news propaganda... what happened to Colbert??

[Gumby]

this is how and why 5 companies control what you watch... it's called capitalist propaganda...



Chris Durang Mon May 1, 12:18 PM ET

Peter Daou has already addressed this issue today in his excellent piece on the Huffington Post called "Ignoring Colbert: A Small Taste of the Media's Power to Choose the News."
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However, I woke enraged on this topic before I read Daou's piece, so I wanted to add my two cents. (And I include a full transcript of Colbert's remarks at the bottom of this entry, so scroll down if you want to see it right away.)

Stephen Colbert was the star attraction at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday night, and his performance was thrilling or insulting or uncomfortable, depending on your point of view. Apparently, according to Editor and Publisher.com, President and Mrs. Bush looked very uncomfortable, and quickly left right afterward.

But the mainstream media is apparently ignoring this part of the evening, and instead is covering the early entertainment where Bush and a look-alike imitator do a "he says this, he's really thinking this" routine. Moderately amusing, but very mild.

This, by the way, is the same Washington event where Bush previously charmed many (and horrified others) by pretending to have trouble finding Weapons of Mass Destruction (after we'd started to realize they weren't in
Iraq), and wandered the room looking under tables. Really cute, huh? They should send videos of that to the families of soldiers killed.

The media's ignoring Colbert's effect at the White House Correspondents Dinner is a very clear example of what others have called the media's penchant for buying into the conservative/rightwing "narrative."

In this instance, the "narrative" is that
President Bush, for all his missteps, has a darling sense of humor and is a real regular guy, able to poke delightful fun at himself and his penchant for mis-using and mispronouncing words.

Who cares if he lied to start a war? (Or chose to ignore all contrary opinion, which as far as war-starting goes, is pretty crummy.) Who cares if he declares he's above the law, and according to the Boston Globe yesterday there are something like 750 laws he's decided don't apply to him as "Commander-in-Chief"?

The Globe article's first sentence: "President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution."

If the President doesn't obey the law, what the heck is he? He's a dictator in a coup, I think -- but no matter, according to the media, he's A-DOR-ABLE!

Meanwhile, at this Correspondents White House Dinner, the star attraction of the evening -- the last person to perform (of a small group) and whose act went on for about 20 minutes -- is Stephen Colbert. Yesterday the blogs were a-buzz with how shocking his remarks were. In his comic persona of Bush Supporter Nonpareil, Colbert stood on the dais near the President and kept making eye contact with him as he said truly biting comic remarks.

I found two sites that showed clips from Colbert's performance. This one (at Crooks and Liars) has most of the act, though it's missing the beginning.

It's insane journalism not to write about Colbert's appearance. It's the main event. Like it or hate it, it's the thing to talk about. You have to CHOOSE to focus on the lightweight entertainment that preceded it.

The right wing blogs are saying Colbert bombed, and in some ways that's not wrong, the gathered audience wanted and expected something lighter - but that's what makes the appearance so startling. It's very witty when you read the text; but actuality as Colbert says these things to the President's face, it's very uncomfortable. Watching it, It's like Hamlet forcing King Claudius to watch the play that accuses him of murder. Or it's like a man asked to be Court Jester who shows up and tells the king exactly what's wrong with him, and gets out of the building before they can behead him. (Why do I keep having "king" examples, lol. No reason, I'm sure.)

Colbert's was a brave and shocking performance. And for the media to pretend it isn't newsworthy is a total bafflement. And a symbol of how shoddy and suspect the media is.

(And a truly interesting news question - who chose the biting Colbert to be the entertainment? And are they now in trouble?)

This morning, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer giggled and got all warm about the cutesy performance of Bush and the Twin look-alike imitator. Really funsy. Colbert was not mentioned.

I'm old enough to remember when Eartha Kitt told off Lady Byrd Johnson for her husband's policies in Vietnam at some innocent luncheon... the news media reported that, they didn't only report on the chicken salad sandwiches.

Yesterday the New York Times had no coverage of the event, except buried in its Washington section was a small, uninteresting blurb picked up from Reuters.

This morning, lo and behold, they have more... a fawning piece by someone named Elizabeth Bumiller called "At Award Correspondents' Dinner, A Set of Bush Twins Steal the Show."

Like Katie and Matt's briefer piece, this article too finds the President absolutely adorable. And makes the judgment call that the President's darling sense of humor is the true story of the event.

