One of TIME's People Who Mattered in 2006: Stephen Colbert

[DeepModem Mom]

Stephen Colbert
Beauty Is Truthiness, Truthiness Beauty ...

... that is all ye know on earth, and if ye need to know anything else, Stephen Colbert, 42, will tell ye what to think. On Comedy Central's The Colbert Report (silent t, both words), he plays a vain, blustery political pundit, and neither politics nor punditry emerges unscathed. In the first episode, he coined the term truthiness to embody his belief that facts are far less important than what you want to be true. "You don't look up truthiness in a book," he declared. "You look it up in your gut."

Truthiness resonated beyond Colbert's satire in an era of phony memoirs and reality TV. And to people who feel the Administration chooses gut (and spin) over facts, his acerbic speech "praising" the President at the White House correspondents' dinner became pop legend. Citing Bush's cratering job-approval rating, the in-character Colbert argued, "Does that not also logically mean that 68% of Americans approve of the job he's not doing?" Whatever you're doing, or not doing, Mr. Colbert, keep it up.

By James Poniewozik

http://www.time.com/time/personoftheyear/2006/people/8.html


(F. SCOTT SCHAFER/CORBIS OUTLINE)

[otohara]

1. This One Caught My Eye - Where's Howard Dean?

http://www.time.com/time/personoftheyear/2006/people/13.html

[stellanoir]

2. Hey DMM

Plugging away in the wee hours of the morning on Christmas are you?

Just finished wrapping and cooking myself in more than one way.

LOL

Merry, Merry and Happy, Happy, and the very best to you and yours.

Thanks for all your diligence and intrepid spirit but perhaps it's time for a little rest??? I may be projecting but it certainly is for me.

You are truly appreciated. Thanks for all your support.

May the spirit of what this season is, TRULY about envelope you and yours and continue to influence this world during these holidays and throughout the many years to come.

best

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Thanks so much for your kind words, stella! Blessings and good wishes to you, too.

Actually, posting is my way of winding down and relaxing after planning, shopping, wrapping, preparing, tasting, sipping, and even church! (Especially after everyone else is tucked in, or early in the morning before they get up.) I did nap today -- and, alas, I'm not much of a cook!

[stellanoir]

7. Yeah I hear ya

I wind down that way as well.

I'm making a dish for a slew of households and I over did it on the garlic and had to muck around compensating with other ingredients. My sister in law said in response to my dilemma, "I didn't ever think I'd ever hear you say too much garlic" but it truly overpowered the other flavors.

I think I fixed it now but yikes. I HAVE to go to bed.

Guess this Santa stuff has me hyped or somethin'

Have an exceedingly cool yule luv, and the best of new years.

[calimary]

6. Seconded, stellanoir. I feel as though DMM is always on "patrol"

watching for breaking news to zip straight into LBN. She'd be an asset to ANY newsroom.

YOU ROCK, DMM!

My supervisor's supervisor at the AP, at one of my yearly performance reviews, said one of my strong points was "her newswatch never stops." Neither does DeepModem Mom's!

:yourock:

[stellanoir]

8. truly

and totally agreed

Maybe we can bombard her with compliments and appreciation for Christmas or something equally embarrassing. :)

[calimary]

10. You're on! Consider her bombarded.

Her vigilance is part of what makes LBN the kind of forum I feel compelled to check, first thing EVERY morning. It's exactly like reading in was, back when I was on the air.

[DeepModem Mom]

9. Blushing!

:blush:

[AnotherMother4Peace]

11. DMM, you're one of my favorites-Thanks for makin' the world a better place

Merry Christmas to you and yours. (I'm up early cooking & thought I'd take a moment to add to the "bombardment")

[DeepModem Mom]

13. Thank you so much -- hope your Christmas is proceeding merrily!

[Julien Sorel]

3. After watching Colbert, I was struck by what little

difference there is between his "satire" and the targets of his satire there is. The slightest change in tone and he would be completely indistinguishable from the garden variety right wing pundit; in fact, he's quite a bit saner than the loony variety (Coulter, Malkin, et al).


Notice, by the way, that the Time piece doesn't point out that Colbert lampoons the media as well. Attack Bush, attack Democrats, attack almost anything and they'll see it and chuckle along; attack the media abd they are either unable to see it or they pretend it didn't happen.

[lebkuchen]

12. Who was the greatest butt of Colbert's jokes during the WH Correspondents Dinner?

The press or Bush?

I'd say it was a tie.

[nam78_two]

5. The WHCD-one of the most fun things of 2006

And IMHO "The Colbert Repore" kicks TDS's ass and I LOVE TDS :).