TresSugar

Colbert Won't Tell Us How to Get to Socialist Sesame Street

TresSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Last night Stephen Colbert took on Sesame Street, the "most insidious socialist brainwashing program in our nation's history," on its 40th anniversary. When not condemning SS for indoctrinating children with a love of learning and showing adorable clips, he calls out Grover for allowing kids to think marriage is just between two people and the legalization of Bert-and-Ernie marriages.

Meghan McCain and Stephen Colbert Have a Sex Talk

TresSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Meghan McCain went on The Colbert Report last night to talk sex and the Republican Party. She sounded optimistic about the party's future, saying she's a prosex, pro-life woman and a pro-gay-marriage Republican. Of course, Stephen asked her what incentive he would have to get married if can just gay-marry and "hang out with dudes" all the time.

While she took a slam at Briston Palin's "abstinence tour," she maintained there is one thing about the campaign she won't comment on - Sarah Palin. Not even when Stephen asked her to comment on that comment!

Stephen Colbert Fears Armagayddon, Makes Ad

TresSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Last week an ad warning of a gay storm brewing shocked the Internet for about five minutes, at least until the casting call of auditioning actors surfaced. Now that New York's governor wants to legalize same-sex marriage, Stephen Colbert fears the storm is headed for his backyard. And it's a "threat to marriage to that won't be solved by clearing out your web browser." What to do when all you have is a cable show? Make your own ad. Watch it below.

US Aid to Africa Bad for Africa?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:00:39 -0700

It's amazing the things you can learn from a comedy show. Last night, Stephen Colbert invited Dambisa Moyo, the author of Dead Aid, on his show to discuss US aid to Africa. She says the type of assistance that celebrities lobby for and rich countries provide isn't always good for the continent.

In the last 60 years, wealthy countries have given Africa more than $1 trillion in aid, but poverty levels continue to increase in countries that have become dependent on foreign support.

Moyo explained to Stephen that government aid "very often is used for corruption. It causes inflation. It causes a debt burden, which is unsustainable." She says the developed world should support business leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa through direct investment. Moyo sounds like she has some good ideas - let's hope policy makers at least pick up her book.

Young People Say Stewart and Colbert Are Replacing News

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:30:19 -0700

Mainstream news outlets' long, insular nightmare that young people confuse fake news shows like The Daily Show and Colbert Report with real news may be coming true. Nearly one-third of people under 40 say satirical news shows are taking the place of traditional news.

Though Jon Stewart's interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer was called "serious journalism" in the White House press room, he's always rejected the idea of himself as a journalist. His show - he's said repeatedly - should be taken as entertainment, not news, and that people wouldn't see its humor if they weren't consuming news somewhere else.

Either way, it seems to me satirical news is better than no news. And, for some people - OK, me - it served as a gateway show into more respected news sources. Like the Internet!

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Cookie Monster on The Colbert Report

GiggleSugar — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Stephen Colbert recently took Sesame Street's awesome Cookie Monster to task for abandoning his whole-hearted pro-cookie agenda. He now eats fruit - and cookies are just a sometime snack. WTF?! Cookie (is that his first name?) tries to explain that he was once the Robert Downey Jr. of cookies, and this is a good change. I'm not sure Stephen bought it.

Rapper Nas Gives Petition to "Propaganda Machine" Fox News

CitizenSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:55:15 -0700

Rapper Nas joined with the Color of Change and MoveOn to deliver a petition to the offices of Fox News yesterday. Just after his controversial album hit number one, Nas took the podium protesting the racist attacks he sees coming from Fox against Black Americans and Barack Obama.

Delivering over 600,000 signatures to the network, Nas delivered a prepared speech saying, "We already knew that Fox is not a news network; they are a propaganda machine . . . Fox poisons this country every time they air racist propaganda and try to call it news. This should outrage every American that Fox uses hateful language to talk about the person that may be the first black president."

Fox declined receipt of the signatures, but issued a statement: "Fox News believes in all protesters exercising their right to free speech, including Nas, who has an album to promote."

