On October 17, 2005, I celebrated my tenth birthday.
But more importantly, I learned about truthiness. That’s when, according to Stephen Colbert, you just feel what’s true “in your gut.” It’s stronger than the truth. Truthiness was the first feature in Colbert’s “The Word” segment, which became and remains The Colbert Report’s staple. And that brings me to tonight’s word: Goodbye.
On December 18, 2014, The Colbert Report will end.
The faux-conservative pundit will head for television’s scrapheap, and the true Stephen Colbert will take over the Late Show desk currently occupied by David Letterman.
I grew up with Colbert, like so many in my generation. Despite the comedian’s partisanship, he introduced me to American politics through satire. Moments like Colbert’s “Who Made Huckabee?” feud with Conan O’Brien and Jon Stewart, his 2008 presidential bid (not to mention his 2012 exploration of a “President of the United States of South Carolina” bid), and his Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow political action committee all marked important moments in the formation of my own political opinions. I remember how excited I was just last year when Colbert interviewed my congressman, Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.), for Colbert’s “Better Know a District” segment. Colbert’s acknowledgement of my home district was a source of enormous personal pride.
Many on the left delighted as The Colbert Report mocked right-wing pundits like Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. But for me, Colbert satirized the concept of the media pundit in general. Jon Stewart’s version of The Daily Show began in 1998, only two years after The O’Reilly Factor’s debut (under a different name). The Colbert Report’s concept was borne out of an era more critical of the hour-long editorial cable news program, which it deliberately satirized. Whereas Stewart directly mocked Fox News’s coverage, Colbert did not hesitate to step in its shoes through his character’s personality and the show’s setup. The character embodied the worst aspects of media punditry and news editorialization so well that he often fooled the conservatives he parodied. His satire of the media spoke to the audience’s frustration with their actual sources of information, and he drove me to criticize cable news across the spectrum. And that’s why I love Colbert. That’s why I will miss his character’s voice in American political discourse.
All the accolades, comedic stunts, and critiquing aside, Colbert forged a unique position in television satire. And as his show has drawn to a close, viewers have gotten to glimpse the true Colbert more often than usual. He has broken character more than ever, showing his hand to an audience who has grown to love the man behind the façade. CBS has shown its love in the form of a five-year contract to host its Late Show, starting in May 2015. Although his salary is undisclosed, it will be more than the $10 to $15 million per year he made at Comedy Central. The real Stephen Colbert will remain on air, but surely the post of network TV late night talk show host will dull his political edge.
I do not fear for the future of political satire on television. The genre has found a new master in John Oliver, and its cultivator, Jon Stewart, will remain on air. And I have high hopes for Larry Wilmore, who will fill Colbert’s time slot with The Nightly Show. Instead, I lament for Colbert’s unique voice, and for how Colbert’s cultural image will change in the next generation. I will greet the real Stephen and watch Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but I might have to eat an entire pint of AmeriCone Dream to survive my sorrow. Until then, I will dust off my old The Best of The Colbert Report DVD, slap on my WristStrong bracelet, and prepare for the character’s December 18 demise. Now, all that’s left to say is: Goodbye.
And that’s the word.
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons, Amazon.com