Chances are that you recognize Stephen Colbert, he rarely needs an introduction. Once a correspondent on the Daily Show with John Stewart, Colbert is host of “The Colbert Report” (silent T’s in both words), a show that has been nominated for 4 emmys and 2 satellite awards. Colbert himself has been on the “Time’s 100 most influential people” list, and has hosted for various awards and ceremonies (including the infamous White House Correspondents’ Association — noted further below).
If John Stewart seemed like a popular feller in my previous post, then Colbert eclipses him by a mile. He is adored by mainstream population for his on screen characters eccentricies, satirical perspectives and extremist right-wing behavior. Colbert arguably has more of a hold among his fans than John Stewart, because whenever Colbert calls for an action, which he often does (and it’s usually something ridiculous, like nominating him for a president, naming a bridge after him, or attending some rally), his fans get the job done. They nearly had a bridge named after him (deemed illegal because he was still living), nearly put him in the presidential race (overruled by supreme court), and have produced a well documented phenomenon known as the Colbert Bump (a noticeable spike in public interest/earnings due to recommendation or condemnation by Colbert).
The Colbert Report
Colbert Report is a spin-off show from the Daily Show, created just to retain Stephan Colbert (previously, the Daily Show lost correspondent Steve Carrell for his acting gig). The correspondent known as Stephen Colbert got his own half-hour slot after John Stewart to give his own take on current news, events, and politics (often the same news already delivered by the Daily Show). The actual structure of the show was designed to mock the O’Reilly Factor, a popular right-wing program hosted by a lunatic named Bill O’Reilly. In a way, the Colbert Report and Daily Show are based upon the exact same premise: a parody/satire of established news programs, but still delivering quality content. The show appeals to the same targets, and yet they both have an extremely loyal fan base of their own.
Marketing and Success
Colbert Report differentiates itself from the Daily Show by doing the opposite of what John Stewart does. Whereas John Stewart has a pragmatic and realistic view of the world with a knack for cutting through the BS, Colbert Report has an extreme conservative and right-wing take on news, and often obfuscates and piles on more BS to already complex events. Whereas John Stewart will flat out say “George Bush is lying about WMD’s to invade Iraq,” Colbert will say “George Bush isn’t lying enough to the American population, and this is stopping him from conquering the world.” It’s obvious when watching that Colbert is being sarcastic in his delivery. There is a segment on his show called “The Wørd,” where he chooses a specific word (often made up by himself), and then he spews an extremist rant surrounding the word, all meanwhile on-screen text is juxtaposed to his left showing the satirical context of his rant. Maybe George Bush should have realized this, because he had Colbert host his White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, only to have Colbert mock his government with his deliberate right-wing extremist commentary. The event garnered massive attention for Colbert, and was one of the many embarrassments of Bush’s presidency. By being over-the top and politically incorrect, Colbert has differentiated his show from the Daily Show. This feat is the reason both shows can deliver the same content in completely different ways, and thus attract different fan bases while still appealing to each others.
Advertising for Colbert Report is wrought with egoism, and narcissism. I noted in my previous post that the marketing for John Stewart worked because of its humbleness and truthfulness to reflect his pragmatic and realistic nature; the marketing reflected the personality. The same principle applies to Colbert. His image and advertisements come across as arrogant and over the top, and yet somehow that is the appeal of the show. His is so transparent in his (fake) intentions, that it suits the show and his style of comedy.
next week: Part III – The Rally to Restore Sanity and the March to Keep Fear Alive