Stephen Colbert and Philosophy - Aaron Allen Schiller [2]
Richard Hanley
VOLUME 27
Hitchcock and Philosophy:
Dial M for Metaphysics (2007)
Edited by David Baggett and
William A. Drumin
VOLUME 28
The Grateful Dead and
Philosophy: Getting High Minded
about Love and Haight (2007)
Edited by Steven Gimbel
VOLUME 29
Quentin Tarantino and
Philosophy: How to Philosophize
with a Pair of Pliers and a
Blowtorch (2007) Edited by
Richard Greene and K. Silem
Mohammad
VOLUME 30
Pink Floyd and Philosophy:
Careful with that Axiom,
Eugene! (2007) Edited by George
A. Reisch
VOLUME 31
Johnny Cash and Philosophy:
The Burning Ring of Truth (2008)
Edited by John Huss and David
Werther
VOLUME 32
Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy:
Darkness on the Edge of Truth
(2008) Edited by Randall E. Auxier
and Doug Anderson
VOLUME 33
Battlestar Galactica and
Philosophy: Mission Accomplished
or Mission Frakked Up? (2008)
Edited by Josef Steiff and Tristan
D. Tamplin
VOLUME 34
iPod and Philosophy: iCon of an
ePoch (2008) Edited by D.E.
Wittkower
VOLUME 35
Star Trek and Philosophy: The
Wrath of Kant (2008) Edited by
Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S.
Decker
VOLUME 36
The Legend of Zelda and
Philosophy: I Link Therefore I Am
(2008) Edited by Luke Cuddy
VOLUME 37
The Wizard of Oz and Philosophy:
Wicked Wisdom of the West (2008)
Edited by Randall E. Auxier and
Phillip S. Seng
VOLUME 38
Radiohead and Philosophy: Fitter
Happier More Deductive (2009)
Edited by Brandon W. Forbes and
George A. Reisch
VOLUME 39
Jimmy Buffett and Philosophy:
The Porpoise Driven Life (2009)
Edited by Erin McKenna and Scott
L. Pratt
VOLUME 40
Transformers and Philosophy
(2009) Edited by John Shook and
Liz Stillwaggon Swan
VOLUME 41
Stephen Colbert and Philosophy: I
Am Philosophy (And So Can You!)
(2009) Edited by Aaron Allen
Schiller
IN PREPARATION:
Supervillains and Philosophy
(2009) Edited by Ben Dyer
The Golden Compass and
Philosophy (2009) Edited by
Richard Greene and Rachel
Robison
Led Zeppelin and Philosophy
(2009) Edited by Scott Calef
World of Warcraft and Philosophy
(2009) Edited by Luke Cuddy
and John Nordlinger
The Onion and Philosophy (2010)
Monk and Philosophy (2010)
This book is dedicated to the Colbert Nation
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, a big thank you to all the contributors. Your hard work and dedication made this book possible. And your love for the material made it fun and interesting. It was truly a pleasure to work with each and every one of you!
Thanks to my editorial assistant, Dan Rosenberg, whose help is visible on every page.
Thanks to the folks at Open Court—especially George A. Reisch, David Ramsay Steele, and Cindy Pineo—for their advice, support, and the chance.
Thanks to the folks at the many wonderful Colbert fan sites, in particular No Fact Zone, for their detailed episode guide, Colbert University, for their interesting character studies, and Colbert Nation, for their lively forums.
Thanks to my colleagues, friends, and family for their guidance, support, and encouragement. In particular: John Jacobson, Nina Brewer-Davis, Jeff Schiller, Debbie Schiller, and Larry Schiller.
A special thanks to my adoring (and adored) wife, Denise Helene Brauer Schiller, for always being right beside me.
And a big, American-sized thanks to Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A. On behalf of myself and the contributors, we hope you’ll consider this the Number One Philosophy Book on all things Colbert.
Philosophy for Heroes
AARON ALLEN SCHILLER
Ask Stephen. He’ll tell you: Stephen Colbert is a bone fide American cultural institution. He’s been named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People for the past three years in a row (2006-2008). He’s coined words that capture the spirit of the times such as “truthiness” and “wikiality.” He ran for President in 2008. He’s received Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards, an honorary Doctorate, a key to the city of Columbia, South Carolina. He even has his own Ben and Jerry’s ice cream flavor: Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream. Not bad for