling of the word "potato" (heretofore known as the "potato factor") will agree -- just isn't so true. Are residents of the 2nd not able to exercise associative reasoning skills? While Terry's appearance on "The Colbert Report" might indeed make him more recognizable among potential voters – especially when such publicly embarrassing moments can be spread as virally as they are these days – is that really the same as being electable? I guess we'll find out when the next "Better Know A District" subject is up for re-election.

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When Congressman Bob Wexler became the latest politician to willingly lambaste himself on the “Colbert Report,” we wondered when the fine collection of politicians who have appeared on the program’s “Better Know A District” segment would discover that there is a difference between showing viewers that you have a sense of humor and, um, being the object of ridicule (although the outcome is some great television.) Indeed, following Wexler’s statement on the show that he “enjoys cocaine because it’s a fun thing to do,” (it was a joke, people) it was a matter of time before actual news programs picked up on the quote. So, when “Good Morning America” and “Today” did -- and wondered themselves what congressmen were thinking -- Colbert took note, and had some fun with a few of the morning shows' own video clips. TVNewser has the video.

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Is the mainstream media shielding President Bush from criticism by not making more out of the controversial routine turned in by Stephen Colbert at last weekend’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner? That’s what a lot of left-leaning bloggers like Peter Daou are saying. The focus on the president’s “twin” routine (it does seem to have received far more coverage and air time) has a lot of folks in that part of the blogosphere crying bias. But Stephen Spruiell at NRO’s Media Blog has a different take:

The primary reason the press has downplayed Colbert's performance — other than deadline pressure the night of the dinner — is that members of the media like Stephen Colbert. Rather than shielding Bush from negative publicity, it is the other way around.

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