Stephen Colbert and Philosophy - Aaron Allen Schiller [91]
I stand by this man. I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message: that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound—with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world.
There was much more that he said (buy I Am America to read the rest) and in the end, his speech was “met with respectful silence.” Silence, too, can be an avowal—in this case, an indication that either Stephen Colbert’s audience did not think he was funny, or, if they did, they did not feel comfortable admitting that he was funny. And that’s funny. The Washington media declared that Stephen Colbert bombed, based on the reaction in the immediate audience. To the blogger media and Comedy Central fans, however, Colbert was a hit. This difference in opinion is a difference in Humorous Attitudes, but also, it shows how one’s disapproving avowal can affect another’s avowal of approval, as noted on the Time blog from James Poniewozik:
Colbert wasn’t playing to the room, if anything he was playing against the room… . To the audience that would watch Colbert on Comedy Central, the pained, uncomfortable, perhaps-a-little-scared-to-laugh reaction shots were not signs of failure. They were the money shots. They were the whole point.154
The complexity of Colbert humor involves the ability to play on an audience’s disapproving avowal for orchestrating an approving avowal for a much larger audience. This playing of avowals in comedy is now achievable with large audiences thanks to the advances of technology. Stephen Colbert possibly is the first comedian to successfully pull it off with the internet.
So, why is Stephen Colbert so funny? First, his humor shows us American culture from the aspect of a stiff, conservative ideologue that allows us to laugh not only at Stephen Colbert, but also his interpretation of particular events. The aspect-change connects to many viewers’ H.A, those who either are critical of conservative ideology, or those conservatives who have a wide H.A. and can appreciate the hypocrisy and irony in some of Stephen Colbert’s portrayal of American culture and values. That so many people can enjoy Stephen Colbert’s humor is a testament to our shared form of life. Finally, that Stephen Colbert is able to incite so many avowals in people—good and bad—is a testament to his ability to affect media in ways that only a brilliant entertainer and bonafide cultural force could.
A larger question that lies outside the scope of this paper is, how long will the comedy of Stephen Colbert last, and will it still pair nicely with a dry chardonnay? Since his humor parodies right-wing conservative pundits, what will happen now, since the political shift in the White House? Will Stephen Colbert’s popularity wane as easily as it has risen? Or does Stephen Colbert share that special comedic gift that passes down through generations, like Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Charlie Chaplin, and Johnny Carson?
The answers to these questions lie in time, a bottle of wine, and a robust theory of humor.155
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Where Id Was, There Stephen Colbert Shall Be!
BRAD FRAZIER
In honor of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychotherapy and philosopher of the unconscious, let’s have a free association quiz. Please answer with the first name that comes to mind. And don’t be ashamed of that answer, guilt-complexinistas. Who is white, apparently racist, and the first woman to be on the short list for joining the ticket of a Democratic nominee for president?
Yes, you’re correct, the answer is Geraldine Ferraro. In 1984, Walter Mondale actually chose Ferraro