The Colbert Report

The Colbert Report – What News elements are Satirized

‘The Colbert Report’ is an Award Winning American comedy television program that airs in the United States of America and the United Kingdom and stars political humorist Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent for The Daily Show. ‘The Colbert Report’ is a spin-off of ‘The Daily Show’ and just like ‘The Daily Show’ it analysis’s politics and the media. It satirizes personality-driven political pundit programs, particularly Fox News‘ The O’Reilly Factor. The show focuses on Stephen Colbert, a fictional anchorman and is described as a “well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot“, is a caricature of televised political specialist. The Colbert Report was nominated for four Emmys each in 2006, 2007 and 2008, two Television Critics Association Awards, and two Satellite Awards. It received a Special Recognition award at the 2007 GLAAD Media Awards. It has been presented as non-satirical journalism in several instances, by the Tom DeLay Legal Defense Trust, and following Robert Wexler’s interview on the program. The Report has had cultural influence in a number of ways. In 2006, after Colbert encouraged viewers to vote online to name a Hungarian bridge after him, he won the first round of voting with 17,231,724 votes. The Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary presented Mr. Colbert with a declaration certifying him as the winner of the second and final round of voting, though it was later announced that the bridge would be named the Megyeri Bridge.

Much of the programme focuses of ridiculing the current news and it does this through a series of methods. The programme has a very distinctive opening sequence where each episode opens with riddle regarding the show’s topics and guest, followed by a verbal metaphor that promotes the show. Colbert also, acts in a similar way to the opening of a genuine News Report although he takes the actions to the extreme and consequently makes fun of them for example: he points directly to the camera and often when he looks to a different camera he will swing his entire body to face to over, just to over emphasize to joke about following different cameras and more often than not he tends to shout, which is again away of mimicking the real news. The show’s opening title sequence begins with images of an eagle (imitating the sense of patriotism) along with dramatic music it shows shots of him waving a massive stars and stripes flag, secondly he striking poses with words flying past the screen. Originally, the last word was grippy, but it has changed to ‘megamerican’, ‘Lincolnish’, ‘superstantial’, ‘freem’, ‘eneagled’, ‘flagaphile’, ‘good’, ‘gutly’, ‘warrior-poet’, ‘Rock On’, and ‘Multi-grain’ (as of July 21, 2008). The sequence ends with another computer-generated eagle shrieking toward the foreground, which opens the set of the show.

Following the opening sequence, Colbert runs through the day’s headlines, similar to that of ‘The Daily Show’ but with a pretend-right-wing spin. The program propter then begins with Colbert addressing a specific topic. Many of Colbert’s actions are similar and typical of a newsreader, for instance little actions like straightening papers clicking pens and speaking with a constant change in tone. The set for ‘The Colbert Report’ is called “The Eagle’s Nest” and reflects and facilitates Colbert’s arrogant style. The set has two main areas: the desk, where Colbert hosts most of the show and the guest interview area to the right. On one wall, above an artificial fireplace, is a portrait of Colbert, on the show’s first anniversary, the portrait was replaced by one of Colbert standing in front of the mantel with the first portrait above it; the original was auctioned off at a charity event. Colbert stated that the portrait will be changed every year to add another level of depth. On October 17, 2007, the portrait was removed and replaced with a new one that followed an identical pattern, but changed Colbert’s placement at the front.

Stephen Colbert’s character and ‘The Colbert Report’ generally parodies the Bill O’Reilly and ‘The O’Reilly Factor’. The broadcasters have even moved new episodes of The Colbert Report so that they are scheduled in the same time slot as rebroadcasts of The O’Reilly Factor, while Colbert rebroadcasts are scheduled during new O’Reilly shows. Furthermore ‘The Colbert Report’ features a remarks section called “The Word”, similar to O’Reilly’s “Talking Points Memo”. Like the “Memo”, it features an announcer stating a political point of view with a graphic text animation next to him. The purpose of O’Reilly’s text is to emphasize his points whereas Colbert’s text generally serves as an ironic counterpoint to his character’s position. Additionally, Colbert parodies O’Reilly’s references to his program as the “no spin zone” by inviting viewers of his show to “take a spin in the no fact zone.

 

 

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