Stephen Colbert (character)

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Stephen Colbert
The Colbert Report character

Stephen Colbert as "Stephen Colbert".
Created by Stephen Colbert
Portrayed by Stephen Colbert
Information
Gender Male
Age 44
Occupation Host of The Colbert Report
Title Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary)
Religion Roman Catholic
Nationality American

Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A. (pronounced /koʊlˈbɛər/) is the fictional persona of political satirist Stephen Colbert, portrayed most notably on The Colbert Report. Described as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed high-status idiot,"[1] the character is a blustery, self-obsessed right-wing commentator with a strong distaste for facts. He incorporates aspects of the real Colbert's life and interests, but is modelled primarily as a parody of cable news pundits, particularly Bill O'Reilly.[2]

Colbert first appeared as a correspondent on Comedy Central's news parody series The Daily Show in 1997 and remained a regular contributor until 2005, when he left to host The Colbert Report, a spin-off satirizing personality-driven political pundit programs. He has also been featured in a number of other public performances, most notably at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, and as the author of the 2007 book I Am America (And So Can You!).

Contents

[edit] Development and inspirations

[edit] The Daily Show

Main article: The Daily Show
Colbert as a correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Colbert as a correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Colbert appeared as a "correspondent" on The Daily Show between 1997 and 2005. During this time, the comedian developed the character that would later form the basis for his Colbert Report persona, one that its creator calls a "fool who has spent a lot of his life playing not the fool".[3] Colbert frequently cites Stone Phillips — whom he describes as having "the greatest neck in journalism" — as a source of inspiration for the character, as well as Geraldo Rivera — "because he's got this great sense of mission... He just thinks he's gonna change the world with this report."[4] As a correspondent, Colbert was regularly pitted against knowledgeable interview subjects or host Jon Stewart in scripted exchanges which typically revealed the character's lack of knowledge of whatever subject he was discussing.[2] Other Daily Show correspondents have since adopted a similar style; former correspondent Rob Corddry recalls that when he and Ed Helms first joined the show's cast in 2002, they "just imitated Stephen Colbert for a year or two."[5]

[edit] The Colbert Report

Main article: The Colbert Report

In 2005, Colbert left The Daily Show to host the spin-off series The Colbert Report, a parody of personality-driven political pundit programs such as Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor that center largely on the personal views of its hosts. Because of this enlarged role, the personality and beliefs of the Stephen Colbert character have become more clearly defined over the course of the show, complete with a fictitious backstory that has been revealed piecemeal in short monologues accompanying a part of the program.

The character Colbert portrays in Report originated as an amplification of his self-important Daily Show correspondent. As they developed the character and the show, however, Colbert and his staff began to look at some more specific models.[6] Bill O'Reilly, whom the character affectionately nicknames "Papa Bear", is the most commonly cited point of reference. In a 2006 episode of The Colbert Report, Colbert remarked that, "if it wasn't for [O'Reilly], this show wouldn’t exist."[7] In adapting the character for the Report, Colbert has also mentioned Aaron Brown, Anderson Cooper, Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs and Joe Scarborough as having an influence over his performance.[8][9] References to the character's abuse of prescription drugs are believed to be an allusion to Rush Limbaugh's addiction to painkillers.[6]

As the show has progressed, the character has increasingly moved into less political situations, such as a green screen challenge and a "Meta-Free-Phor-All" metaphor contest with Sean Penn that his pundit models would not necessarily engage in. "I've found that at the base of it is still that character from The Daily Show who is a well-intentioned, poorly informed high status idiot, that I can apply to other issues," Colbert says.[6]

The nightly in-character guest interviews were initially of concern to Colbert, who worried his character's belligerent nature would be off-putting to guests. However, since the show's debut, he says he has found he is able to "slide the intensity" of his behavior depending on his interviewee's ability to respond to his aggressive approach. Colbert now often cites the interview segment as his favorite part of the show, because it allows him to improvise.[10] Colbert advises his guests to disabuse the character of his ignorance. "Don't let me get away with anything. Don't try to play my game. Be real. Be passionate. Hold your ideas. Give me resistance. Give me traction I can work against."[11]

