Speaking Truthiness to Power

It’s being called a “Lenny Bruce moment” and “one of the greatest pieces of American political satire.” This surreal, blistering roast of the president was more powerful than a year’s worth of books critical of the administration. Hilarious? Not really. At times, it’s painfully unfunny. But as someone commented on a blog’s review, “judging Colbert on how many laughs he gets is like judging a movie by how many people talk during quiet moments.” People will disagree about how funny it was, whether or not Colbert went too far, and so on. But here’s what puts a smile on my face… A person can stand right next to our president, the most powerful man in the world, and lampoon him mercilessly–with no fear of gulags or beatings.

Part 1

Part 2

May 1st, 2006