Then and Now: Media ignores Colbert; They didn't ignore Imus

[Sparkly]

Then...

New York Times, 3/23/1996: "...(T)he correspondents apparently got more than they bargained for when Mr. Imus made fun of President Clinton's supposed extramarital affairs and Hillary Clinton's legal problems -- with both the President and the First Lady sitting on the dais as he spoke."

LA Times, 3/23/96: "Imus joked about Clinton's alleged extramarital affairs, the first lady's financial dealings and the homosexuality of House Speaker Newt Gingrich's half sister. The president was photographed grimacing at one of the lines."

CBS Evening News, 3/22/96: Imus delivered "political and sexual punch lines aimed at the Clintons."

Washington Post, 3/23/96: "The evening began promisingly enough, with Clinton and Gingrich playfully clinking glasses in a toast before their good-natured mutual tweaking." ..."With President and Hillary Rodham Clinton squirming in stony silence a few feet away on the dais at the Washington Hilton last night, radio shock jock Don Imus made jokes about Clinton's alleged extramarital affairs (and) his wife's alleged financial misdeeds."

Now...

New York Times: "A New Set of Bush Twins Appear at Annual Correspondents' Dinner." (NO mention of Colbert.)

Washington Post today: "The reviews from the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner are in, and the consensus is that President Bush and Bush impersonator Steve Bridges stole Saturday's show -- and Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert's cutting satire fell flat because he ignored the cardinal rule of Washington humor: Make fun of yourself, not the other guy."

Reuters: "Bush Skewers Self at Correspondents' Dinner" (Brief mention of Colbert at end.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060430/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_correspondents;_ylt=Apacix.565bynLCFwrxqtPxp24cA">AP: "Bush Plays Straight Man to His Lookalike" (Brief mention of Colbert.)

STEPHANOPOULOS: And now a special edition of "The Sunday Funnies." President Bush and his mystery twin at last night's White House Correspondents' dinner.

HOLT: The relationship between the White House press corps and the president can be a contentious one, but last night it was all laughs as President Bush had those attending the White House Correspondents' dinner doing a double take, literally. The president got a lesson in talking about nuclear weapons programs from an impersonator.

JOHN SEIGENTHALER (host): We're going to end here tonight on a lighter note. A tradition that started when Calvin Coolidge attended the annual White House Correspondents' dinner. As is customary, the president uses the occasion to poke some fun at himself. Last night, President Bush brought along some help, impersonator Steve Bridges.

MATT LAUER (co-host): Every year, our nation's presidents put their egos aside to poke a little fun at themselves at the White House Correspondents' dinner.
KATIE COURIC (co-host): And this weekend was no different. President Bush was seeing double with the help of presidential impersonator Steve Bridges. Take a look.

CHARLES GIBSON (co-host): Well, over the weekend, President Bush hosted the annual dinner for the White House press corps and the crowd wound up doing a double-take. Here he is with a presidential look-alike at the dinner. Now, this event is half stand-up, half roast. And this year, the president took a few swipes at himself. Here we are.

RENE SYLER : And President Bush poked fun at himself at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner. He appeared side-by-side with impersonator Steve Bridges, who played the role of the president's inner voice. They joked about his mispronunciation of certain words.

MILES O'BRIEN (co-host): Pictures of the White House on this Morning. With rising gas prices and the war in Iraq, there's not a lot to laugh about inside that building, but President Bush was able to laugh at himself quite literally. At a fancy dinner for the White House press corps over the weekend, he poked fun at himself with the help of an alter ego, impersonator Steve Bridges.


Thanks to Media Matters for most of this: http://mediamatters.org/items/200605010005

[shenmue]

1. Oh no. Imus.

Does anyone ever understand a word that man says? What's with that stupid cowboy hat?

[vi5]

4. Well apparently his swooning fans on here understand him..

Hence the abundance of posts on here detailing his every move and utterance

[Benhurst]

2. No wonder Jeff Gannon blended in so well with the Washington

press corps. He was just another one of the whores.

[babylonsister]

3. Imus vs. a Dem prez (and SEX!) vs. Colbert going after a repug

prez (and serious, biting issues the media refuses to address!); the contrasts are startling, and it all has to do with the party and who's been bought where the media whores work.

[Vinnie From Indy]

5. It really is a simple thing to explain

Gargantuan multi-national corporations have "acquired" our government as they do with any organization that could make them money. They have also "acquired" and consolidated the vast majority of media in America to cover their asses and provide an additional platform to market their goods. Asking the media to report on events like Colbert's presidential smackdown is like asking Wal-Mart to publicize their horrid treatment of their workers.