Showing posts with label Stephen Colbert. Show all posts
Colbert hosting 'Late Show' raises questions, hope
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| FILE - This Aug. 10, 2012 file photo shows Stephen Colbert, host of "The Colbert Report," onstage during StePhest Colbchella '012 Rocktaugustfest at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York. CBS announced Thursday, April 10, 2014, Colbert will succeed David Letterman as the host of “The Late Show.” (Photo by Jason DeCrow/Invision/AP, File) Photo: Jason DeCrow, JASON DECROW/INVISION/AP
NEW YORK (AP) — With the announcement that Stephen Colbert will be the new host of CBS' "Late Show," his fans likely feel a clash of emotions:
— Happiness that their hero has landed a sweet promotion.
— Regret that he's leaving his Comedy Central post.
— Uncertainty over who the Stephen Colbert hosting "Late Show" will be.
For nine years on "The Colbert Report," he has reigned as the founding father of Colbert Nation. He has won four Emmys, two Peabody awards and a stake in the national conversation. He hasn't just satirized politics and culture, he has rolled up his sleeves to organize a "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" on Washington's National Mall with his Comedy Central colleague Jon Stewart, and to create a super PAC to draw attention to the tyranny of money on elections.
And he has done it all behind a mask — the mask of "Stephen Colbert," a pompous, clueless conservative pundit who, to his admirers, seems a funhouse version of a Fox News Channel star.
He will leave "Stephen Colbert" behind when he heads to CBS sometime in 2015, taking over for the retiring David Letterman (who has not yet specified an exit date).
But in lieu of "Stephen Colbert," who will Colbert offer up to his audience instead? Who is behind the "Stephen Colbert" mask?
Even Colbert isn't sure — or, if he is, he declines to say.
"I won't be doing the new show in character," explained Colbert in a statement on Thursday. "So we'll all get to find out how much of him was me."
As a performer who began with the Second City improv troupe, then starred in the brilliant sketch comedy series "Exit 57" and the screwball spoof "Strangers with Candy," Colbert is hardly a one-trick pony. But his genius has been largely exhibited, and his reputation sealed, through the "Stephen Colbert" persona he has played to perfection on "The Colbert Report" since its debut in 2005, and for eight years before that as a bloviating "correspondent" on the Stewart-hosted "Daily Show."
Through it all, he stays in character — the "Stephen Colbert" character — with only a twinkle in his eye to let his audience know HE knows that most of what he utters is purposely dimwitted or wrong. He wrings larger meaning from nearly everything he does, illuminating it with self-contained mockery.
For nearly two decades, he has not only sustained but fortified this identity, giving it a full-bodied life of its own. It's quite an act.
Now he's decided to move on. (Comedy Central said he'll end "The Colbert Report" in eight months.)
Stewart voiced congratulations on Thursday's "The Daily Show": "The exciting news today is, I no longer need a cable subscription for the privilege of watching Stephen Colbert."
In a statement, Letterman endorsed him: "I'm very excited for him, and I'm flattered that CBS chose him. I also happen to know they wanted another guy with glasses."
Then on his show, Colbert reciprocated, saying Letterman "has influenced every host who came after him, and even a few who came before him — he's THAT good.
"And I gotta tell you," Colbert added, drawing cheers and applause, "I do not envy whoever they try to put in that chair."
But Colbert Nation can be pardoned for greeting the news with a measure of sadness. The Comedy Central show that Colbert masterminded is not only unique among current TV fare, but is likely unique in television history. In exchange, he is casting his lot with a 60-year-old desk-and-couch genre whose conventions its hosts defy at their peril. (Arguably the last attempt to revolutionize the late-night-talk hour was "The Wilton North Report" on Fox in 1987, which was absolutely terrible and flared out in less than a month).
Some will carp that Colbert is yet another white male with a hosting job.
And what about his age? Depending on when he signs on, he will be 50 or 51 (in other words, outside the "demo"). Meanwhile, his main rivals will still be in the bloom of youth: NBC's "Tonight Show" host, Jimmy Fallon, will be 40 or 41; the host of ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" will be 47 or 48.
Besides, what political baggage will Colbert bring to CBS, even as he ditches his "Stephen Colbert" role?
On Tuesday, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly (more than anyone the inspiration for "Stephen Colbert") tore into Colbert, branding him "one of the biggest mouthpieces for the progressive movement, ... playing exclusively to other believers."
And, just hours after Colbert was named the new "Late Show" host, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh was growling that "CBS has just declared war on the heartland of America."
"No longer is comedy going to be a covert assault on traditional American values (and) conservatives," he went on. "Now it's just wide out in the open."
That may be a premature assessment. O'Reilly may place Colbert in the ranks of "ideological fanatics." But ideology has never been at home on major late-night talk shows, which traditionally shoot for reassurance and diversion. What do such constraints mean for Colbert, and for viewers who dote on what he does as "Stephen Colbert"?
Uncertainties abound concerning Colbert's new assignment. Unknowns include creative elements of his new show, and even where it will be based. CBS said such details would be shared later on.
But while his fans wait, they know enough to take solace in one overriding fact: They should never underestimate him.
So RIP, "Stephen Colbert," if that's how it's got to be. The Stephen Colbert viewers meet on "Late Show" next year could well be someone they like just as much. Or even more.
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EDITOR'S NOTE — Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore@ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier
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FACEOFF: Should Stephen Colbert replace David Letterman?
but there is a vacancy in late night TV, and Stephen Colbert is the right man for the job.