And the Colbert appearance -- which chilled the room, attacking journalists as well as Bush -- is literally not worth reporting. Back before blogs and C-Span, we wouldn't even know about it.

The Times piece also has a video clip, which features Bush and the Twin, but at the tail end includes Colbert, saying he was biting, but then quotes one of his milder jabs (making fun of the Iraqis' troubles putting together a government). (To find you must click on "video report" under "Washington Letter.")

I suppose I can be dismissed as a conspiracy type, but if Ohio was stolen in the last election (which I think it was), and if more and more computer voting is put into place with NO PAPER RECORD (Democrats, wake up on this one please, please, please), and if Matt and Katie and other media people keep feeding us the Conservative Narrative on and on, then our democracy is over. (Some say it's already over.) McCain has been taken over like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" -- he too now finds Bush adorable. I keep having hopes for Arlen Specter, he seems truly upset by Bush breaking the law to allow warrantless wiretapping. But will he have the courage and stamina to keep fighting?

Well I'm talking myself into a gloomy corner, so let me stop, and reprint the full Colbert speech, which I found at this link.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060501/cm_huffpost/020130;_ylt=A86.I2xvSVZE09gAKwv9wxIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBj MHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

[pisshead]

Colbert Lampoons Bush at White House Correspondents Dinner-- President Not Amused?

Editor And Publisher | May 1 2006

WASHINGTON A blistering comedy â??tributeâ?� to President Bush by Comedy Centralâ??s faux talk show host Stephen Colbert at the White House Correspondent Dinner Saturday night left George and Laura Bush unsmiling at its close.

Earlier, the president had delivered his talk to the 2700 attendees, including many celebrities and top officials, with the help of a Bush impersonator.

Colbert, who spoke in the guise of his talk show character, who ostensibly supports the president strongly, urged Bush to ignore his low approval ratings, saying they were based on reality, â??and reality has a well-known liberal bias.â?�

He attacked those in the press who claim that the shake-up at the White House was merely re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. â??This administration is soaring, not sinking,â?� he said. â??If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg.â?�

Colbert told Bush he could end the problem of protests by retired generals by refusing to let them retire. He compared Bush to Rocky Balboa in the â??Rockyâ?� movies, always getting punched in the faceâ??â??and Apollo Creed is everything else in the world.â?�

Turning to the war, he declared, "I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq."

He noted former Ambassador Joseph Wilson in the crowd, just three tables away from Karl Rove, and that he had brought " Valerie Plame." Then, worried that he had named her, he corrected himself, as Bush aides might do, "Uh, I mean... he brought Joseph Wilson's wife." He might have "dodged the bullet," he said, as prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald wasn't there.

Colbert also made biting cracks about missing WMDs, â??photo opsâ?� on aircraft carriers and at hurricane disasters, melting glaciers and Vice President Cheney shooting people in the face. He advised the crowd, "if anybody needs anything at their tables, speak slowly and clearly into your table numbers and somebody from the N.S.A. will be right over with a cocktail. "

Observing that Bush sticks to his principles, he said, "When the president decides something on Monday, he still believes it on Wednesday - no matter what happened Tuesday."

Also lampooning the press, Colbert complained that he was â??surrounded by the liberal media who are destroying this country, except for Fox News. Fox believes in presenting both sides of the story â?? the presidentâ??s side and the vice presidentâ??s side." In another slap at the news channel, he said: "I give people the truth, unfiltered by rational argument. I call it the No Fact Zone. Fox News, I own the copyright on that term."

He also reflected on the alleged good old days for the president, when the media was still swallowing the WMD story.

Addressing the reporters, he said, "Let's review the rules. Here's how it works. The president makes decisions, heâ??s the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Put them through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know--fiction."

He claimed that the Secret Service name for Bush's new press secretary is "Snow Job."

Colbert closed his routine with a video fantasy where he gets to be White House Press Secretary, complete with a special â??Gannonâ?� button on his podium. By the end, he had to run from Helen Thomas and her questions about why the U.S. really invaded Iraq and killed all those people.

As Colbert walked from the podium, when it was over, the president and First Lady gave him quick nods, unsmiling. The president shook his hand and tapped his elbow, and left immediately.

