Posts Tagged ‘Stephen Colbert’
“well at least he’s not so late today.” »
Monday, April 5th, 2010
This quote from one of three men who wait at Southdale for the same express bus as I do when I don’t bike. I’ve taken to the nickname “The Trinity” when cataloging their odd…
The Tiny Badass
This guy shows up occasionally in a bright blue beret. He has anti-establishment, pro-awesome hair hanging a couple inches past his shoulders. (It’s thin and usually greasy, which provides as much disgusting as hilarious.)
This is made worse by two irrefutable facts: Badass is in his mid-forties and he probably weighs 120lbs with his 80s era bright blue ski jacket soaked through. The man is far too small for anything but a Napoleon complex bigger than its namesake’s to justify a bravado he so clearly has.
He’s someone who hangs with bikers but doesn’t own a bike because they’re too establishment. He probably saw many things I’d never want to in a war he didn’t believe in but the chip on his shoulder is heavier than he is.
Quote: “That place Lyle’s? I’m two blocks away and would never go there.”
The Slick Kitten
Both Slick and Badass are avid smokers. They stand in front of the bus stop while indulging themselves, shrugging their shoulders in the face of an imaginary authority that politely suggests they move fifteen feet to their left. With pride, they toss their still smoldering drugs on the sidewalk, into the parking lot or toward the grass because society tells them the sand-filled receptacles need be used.
Slick pines for expensive gadgets he will never afford. He doesn’t talk within earshot often (also, I almost always wear headphones), but when he speaks of magical features no tangible device has, my left kidney shivers. (That he usually attributes them to an iPhone is doubly hilarious.)
He’s taken to wearing shiny black shoes that clash so strongly with his frayed jeans it sparks concern that there are no women in his life. As soon as he finds one, he’ll toss his “too cool” for “too cute.”
The Aged Comedian
Without the nicotine habit, Comedian has to force his way into the conversation. He thinks up a comment no one cares about (you can tell because he smiles to himself), steps within a few feet and then drops said comment like slate tiles.
With his reusable, Colbert-emblazoned bag, he’s both too sure of his being hilarious and environmentally conscious enough to be innocuous. Add that he’s in his sixties and he’s basically invisible. He makes himself laugh, though, and that’s all that matters.
Quote: The title above, which he said every day for a week. That the bus was on time each of those days and hadn’t been more than three minutes late the full week prior makes me think he’s found his catch phrase. You know, if anyone were listening, which (read: said invisibility) they are not.
Photo courtesy Veer, obviously
the case for CoCo »
Friday, January 15th, 2010
Inferred in the title, I’m a staunch Conan “People of Earth” O’Brien supporter. This does not mean I regularly watch his show. In fact, I rarely see it since I slimmed my subscriptions in Hulu but I watched regularly at first and enjoy his humorist tendencies.
That and his competition is sub-stellar.
David “Ahead of the News” Letterman is a better interview. His bits and monologue are tired but he, especially with guests he sees as inferior, is a master behind the desk (though, James “Your Favorite Curse” Lipton has him beat hands down in overall style).
Jay “Have You Heard This?/Am I Right?” Leno has a tired monologue, uninteresting interview skills but can make fun of stupid people and typos. Jerry “Show About Nothing” Seinfeld is a genius in observing the comedy in the mondane. Leno’s genius is in trying to be Seinfeld.
Craig “Who’s That Guy?” Ferguson has filled the shoes of Craig “Where’s My Mirror” Kilborn well. Still, he’s a complete goof who I have only watched once or twice. He seems to have a following.
Jimmy “Stick Around After Grey’s” Kimmel has a stronger following than Ferguson and seems to have the staying power. At least on his network, which has ratings, I think, from televisions being left on after “Modern Family” or “Grey’s Anatomy” or, in some cases, “General Hospital“.
Because I’m such an impressive blogger*, I’ll even mention Wanda “Rock-Splitting Voice” Sykes and George “I’m Hispanic” Lopez. Neither are original (or funny) but both have shows (Fox Saturday and TBS during the week, respectively) because networks need to advertise pharmaceuticals to insomniac, depressed, middle-aged viewers. (Pills!!)
NBC’s decision to scrap their Tonight Show (a legacy of fifty-five years) for some hybrid option was rightfully opposed by O’Brien (his statement). After only a few months, O’Brien’s show had a younger audience, something coveted by most studio execs (lower proportion on a fixed income = more money = lucrative advertising). In any case, even Leno defended O’Brien’s ratings issues.
What no one’s talking about is how much Leno’s show sucked. I mean, it’s terrible. His monologue is just as abismal as it was an hour and a half later but the laid back format is boring, the interviews still terrible and his choice in up-and-coming comedians doesn’t fit his demographic. He can still make fun of stupid people but is that better than O’Brien?
No.
Mr O’Brien’s intellectually goofy style is more modern and more in-tune with the not-yet-middle-aged audience. It’s fresh and unique in a landscape of desks and couches. Jimmy “Look at My Gadget” Fallon has taken to the role of goofball after-The-Tonight-Show host, Jon “Say WHAAAAT!?” Stewart covers political humor and Stephen “Even I Don’t Take This Seriously” Colbert has a lock on mockery, so O’Brien can work his niche accordingly.
Playing one off the other here, as NBC is doing, provides a ratings boost and then built-in buzz for O’Brien’s next step. This, I’m behind. As long as he moves to a Hulu-friendly network… (who can stay up that late nowadays?)
* You may have noticed I didn’t even make a case for Conan’s staying at The Tonight Show or moving to another network or just retiring. I’m that good.