[edit] Books

Colbert is the central character in the 2007 novel I Am America (And So Can You!). Co-written with Paul Dinello and the writers of The Colbert Report, I Am America delves into what the character considers to be the most pressing issues facing America. The book takes influence from the literary endeavors of the character's pundit models, such as Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor (2000) and Sean Hannity's Deliver Us From Evil (2004), which Colbert says he "forced" himself to read as a reference. I Am America is considered a pure extension of the Report; however, the written medium allowed the writers to employ different styles, such as long-format arguments, that they could not have used on television. "You can actually spend twenty pages talking about religion whereas in the show, two pages is about as long as we hold any one idea," Colbert explains. In doing this, the writers "discovered things that [the character] cared about that... they didn't know he cared about before."[12]

A character similar to Colbert's Daily Show persona featured in the 2003 novel Wigfield: The Can Do Town That Just May Not by Colbert, Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris. Russell Hokes, a self-aggrandizing journalist, was voiced by Colbert in both stage performances of the text and the audiobook. Colbert likens Hokes to his self-important correspondent character, but "more extreme, more self-involved."[13]

[edit] Non-fictional elements

Certain elements of the character are drawn from Colbert's own personal life. Both the real Colbert and the character were raised in Charleston, South Carolina; both are the youngest of 11 children; both played Dungeons & Dragons as teenagers; and both are practicing Roman Catholics. Colbert's own interest in and knowledge of religion, science fiction and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy will often show through in the Report. His character has a chocolate portrait of Viggo Mortensen (who portrayed Aragorn in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy) in a place of honor on his shelf; Mortensen briefly reprised the role of Aragorn in the Report's September 13, 2007 episode.[3][14] However, Colbert tries to limit references to Lord of the Rings because he says, as a fan, he does not want to "debase" Tolkien's work by having his character like it.[11] Occasionally, Colbert will mention his real-life siblings on the show. In one episode, he placed his brother Ed, a lawyer who advises the International Olympic Committee, "On Notice" for refusing to grant the show the rights to air footage of a dispute between two American speed skaters.[15]

In an appearance at Harvard University in 2006, Colbert revealed that his character's fear of bears was in part inspired by a recurring nightmare he has had, in which a bear is standing between him and his goal.[11] The character's phobia, which was initially referenced in the show's first "ThreatDown" skit, was originally slated to be a fear of alligators. By the time the Report went to air, however, the alligator story was several weeks old, and the writers chose to substitute it for a more recent news item involving a bear.[12]

After Colbert received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Knox College, the show began listing his name in the ending credits as "Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A." During the show, the character will sometimes refer to the degree and the qualifications he mistakenly believes it bestows on him.

In late June 2007, Colbert broke his left wrist on the set of the Report while performing his warm-up for the show. This quickly became a regular source of comedy on the show as the self-absorbed character requested his audience send flowers, launched a campaign against Hollywood's supposed glorification of "wrist violence", began a "wrist awareness" campaign with "WristStrong" silicone bracelets and developed an addiction to prescription painkillers.[16] Although his wrist has now healed, he continues to wear and promote his "WristStrong" bracelets. On August 23, 2007, the cast was removed on air and was put up for auction to the general public, complete with celebrity signatures, on eBay, where it achieved a winning bid of $17,200.[17] All of the proceeds from both the cast and the bracelets were donated to the Yellow Ribbon Fund.[18]

[edit] Fictional biography

Colbert as a "young man" in 1989, as shown on The Colbert Report.
Colbert as a "young man" in 1989, as shown on The Colbert Report.

Colbert's fictional history is not always rigidly adhered to by the show's writers. The comedian himself says that, "My character's history may not always be perfectly consistent … There's my bio and there's my character's bio, and then there's my character's history, which is slightly different than my character's bio."[19] His early life, prior to becoming host of The Colbert Report, is expanded upon in I Am America (And So Can You!).