Those seated near Bush told E&P's Joe Strupp, who was elsewhere in the room, that Bush had quickly turned from an amused guest to an obviously offended target as Colbertâ??s comments brought up his low approval ratings and problems in Iraq.

Several veterans of past dinners, who requested anonymity, said the presentation was more directed at attacking the president than in the past. Several said previous hosts, like Jay Leno, equally slammed both the White House and the press corps.

â??This was anti-Bush,â?� said one attendee. â??Usually they go back and forth between us and him.â?� Another noted that Bush quickly turned unhappy. â??You could see he stopped smiling about halfway through Colbert,â?� he reported.

After the gathering, Snow, while nursing a Heineken outside the Chicago Tribune reception, declined to comment on Colbert. â??Iâ??m not doing entertainment reviews,â?� he said. â??I thought the president was great, though.â?�

Strupp, in the crowd during the Colbert routine, had observed that quite a few sitting near him looked a little uncomfortable at times, perhaps feeling the material was a little too biting--or too much speaking "truthiness" to power.

Asked by E&P after it was over if he thought he'd been too harsh, Colbert said, "Not at all." Was he trying to make a point politically or just get laughs? "Just for laughs," he said. He said he did not pull any material for being too strong, just for time reasons. (He later said the president told him "good job" when he walked off.)

Helen Thomas told Strupp her segment with Colbert was "just for fun."

In its report on the affair, USA Today asserted that some in the crowd cracked up over Colbert but others were "bewildered." Wolf Blitzer of CNN said he thought Colbert was funny and "a little on the edge."

Earlier, the president had addressed the crowd with a Bush impersonator alongside, with the faux-Bush speaking precisely and the real Bush deliberately mispronouncing words, such as the inevitable "nuclear." At the close, Bush called the imposter "a fine talent. In fact, he did all my debates with Senator Kerry." The routine went over well with the crowd -- better than did Colbert's, in fact.

Among attendees at the black tie event: Morgan Fairchild, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Justice Antonin Scalia, George Clooney, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers--in a kilt.

[pisshead]

Ignoring Colbert: A Small Taste of the Media's Power to Choose the News

Peter Daou | May 1 2006

The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner was televised on C-Span Saturday evening. Featured entertainer Stephen Colbert delivered a biting rebuke of George W. Bush and the lily-livered press corps. He did it to Bush's face, unflinching and unbowed by the audience's muted, humorless response. Democratic Underground members commented in real time (here, here, and here). TMV posted a wrap-up.

On Colbert's gutsy delivery, watertiger writes, "Stephen Colbert displayed more guts in ten minute of performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner than the entire Bush family. He, along with the ever-feisty Helen Thomas, deftly exposed the "truthiness" to the world (or at least those who were watching) that Bush AND the D.C. press corps are indeed a naked emperor and his gutless courtiers."

Mash at dKos says, "Standing at the podium only a few feet from President Bush, Colbert launched an all out assault on the policies of this Administration. It was remarkable, though painful at times, to watch. It may also have been the first time that anyone has been this blunt with this President. By the end of Colbert's routine, Bush was visibly uncomfortable. Colbert ended with a video featuring Helen Thomas repeatedly asking why we invaded Iraq. That is a question President Bush has yet to answer to the American public. I am not sure what kind of review Stephen Colbert's performance will get in the press. One thing is however certain - his performance was important and will reverberate."

It appears Mash's misgivings about press coverage are well-placed. The AP's first stab at it and pieces from Reuters and the Chicago Tribune tell us everything we need to know: Colbert's performance is sidestepped and marginalized while Bush is treated as light-hearted, humble, and funny. Expect nothing less from the cowardly American media. The story could just as well have been Bush and Laura's discomfort and the crowd's semi-hostile reaction to Colbert's razor-sharp barbs. In fact, I would guess that from the perspective of newsworthiness and public interest, Bush-the-playful-president is far less compelling than a comedy sketch gone awry, a pissed-off prez, and a shell-shocked audience.

This is the power of the media to choose the news, to decide when and how to shield Bush from negative publicity. Sins of omission can be just as bad as sins of commission. And speaking of a sycophantic media establishment bending over backwards to accommodate this White House and to regurgitate pro-GOP and anti-Dem spin, I urge readers to pick up a copy of Eric Boehlert's new book, Lapdogs. It's a powerful indictment of the media's timidity during the Bush presidency. Boehlert rips away the facade of a "liberal media" and exposes the invertebrates masquerading as journalists who have allowed and enabled the Bush administration's many transgressions to go unchecked, under-reported, or unquestioned.

