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Sodios: The
Colbert Report By: Josh Adachi For my third installment of Sodios, I'm taking you to my happy place. No, I'm not talking about Penisworld (AKA Rob's room), I'm talking about The Colbert Report. Star of the show and ex-Daily Show correspondent, Stephen Colbert may have saved my sanity. In a world gone mad, Stephen Colbert has been a ludicrous beacon of truth, shining a light on political hypocrocy while revealing our own desire to accept fallacies whenever convenient. For anybody who hasn't seen the show, I'll try to sum up Stephen Colbert's persona (as opposed to the actor playing him of the same name): Stephen Colbert is a Right-wing conservative pundit who's views are skewed so ridiculously hard that they generally highlight the logic of the Left; however, subtle rationality occasionally sneaks through in his arguments in a way that makes liberals seem equally preposterous and brings both sides into question. I admit that I'm kind of an irony junky. I love these layers of tasty ambiguities, but I can see how his approach can be viewed as deeply cynical as it implies that there is nothing to believe in. However, Stephen Colbert (the person) does believe in something, namely, Christianity.
Since
Stephen Colbert's rise to fame, matters of his personal life have come
into focus, including the fact that he is not only a practicing
Catholic, but actually teaches Sunday School at his church. Combine
this with the fact that he was elected one of Time Magazine's 50 most
influential people, and that he often poses wearing nothing but an
American flag draped over his pale body, one begins to wonder if we
have found yet another hypocrite or, in fact, the new face of
Christianity. With Colbert, either option is likely.
As someone who also regulars Church, and yet is eager to
question and/or make fun of everything, my interest becomes
particularly piqued when Stephen Colbert, in context of his show and
his character
tackles the issue of God and religion.
Which is why October 14th's (and runner-up October 13th's) Colbert Report is the best thing I saw on TV that week. The nature of the Colbert Report dictates that not even the Pope is outside of criticism. This means that Stephen Colbert, the person, must be willing to laugh at the apparent absurdities that exist within his own faith system. In October 13's episode, he tackles the issue of whether or not using a cross to commemorate American soldiers in public places, should be permitted. Somehow, he is able to show the strong points, and absurdities on both sides, and ends by quoting the entire Nicene Creed, which he makes sound simultaneously convincing and impossible. In October 14th's episode, he explores a statement made by a U.S. senator regarding whether or not he prays for his bills to pass. The senator doesn't, and equates the idea with "pimping god," which of course is something Stephen Colbert (the character) thinks is a great idea. So, ACTUALLY October 13th's episode was a little bit deeper, and raised more interesting points than the next day's; however, October 14th gets the Sodio because of the sweet graphics. Seriously, his graphics department must have had an absolute field day, coming up with hilarious shoops and basically beating the internet at its own game. Not to be outdone, the Colbert Report's prop department delivers a sweet "Rapture Hat" designed to make it easier for God to snatch Stephen before the apocalypse. While this will make some Christians squeemish and may cause them doubt the sincerity of Mr. Colbert's convictions, I find his willingness to make fun of his own religion winsome and even a little inspiring. Through his character, Stephen Colbert, the actor, must confront all of his beliefs and opinions head-on. That his faith survives the battering he delivers it is a testament to the man, and presumably to the faith he prescribes.
watch the episode here.
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