Like his portrayer, Stephen T. Colbert is the youngest of 11 children, born into a devout Roman Catholic family — so devout, in fact, they sent him to an "exorcism day camp" as a teenager when they discovered he liked Dungeons & Dragons. In his in-character appearance on The O'Reilly Factor, Colbert stated that he is of Irish descent and only adopted the French pronunciation of his surname to "get the cultural elites" on his side.[20] Colbert has made conflicting statements regarding his middle name, which he has at different times stated to be Tyrone (Colbert's actual middle name), Tiberius (like that of Captain James T. Kirk) and Lee-Harvey.[21]

The character has said he was regularly beaten up in high school, and by the time he left for college he was determined never to be a victim again. As such, on the first day of his freshman year he walked into class and punched the first person he saw (unfortunately, this happened to be his ethics professor).[22] He attended Dartmouth College, although his acceptance into the university appears to have been largely influenced by a claimed familial relationship with a wealthy donor,[22] and graduated in the top 47 percent of his class with a major in history.[23] He has also referred to Bob Jones University as an alma mater.

Prior to embarking on a career in journalism, Colbert worked as a carnival roustabout and a construction worker. During the 1980s, he was the lead singer and guitarist of an ABC-like New Wave band called "Stephen and the Colberts." The comedian portrays his character's younger self in the band's music video, wearing worn jeans, cowboy boots and a spiky hair style. Their only revealed song to date is entitled "Charlene (I'm Right Behind You)", one of numerous references to an ex-girlfriend (and cousin) whom he continues to stalk despite numerous restraining orders.[24]

Colbert later moved into reporting, working in TV news for several stations in Virginia and North Carolina. Occasionally he will show footage of himself as a "young man" (portrayed by Colbert, wearing a false moustache) working as an anchor at a local news station in Patterson Springs, North Carolina, still displaying his trademark outrage over minor municipal issues in the manner of 20/20 correspondent John Stossel. In 1997, Colbert was promoted to anchor of the Channel 7 News on WPTS Patterson Springs after outing the previous anchor, Wayne Colt, for his cocaine addiction. His ensuing investigative reports into Colt's downfall earned him a local Emmy, and eventually a correspondent position at The Daily Show.[22] This corresponds with the year the comedian joined the cast of the show.

Colbert often makes digs at the expense of Daily Show host Jon Stewart.[25] He has implied a strained relationship with Stewart, in contrast with the real Colbert's admiration for the comedian,[26] and suggests that his departure from The Daily Show occurred under dubious circumstances. The character has described Stewart as a "sexual predator"[27] and has been known to become tearful when his name is brought up.[28] On the other hand, Colbert has also implied that he only got his own show by blackmailing Stewart with incriminating photographs.[29]

[edit] Colbert '08

Main article: Stephen Colbert presidential campaign, 2008

Colbert dropped hints of a potential presidential run throughout 2007, with speculation intensifying following the release of his book, I Am America (And So Can You!), which was rumored (invariably by Colbert himself) to be a sign that he was indeed testing the waters for a future bid for the White House. Colbert staunchly refused to confirm or deny his candidacy, stating he had not yet made up his mind and must first talk the possibility over with his family.

Colbert confirmed his presidential ambitions on his October 16, 2007 show,[30] stating his intention to run both on the Republican and Democratic platforms, but only as a "favorite son" in his native South Carolina. In an interview with Larry King he revealed that he would consider Mike Huckabee (who himself has offered Colbert the vice presidential position) as his running mate.[31] He also speculated on the possibility of a Colbert-Putin or Colbert-Colbert ticket. Colbert abandoned plans to run as a Republican due to the $35,000 fee required to file for the South Carolina primary. On November 1, 2007, it was announced that he would not appear on the Democratic primary ballot either, after being deemed ineligible by the South Carolina Democratic Party executive committee.[32] Several days later he announced that he was withdrawing from the race, saying that he did not wish to put the country through an agonizing Supreme Court battle.[33]

The show went on hiatus immediately after this as a result of the Writers Guild of America Strike. When it returned to air on January 7, 2008 without a writing staff, the character justified his absence by stating that he had taken some time off to have "a good cry" about his failed presidential attempt. He said that he had returned to air in celebration of Mike Huckabee's success in the Iowa Caucus, something for which he considers himself personally responsible as Huckabee has appeared on the Report on numerous occasions to invite Colbert to be his running mate.[34] Despite having withdrawn from the presidential race, Colbert continues to be referred to as an active candidate in the Marvel Universe and Colbert '08 paraphernalia has appeared in the artwork of various Marvel comics.[35]

[edit] Characteristics

The "Eagle's Nest", with its many references to Colbert, reflects the character's self-aggrandizing style.
The "Eagle's Nest", with its many references to Colbert, reflects the character's self-aggrandizing style.