That album now called Untitled had an original, much more controversial title. Does this affect his statement against Fox?

To see clips of the Fox language Nas finds offensive - served up on last night's Colbert Report (where the petition was delivered after Fox refused to accept it) - plus Nas's interview with Stephen, read more.

Nas was in studio with Stephen too - see the episode with his interview including talk of his feud with Bill O'Reilly.

Does Nas and the Color of Change/MoveOn petition have a point? Is Fox racist?

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Top Five Cheapest States to Fill Up Your Gas Tank. . . .

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:45:49 -0700

This I didn't know: Alaska has the highest gas prices in the US? Wow. The average up there in Klondike country is $4.63. California follows pretty closely at $4.50, and Hawaii, Connecticut, and Washington round out the top five.

So where should you be heading to fill up? Missouri is the cheapest at $3.86 (aw! Remember $3 gas! I made a scrapbook of it!) helped along by their record-low gas tax. Oklahoma, South Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Iowa round out the cheapest five states to fill up. So now that gas stations are having to use up a whole bunch more "4"s to fill their prices signs, where in the world will they get them all?

Can you guess who had this explanation for it? "I know what you're thinking. The fours have probably been replaced by illegal Mexican quatros." To find out, read more.

Last night on the Colbert Report, Stephen showed off his capitalistic prowess claiming that he's got the monopoly on all the fours needed for the rising gas prices. Funny, but let's hope he doesn't have a stockpile of fives, too? OK, Stephen? You hear me?

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Teaching Needs Be Involve Edumacating, Not No Wizarding

CitizenSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:30:31 -0700

Though indeed there is real teacher news today, including one Detroit-area educator who was found guilty of having sex with a former 15-year-old student - if that's the alternative, I prefer a little (Peabody-winning!) Colbert-ized report of one magical moment in the education of our nation's youth, thank you all the same. This real story, done up in all it's Report glory - well you won't believe your eyes.

This substitute teacher was somehow fired in connection with performing a magic trick, and bringing filthy wizardry and sorcery to the classroom by making a toothpick disappear. OK, fair the report is not, but, um. . . the interviews with the parents? Now that's some real magic right there.

The Truthiness: Behind the Scenes of the Colbert Report

CitizenSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:00:14 -0700

Love Colbert? Then his special magic seen from behind the scenes won't disappoint. Recently airing its 400th episode with the main man about to accept a Peabody award, the “Colbert Bump” which many candidates seem to experience after appearing on the popular Colbert Report is becoming a mountain.

Not known necessarily for his modesty, Colbert has an inkling of his influence claiming that he expects to fulfill the position of “kingmaker” in this year’s election. In advance of Colbert's big award (he'll accept on June 16) the AP put together a great piece about the man behind the . . . man. And it's filled with Colbert goodness - did you know that he's the youngest of 11 children? For more truthiness, read more.

The piece takes bite out of memorable appearances like the one by Georgia Congresswoman Lynn Westmoreland who moved to have the 10 Commandments displayed in government buildings, but when Colbert asked her to name them, she could only name one. Well, actually two, but one was incorrect. Colbert simply waited and counted in excruciating silence.

Though the show is largely a parody of the shout fest political pundits, who would rather preach than actually report, many assume it's broadly based on Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, Colbert disagrees. “The show is not about O'Reilly. The show is not about the shout fest. The show is about what is behind those things, which is: What I say is reality. And that never ends. Every politician is going to want to enforce that, or every person in Hollywood - every person."

On top of his crazy job (he admits he's "tired all the time") Colbert, found time to make a bid to get on the South Carolina ballot for the Democratic nomination (and did better in polls than half of the pack) before being voted off the ballot by party officials. And though "serious" pundits and politicians resent the mockery, Colbert raises an interesting point. “When a fictional person declares something news, is it responsible for you to agree? But so many real people declare fictional news and the press agrees. For instance, the surge is a success, don’t you think?”

How much longer can he keep up the demands of the show? He thinks. "The short answer is, I don't know. The facile answer but maybe the true answer is, as long as it's fun."

I hope it's fun for a long, long time. WristStrong!

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