We're all members of the
Colbert Nation, now.
Well, okay, maybe not Lord High Pissypants and his courtiers in and outside of the White House Press Center.
After the bravura performance by Stephen Colbert at the WH Correspondents' Dinner, I'm ready to emigrate to the land of truthiness and screaming eagles. And not a moment too soon. I can hardly wait for the 60 Minutes profile this afternoon.
"This administration is soaring, not sinking," he said. "If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg."
Seriously, if you didn't see it, catch it on
C-Span's rebroadcast, or hie thee to
Crooks and Liars for a little taste. The transcript's available on
DU as well, if you want to read (and reread). However, there's nothing like hearing the uncomfortable silence of an imperial court feeling the collective breeze of the underlingeried.
Political commentary delivered by clowns is enshrined from Lear's Fool to Dick Gregory to the Colbert Nation's Comedy Central godfather, Jon Stewart on The Daily Show.
Even so, the objects of satirical bite so often think it's somebody else who's being talked about. The joke's always vaguely on somebody else. But even the WH Press Corpse couldn't miss the point of this little bit:
But, listen, let's review the rules. Here's how it works. The president makes decisions, he'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.
My favorite bit, however, was purely visual. In the closing spoof of Press Secretarydom, there were three switches on the podium, immortalized for bloglandia here by Atrios.
Heh heh heh.
BTW, Wapo, you're misquoting one of the few bits you covered, and it's on tape, so you might want to correct it before the blogging hordes have to point out your shortcomings yet again.
"Mayor Nagin of the Chocolate City! Welcome to the Chocolate City with the marshmallow center-and a graham cracker crust of corruption."
I'm sure it's purely an unintentional oversight.
Crossposted on Boadicea Blog and Tkos.