Described as a "caustic right-wing bully,"[36] an "arch-conservative blowhard,"[37] and by his creator and namesake as a "well-intentioned, poorly-informed, high status idiot," Colbert is egomaniacal, xenophobic and fiercely anti-intellectual. He claims to be politically independent, like his idol Bill "Papa Bear" O'Reilly; although in fact the character fawns over the Bush administration and the Republican Party, and frequently asks his guests, "George Bush: Great president, or the greatest president?" Colbert emphasizes that his character is genuinely well-meaning and wants to do the right thing, but does not have the tools to achieve it "because he has no curiosity, he doesn't like to read and he won't listen to anybody except the voices in his head."[38]

Colbert is deeply self-centered and takes everything personally, a trait which is reflected in his discussion of the news and current events. According to the comedian, "There's nothing too large that doesn't involve him. Every news story is really about him ... Everything he cares about is a news story because he cares about it." This is expressed in his frequent attacks on and feuds with well-known figures such as the Decemberists, Barry Manilow, Sean Penn, Conan O'Brien, and Rain which the comedian equates with Bill O'Reilly's culture wars.[6]

A recurring joke on the show is centered around Colbert's deep-seated phobia of bears, which he describes as "godless killing machines" and which frequently top his list of threats to America.

Central to Colbert's personality is his rigid belief that "what I say is right, and [nothing] anyone else says could possibly be true,"[9] regardless of any evidence to the contrary. He discussed this in the Report's first Wørd segment, using the term "truthiness" as he explained what he perceives to be the difference between "those who think with their head and those who know with their heart."[39] He has further gone on to ascribe "truthiness" to other institutions including Wikipedia, which he believes upholds his view that reality can be determined by consensus opinion. Colbert believes that if a majority of people want something to be true, that thing therefore must become the truth. For instance, after months of scoffing at global warming, Colbert suddenly reversed his position, conceding its existence only due to the box office success of An Inconvenient Truth, a sign that "the free market has spoken."

Colbert describes himself as racially color-blind and unable to visually identify one's race,[40] explaining, "Now, I don't see race … People tell me I'm white, and I believe them, because I own a lot of Jimmy Buffett albums."[41] He later qualified this statement in his book, stating, "When I say I don't see race, I mean I don't see Black people. But I can spot a Mexican at a hundred paces."[22] Despite all these claims, Colbert often boasts that he has a large number of token minority friends (including Jon Stewart as "[his] Jewish friend"), although in the photos shown these friends appear decidedly uninterested in him. He has stated a similar inability to distinguish between the sexes, claiming to only "see an American." This comes in contradiction of his at times sexist behavior, for instance, calling only on men during an open discussion with his audience on women's issues. Several women (and one man) on his staff have filed sexual harassment suits against him.[42]

The comedian has said that he likes playing weak characters, and particularly revealing weaknesses in high status figures.[43] During the course of the show, he will frequently peel back the Colbert character's apparent bravado to expose a very weak inner core. In one instance, Colbert demands one of his staff members subject him to simulated waterboarding, only to break down into pleas for mercy upon hearing a water bottle cap popped.[44] In another episode, he sobs hysterically upon learning that Katie Couric has stepped down from The Today Show. These status shifts occur commonly, and comprise a central component of the show's comedy.[11]

Colbert frequently uses his show as a platform for promoting his own fictional merchandise, including colognes, science fiction novels, medication and his own sperm.[citation needed]

