Whatever else you want to say about Stephen Colbert, you have to give him credit for convincing enough people to watch his one-joke show to keep it on the air for the past decade. The one joke is that he’s a “conservative,” and he tells it every night, making his liberal audience bray in satisfaction as he smirkingly confirms all their prejudices.
For example, did you know that only conservatives can be racist? That’s why The Colbert Report posted the following to Twitter last night:
“I am willing to show #Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever.”
Get it? Because he’s imitating a typical right-wing racist moron. LOL! Oh, such good stuff.
Unfortunately for Colbert, not everybody got the hilarious joke.
Stephen Colbert is in hot water after a joke he made went viral, igniting a firestorm over Twitter…
The joke was taken from a bit on Wednesday night’s “The Colbert Report,” parodying Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder and his launch of the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation in light of controversy over the team name. Taken out of context, however, many Twitter users saw the joke as racist, and launched a #CancelColbert campaign that quickly became a trending topic.
Or maybe they’re just going along with the joke and pretending to be offended. Maybe they’re saying the opposite of what they really mean. Just like Colbert! That is some funny, funny comedy.
Then the show pretended to apologize, which was totes hilare:
For the record @ColbertReport is not controlled by Stephen Colbert or his show. He is @StephenAtHome Sorry for the confusion #CancelColbert
— The Colbert Report (@ColbertReport) March 28, 2014
This is a Comedy Central account, with no oversight from Stephen/show. Here is quoted line in context http://t.co/UFnaFfOSpn #cancelcolbert
— The Colbert Report (@ColbertReport) March 28, 2014
Ha ha ha! See what they did there?
And then Colbert tickled a few ribs himself:
#CancelColbert – I agree! Just saw @ColbertReport tweet. I share your rage. Who is that, though? I’m @StephenAtHome http://t.co/e0Pqz7U7i9
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) March 28, 2014
Brilliant.
And then, expertly placing the chuckle-cherry atop the satirical sundae, Comedy Central deleted the “offending” tweet!
See, the whole thing is a satire of our outrage culture. It’s a parody of the mind-numbing pattern of joke/firestorm/apology/repeat. C’mon, doncha get it?
Or… Maybe Colbert and Comedy Central are a bunch of smug, sanctimonious creeps. Maybe now they’re panicking because they got a little taste of what they dish out and they don’t like it. Maybe they’re so insular, so blinkered, so post-post-post-ironic, that they’ve finally travelled too far up their own assholes and can’t find their way out.
Just kidding! Wink, wink.
(Hat tip: Twitchy)
Update: Professional racebaiter Touré Neblett is only funny when he’s not trying to be.
Yes, only YOUR outrage is real. RT @Toure Don’t #CancelColbert. Because context matters more than fake outrage.
— Jim Treacher (@jtLOL) March 28, 2014
I’m not outraged by @StephenAtHome. But I don’t question the sincerity of those who are. And I’m enjoying the hypocrisy of his defenders.
— Jim Treacher (@jtLOL) March 28, 2014
Remember all those times @Toure took people’s comments out of context for political purposes? He doesn’t.
— Jim Treacher (@jtLOL) March 28, 2014
If you're offended by the name of a football team, but you think people offended by @StephenAtHome are faking it, #YouMightBeALiberal.
— Jim Treacher (@jtLOL) March 28, 2014
