Bill O'Reilly on The Colbert Report
So this happened last Thursday and I've been meaning to say something about it. At first I was going to blog about how Colbert never mentioned Bill's sexual harassment debacle from some moons back, but after repeat viewings I noticed that he actually got that jab in quick, early, and a little nastily (if also a little obliquely, I guess).
The general vibe I've noticed on the web is that it was over-hyped -- true, probably -- but Stephen's last line is classic, and like a lot of what he does on The Report, kind of casually profound. O'Reilly is going on about how he's actually a "sensitive, effete" guy and that his tough, hard-nosed television persona is "just an act." Colbert retorts, "But if you're an act, then what am I?"
Of course, all that talk about sensitivity is just his regularly back-handed attempt at framing the debate, unless it's actually a fairly pathetic attempt to either reach out to The Report's audience (in which case, good luck, but I don't think his base will increase at all from now until the end of his career) or -- more likely -- an appeal to sell books by equating himself with intelligence and sophistication. Because, you know, sensitive people are also all those things, too, right? And they write big, important books? And they totally get the humor of shows like The Colbert Report?
Bill just doesn't get it, does he? Though, you know, whatever his failings as a "journalist," at least he had the sense not to go into comedy.
One of these days I'd like to write a long post about "The Culture War" in its many guises and facets, but that will have to wait until another time. Here's a teaser, though: The Culture War both does and does not exist. Discuss.
The general vibe I've noticed on the web is that it was over-hyped -- true, probably -- but Stephen's last line is classic, and like a lot of what he does on The Report, kind of casually profound. O'Reilly is going on about how he's actually a "sensitive, effete" guy and that his tough, hard-nosed television persona is "just an act." Colbert retorts, "But if you're an act, then what am I?"
Of course, all that talk about sensitivity is just his regularly back-handed attempt at framing the debate, unless it's actually a fairly pathetic attempt to either reach out to The Report's audience (in which case, good luck, but I don't think his base will increase at all from now until the end of his career) or -- more likely -- an appeal to sell books by equating himself with intelligence and sophistication. Because, you know, sensitive people are also all those things, too, right? And they write big, important books? And they totally get the humor of shows like The Colbert Report?
Bill just doesn't get it, does he? Though, you know, whatever his failings as a "journalist," at least he had the sense not to go into comedy.
One of these days I'd like to write a long post about "The Culture War" in its many guises and facets, but that will have to wait until another time. Here's a teaser, though: The Culture War both does and does not exist. Discuss.
posted by PearJack at 3:33 PM
3 Comments:
I can't see how that interview could be overhyped. It was damn genius.
"I'm doing you, Bill"
Also, I noticed upon second watch of the Colbert-on-the-Factor interview that Colbert thanks O'Reilly for not "bringing up the thing that we agreed beforehand you wouldn't ask me about" I think that's a sexual harassment jab, too.
yeah, I've been wondering what the hell that was about...you're probably right. As for the over-hypedness you mentioned earlier, I was also kinda thinking about the guitar showdown. I don't know...the show's hilarious, but whenever it tries to do something special, I tend to be a little disappointed, I guess.
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