Yesterday on his radio show, right-wing host Rush Limbaugh derided Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) -- who is biracial -- for saying, "If you look African-American in this society, you're treated as an African-American." Limbaugh claimed that this statement meant Obama didn't want to be black and should "renounce it": "If it's not something you want to be, if you didn't decide it, renounce it, become white!" He added, "If you don't like it, you can switch. Well, that's the way I see it. He's got 50-50 in there. Say, 'No, I'm white.'" http://thinkprogress.org/2007/02/14/limbaugh-obama-white/
Colbert suggested that Obama be enslaved by Jesse Jackson for a few days in order to gain his "blackness" .... Colbert is largely a mean-spirited, prick. Limbaugh, in between valid points, bathers for a few hours a day and takes it too far from time to time. (I guess the point is it is a matter of context. Clip and past random quotes from anyone and you can make them look like assholes. Oldest trick in the book.)
Good Grief...you realise of course that Colbert is satire. His whole act is a parody of Bill O'Reilly. That's why he is so funny and widely popular.... because he continuously mocks the pompous windbag O'Reilly
Colbert suggested that Obama be enslaved by Jesse Jackson for a few days in order to gain his "blackness" .... Trent Lott could probably do a better job with that.
Come to think of it. It might have been funnier if Colbert had said Trent Lott rather than Jackson. I think it might have gotten more miliage.
Of course. Limbaugh does a lot of satire as well. Context is everything, no? Cutting and clipping quotes from a three hour radio show is little more than a hachet job on the guy. As your reaction to my cutting and clipping a quote from Colbert clearly demonstrates. Colbert has his moments, but he is largley a cynical bastard. Not exactly uplifting, At least with Stewart you get a whisp of hope.
The pretense of cynicism is essential for satire. You can clearly see Colbert trying to keep a straight face when in his O'Reilly persona. His audience is in on the joke with him Limbugh's brand of satire comes at the expense of the idiots in his audience. His audience is butt of the of his "satire." Big difference.
He bit his tongue after he said it. He was interviewing a black woman political analyst or some such thing. Despite respressing it, she clearly took offense. After she scoffed Colbert added, "Not in racist way, he could be Jess Jackson's slave or Al Sharpton's ..") Now if Kramer had said the same thing, the race-baiters would have been all over him like stink on a monkey. Colbert is a poster boy for politically correct - politcally incorrect humor. It was a funny moment. Colbert is funny, and OReilly certainly deserves mocking, but shit man ...
"The pretense of cynicism is essential for satire. You can clearly see Colbert trying to keep a straight face when in his O'Reilly persona. His audience is in on the joke with him". Just about everyone is in on it except the republicans who invited Colbert to host Bushey's party.