[edit] Other appearances

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Solomon, Deborah (September 25, 2005). Funny About the News. New York Times Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
  2. ^ a b Steinberg, Jacques (October 12, 2005). The News Is Funny, as a Correspondent Gets His Own Show. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-07-13.
  3. ^ a b Ken P (August 11, 2003). An Interview With Stephen Colbert. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
  4. ^ Berkowitz, Elana and Schiller, Amy. "Five Minutes With Stephen Colbert". Campus Progress. Retrieved on 2007-08-14
  5. ^ Corddry, Rob. Interview with Terry Gross (March 8, 2007). Rob and Nate Corddry Find Their Place on TV. Fresh Air. WHYY. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  6. ^ a b c d Colbert, Stephen. Interview with Terry Gross (October 9, 2007). Colbert Builds 'Report' with Viewers, Readers. Fresh Air. WHYY. Retrieved on 2007-10-21.
  7. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 2011, January 25, 2006.
  8. ^ Kurtz, Howard (October 10, 2005). TV's Newest Anchor: A Smirk in Progress. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2007-08-15
  9. ^ a b Rabin, Nathan (January 25, 2006). Interview: Stephen Colbert. A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  10. ^ Colbert, Stephen (December 8, 2006). A conversation with comedian Stephen Colbert. Charlie Rose.
  11. ^ a b c d A Conversation With Stephen Colbert. Harvard Institute of Politics (October 1, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
  12. ^ a b Colbert, Stephen (October 16, 2007). "Meet the Author" podcast. Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
  13. ^ Colbert, Stephen (May 13, 2003). The Leonard Lopate Show. WNYC.
  14. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 1017, November 14, 2005.
  15. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 2022, February 22, 2006.
  16. ^ Stelter, Brian (August 27, 2007). 2 Out of 3 Anchors Join Colbert in Wrist Stunt. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  17. ^ Sklar, Rachel (September 3, 2007). The Fruits of WristStrong: Colbert Cast Sells For $17,200. The Huffington Post. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  18. ^ Associated Press (August 22, 2007). Stephen Colbert to Auction Signed Cast. ABC News. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  19. ^ Dowd, Maureen (October 31, 2006). America's Anchors. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
  20. ^ Stephen Colbert's in-character appearance on The O'Reilly Factor (January 18, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-18.
  21. ^ Colbert, Stephen (May, 2007). "Presidential Candidate Questionnaire." GQ.
  22. ^ a b c d Colbert, Stephen (2007). I Am America (And So Can You!). New York: Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0-446-58050-3
  23. ^ Gordon, Avery. Colbert Nation bio. Comedy Central. Retrieved on 2007-10-18.
  24. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 2094, July 26, 2006.
  25. ^ Franklin, Nancy (November 28, 2005). The Spinoff Zone. The New Yorker. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  26. ^ Dowd, Maureen (October 31, 2006). America's Anchors. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  27. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 3008, January 18, 2007.
  28. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 3128, October 9, 2007.
  29. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 3047, April 11, 2007.
  30. ^ Kurtz, Howard (October 17, 2007). Primary-Time TV With Colbert the Candidate. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  31. ^ Editor & Publisher (October 11, 2007). Stephen Colbert May Run for President—South Carolina TV Invites Him to Kick Off Bid. Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
  32. ^ Vogel, Kenneth (November 1, 2007). S.C. Dems reject Colbert candidacy. Politico.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
  33. ^ Associated Press (November 5, 2007). Stephen Colbert Drops Presidential Bid. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
  34. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 4001, January 7, 2008.
  35. ^ Colbert For President. news. Marvel.com (2008-05-31). Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  36. ^ Sternbergh, Adam (October 16, 2006). Stephen Colbert Has America By The Ballots. New York Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
  37. ^ Mnookin, Seth (October, 2007). The Man in the Irony Mask. Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
  38. ^ Colbert, Stephen (October 14, 2007). Larry King Live: Interview with Stephen Colbert. CNN. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  39. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 1001, October 17, 2005.
  40. ^ Pastorek, Whitney (2007). Birth of a Colbert Nation. EW. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  41. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 2138, November 2, 2006.
  42. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 2128, October 10, 2006.
  43. ^ Plume, Ken (August 11, 2006). Interview: Stephen Colbert. Tibby's Bowl. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  44. ^ The Colbert Report, Episode 2143, November 13, 2006.

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