Though Colbert is not a natural successor to David Letterman, he could revive The Late Show, making it a real ratings threat to The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.
Of course, if Colbert took the job it would mean abandoning his post at Comedy Central. The Colbert Report has run for nine years, and Colbert has been praised for his brilliant right-wing news pundit character.
Many wonder how Colbert would fare without his character, but he’d be just fine. Despite the satirical nature of his character, Colbert’s charm and intelligence always comes across. It’s not difficult to imagine him running an hour-long program with success.
The CBS audience skews older, so the transition to Colbert could be difficult. However, it would be a smoother replacement than, say, Craig Ferguson, who is best suited to continue his deconstruction of the late night format in his current time slot. To compete with NBC, Colbert is the best option.
As the new host of The Tonight Show, Fallon has maintained a lead over rival networks, averaging more than 4 million viewers nightly, according to Zap2It. According to a Fox News source, Fallon’s rating surge pushed Letterman to retire. Colbert would come to CBS with a loyal core audience, and he has the same appeal to younger audiences as Fallon. If CBS is looking to revamp its late night television, it’s important to attract younger audiences.
When news of Letterman’s retirement broke, many names, such as Tina Fey and Ellen DeGeneres, came up in hopes that CBS would make a more diverse hire. Colbert obviously wouldn’t fulfill that, but he has proven his success in late night, and The Late Show appears like it would be a natural progression in his career.
And it is time for Colbert to move on. As pitch-perfect as he is on The Colbert Report, he may be squandering his potential by not taking this opportunity. The sanctity of his persona will not be tarnished if Colbert moves to network television, it will just alter his legacy.
Let’s imagine what a Colbert-helmed Late Show would look like — a winsome, satirical monologue, some banter between Colbert and the band leader, Colbert’s fantastic interview skills on display — how appealing is that? And maybe Colbert could incorporate some of Letterman’s famous gags: Colbert would bring a ton of personal flair to Top 10 Lists or Stupid Pet Tricks.
Although Letterman and Colbert have different comedic styles — Letterman is dry and acerbic while Colbert is enthusiastic and sardonic — they are both talented. When Letterman started out on NBC’s Late Night with David Letterman, it was clear he had a bright future. After Johnny Carson retired, many fans wanted Letterman to take over The Tonight Show. The job went to Leno, but CBS took advantage of Letterman’s obvious brilliance, and they should apply to same logic to the new opening. Colbert is at a similar crossroads. His work on The Colbert Report is hilarious and innovative, but he is capable of more. And now that Letterman is retiring, it’s time to launch Colbert into a new phase in his career.
And like Dave, he’ll rock the signature specs.
- Dustin Levy
dlevydbk@gmail.com | @DustinBLevy
NO: The Colbert Report is where he belongs
The problem with Stephen Colbert potentially replacing David Letterman isn’t that he would make a bad host — on the contrary, he would probably be witty, friendly and all-round great. The problem is the likelihood that he would abandon The Colbert Report and therefore his alter ego, the fictional character Stephen Colbert. For the uninitiated, Stephen Colbert the character is a parody of ultra-conservative figures such as Bill O’Reilly. Colbert the character spouts his support of policies and ideals that sound absurd and hilarious when they come from his mouth. The character draws from Colbert’s real life, with the same name, the same love of Lord of the Ringsand the same family members, but Colbert’s character has quite opposing political beliefs, insofar as the character actually understands what he’s talking about.
Under the guise of his character, Colbert has access to some of the most influential people in the world, especially those involved in politics. Interviewees argue with Colbert’s character, defending their views in the face of his fictional ignorance. In this way, he can tackle controversial issues that no else really can. Colbert even testified before Congress in 2010, breaking character only to explain his care for the plight of immigrant workers. In an especially funny and powerful use of his satirical power, Colbert created his own super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, to demonstrate the ridiculousness of campaign finances. The super PAC raised $773,704.83 and even won Colbert a Peabody Award for spreading awareness about campaign finance policies.
The Colbert character’s popularity has spread to many random and hilarious other avenues that never would have been possible if he weren’t a satirical creation. There’s the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor Americone Dream, Colbert’s presence as a presidential candidate in Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man series, and even the name of a species of spider, Aptostichus stephencolberti. This character resonates with people, but it seems unlikely that a nonsatirical Stephen Colbert would have had such a widespread effect.
Colbert becoming just another late-night show host would mean losing the shield that his character offers him. He would no longer be able to interview politicians by parodying their problematic views, and his status as a talk show host would probably prevent him from being involved in politics in any major way. Yes, Colbert might bring more viewers — especially the coveted young audience — to the Late Show, but really, is that more important than the good he can do as a character? Colbert won’t be acting forever, and even if he doesn’t accept the Late Show spot, he won’t stay with The Colbert Report for long. Hopefully he’ll stay long enough to groom a successor or at least to provide us with great satire, a lot of laughs and most importantly, the ability to cause a real-world impact.
Our world is saturated with media, and it’s getting harder to know what networks to trust. In contrast, Stephen Colbert and his friend and affiliate Jon Stewart offer the news in a manner that’s heartfelt, informative and humorous. These comedians have the power to criticize the awfulness of American politics on both sides because they can do so from the seat of comedy.
Colbert’s role in our media landscape is too important to give up. It’s possible that he’ll find a replacement, but the character of Stephen Colbert is so entrenched that it will be difficult to find someone else of that caliber, someone else who can gain the same access to important people and with important questions while being thoughtful and hilarious.
- Jonathan Raeder
jraederdbk@gmail.com | @jmraeder
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