A final thought: Bush's clownish banter with reporters - which is on constant display during press conferences - stands in such stark contrast to his administration's destructive policies and to the gravity of the bloodbath in Iraq that it is deeply unsettling to watch. This may be impolitic, but wouldn't refraining from frat-style horseplay be appropriate for this man? Or at the least, can't reporters suppress their raucous laughter every time he blurts out another jibe... the way they did when Colbert put them in their place?

[Gumby]

^ the piece mine references in the begining... thanks.... more poeple should hear what he said... have you seen the video anywhere online??

[Gumby]

http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/cspan.csp?command=dprogram&record=157667909

the cspan page with the number where you can order it... as soon as i find it online i'll let you know...

[Psycho4Bud]

I watched it....seems funny to me that Bush and his impersonator got the most laughs. He was the bomb!

Nice to see a world leader "let his hair down".:thumbsup:

PRESIDENT BUSH: As you know, I always look forward to these dinners.

BUSH IMPERSONATOR: It's just a bunch of media types. Hollywood liberals, Democrats like Joe Biden. How come I can't have dinner with the 36% of the people who like me?

(Laughter)

The only thing missing is Hillary Clinton sitting on the front row, rolling her eyes.

(Laughter)

There's got to be a friendly face out there somewhere. There's Justice Scalia. There's Justice Alito. Hey, boys.

(Laughter)

Bet it feels good to be out from under those robes. Toga! Toga! Toga!

(Laughter)

There's Alex Trebeck of Jeopardy. That boy's smart.

He knows a lot. Maybe I should put him on the Supreme Court.

Let's see the Democrats block that one.

[Gumby]

http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?resultstart=1&resultcount=10&BasicQueryText=correspondents+dinner&image1.x=0&image1.y=0&image1=Submit

found the download... and Stephen was so much better than bush was... sorry... Bush was funny, but Colbert was way better...

[Psycho4Bud]

http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?resultstart=1&resultcount=10&BasicQueryText=correspondents+dinner&image1.x=0&image1.y=0&image1=Submit

found the download... and Stephen was so much better than bush was... sorry... Bush was funny, but Colbert was way better...

The whole time Colbert talked he may have got a couple chuckles....Bush and the impersonator was the shit...admit it dude!:thumbsup:

[pisshead]

http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?resultstart=1&resultcount=10&BasicQueryText=correspondents+dinner&image1.x=0&image1.y=0&image1=Submit

found the download... and Stephen was so much better than bush was... sorry... Bush was funny, but Colbert was way better...

yeah, it's a rare opportunity to see anyone anywhere make fun of lord bush while in the presence of the emperor himself!

[Psycho4Bud]

yeah, it's a rare opportunity to see anyone anywhere make fun of lord bush while in the presence of the emperor himself!


Which blows all this nazi, dictator, emperor shit right out of the water. In that type of society, Colbert would have been pushing daisy's by this morning...don't ya think?:rolleyes:

[Gumby]

The whole time Colbert talked he may have got a couple chuckles....Bush and the impersonator was the shit...admit it dude!:thumbsup:

No one laughed there cause he was making fun of all of them... that's why they didn't laugh... I don't judge what's funny by people laughing...

He made fun of everyone there and did it perfectly... Bush had someone who showed how stupid he really is.... not funny

I'm sorry but I don't find it funny our leader is a dumbass... can he make fun of himself, ya it was good.... but it was all true and that's why it was funny...

Colbert was better cause he told the truth to the people who needed to hear it and he did it in the best sarcasm ever... he called Bush a dictator to his face... that's funny... cause it's true too... maybe it's cause I got that joke and you didn't... is it cause you can understand Bush can't pronounce words, so that's funny... but Colbert and I know Bush is a Dictator and that is why we thought it was funny..

[Gumby]

Which blows all this nazi, dictator, emperor shit right out of the water. In that type of society, Colbert would have been pushing daisy's by this morning...don't ya think?:rolleyes:

No he get's no news coverage and people think the Bush Double was the best part because it's the TV that's telling you what to think.. which is why I started this post and why you are doing nothing but proving it's validity... :)

[Psycho4Bud]

No he get's no news coverage and people think the Bush Double was the best part because it's the TV that's telling you what to think.. which is why I started this post and why you are doing nothing but proving it's validity... :)

LOL...don't tell me what the news programmed me to think...I watched it....Colbert was a dud and Bush was the bomb! LOL...a comedian out done by the President of the United States...CLASSIC!:thumbsup:

[pisshead]

yeah, i don't judge what's funny by how many people laugh either...because there's plenty of stuff i find hilariously funny (curb your enthusiasm, seinfeld, chef, spaced, bill hicks, the office to name a few)...that i show other people, who just don't laugh at it. it bugs the shit out of me.

it was refreshing to see colbert pack so much truth into what he said in such a sarcastic way and call out the assholes who are turning America into a dictatorship.

i can only imagine it would be like watching kin jong il, or stalin or hitler or mao get up there and make jokes when i saw lord bush.

but you can only dress up the pig for so long before people stop believing the lies, like in soviet russia...you can be told all day long how great things are, but when you start to see the physical manifestations of a dictatorship, it just adds to the cause against it. then comes more pressure, and more resistance, and more pressure...

then it's a race to see who wins, the dictatorship or the people. we'll find out.

then again, our president hangs out with the dictator of a country responsible, admittedly, for over 60 million deaths. we give him grand honors and an elaborate and fancy welcoming...

which is why all this darfur shit pisses me off. of course what's going on there is bad...and how africa is basically an establishment offensive no matter how you look at it...you have china that's muliple times worse, but that's not important enough for brad pitt or angelina or anyone in the mainstream media anywhere.

[Gumby]

ok, you just have a sorry taste in comedy... i'll settle for that...

:)

I'm just joking by the way... but i still defend colbert as being better... the who's better is just a personal prefernce... but I do think for what he did and what he said he didn't get the coverage he deserved...

[Psycho4Bud]

yeah, i don't judge what's funny by how many people laugh either.

Damn, you people would be a blast at a comedy club.....if the audience laughs...it's not funny...if they looked bored....it's hilarious. :rolleyes:

[activedenial]

Colbert isn't funny at all, he uses subtle propaganda to get to the stupid masses. I watched an interview where he said we should nuke Iran. And that we should also take military action right now. He was being serious, and he works for bush.

[Gumby]

it's called sarcasm and if you don't understand that you don't need to be watching Colbert...

[pisshead]

it's called sarcasm and if you don't understand that you don't need to be watching Colbert...

yes, incredibly thick sarcasm. all you have to see is him jog over to his in-studio guest as the people clap. they're clapping for the guest after he announces he's going to talk with them, yet he glides over across the studio to another interview set as if they're cheering for him.

it's funny, every time.

if he seems to so actively support war and the destruction of the country and play up the fake left/right paradigm, it's to highlight how insane it is in the first place to even be discussing it. he's not serious.

[Bong30]

Which blows all this nazi, dictator, emperor shit right out of the water. In that type of society, Colbert would have been pushing daisy's by this morning...don't ya think?:rolleyes:
They cant handle the truth.....

[pisshead]

yeah, because no one would question the murder of colbert the day after that, or those that do just show themselves for the superficial big government enthusiasts that they are.

don't worry, they're going after people you never hear or read about anyway, or at least you never hear or read about. it's easier to pretend it doesn't exist and make fun of it, because that means it's not true.

[Psycho4Bud]

The true stars of the show.......Classic!:D
Bridges opened like this: â??The media really ticks me off â?? the way they try to embarrass me by not editing what I say. Well, letâ??s get things going, or Iâ??ll never get to bed.â?�

â??Iâ??m absolutely delighted to be here, as is (wife) Laura,â?� Bush replied.

â??Sheâ??s hot,â?� Bridges quipped.

[Gumby]

how is the leader of the free nation proving he's an idiot funny...

people are gonna look back at this in 50 years and call us fucking retarded...
'you mean their leader told them he was a moron and the still believed him?"

"you mean the had a president that couldn't speak correctly and they thought it was funny??"

"you mean he stayed in power after that?"

"you mean he was at war when he said that?"

"you mean the next day his congress passed a 106 billion dollar bill supporting him?"

"you really mean he was in power for two more years and people didn't get it?"

"you mean when he said go ahead they are only showers they believed him even though smoke was coming out?"

"you mean that many people followed him blindly"


keep laughing... it'll be funny one day right?