mute media doesn't mention Colbert's biting performance...
I was sent a link to a video of Stephen Colbert's skit at the White House Press dinner.
Bloody hell. It was biting, snarky, on-the-money and generally a ballsy, incredibly critical, well, critique of the Bush Presidency, and, in particular, the mainstream press. He really stood up, in the best sense of journalism and fired on both barrels.
So, I was kind of suprised to see an early version of the BBC News story didn't even mention Colbert's skit (looks like it's been updated - now the story mentions it in passing, but make no reference to the caustic tone and political ramification).
And it looks like the mainstream media ignored the story too. This (at worst), complicity and (at best) failure to challenge the government's actions, completely baffles me. Over here, our press nails every politician to their word, irrespective of stripe.
Interestingly, the blogs are all over the story - and getting more credibility (and readers) than the mainstream press. I wonder if this will be one of those 'moments' where the public finally turns to blogs for the definitive version of the truth. No, I doubt it. Clooney's 'goodnight and goodluck' never looked more of a historical piece than last night.
I'm mainly disappointed by the BBC - they pride themselves on a balanced reportage..it's actually weird that they barely mention Colbert in their story.
I guess the biggest issues is the fact that it takes a satirist to actually pull this level of critique off...this shouldn't be outsourced to comedians (although I think it's a highly effective form of criticism).
Comments
The lack of reporting blew me away, too. Google "white house correspondents dinner" and you'll see tons of mentions of the skit Bush did with his double -- which actually covered many of the same points Colbert did -- but hardly any mention of Colbert. It's because he's a true outsider and not buddy-buddy with the inside-the-Beltway types in the press corps. Those guys are much closer to the Administration than they are to the people, so they took many of the jabs -- even the ones that weren't directed towards them -- as overly critical to someone they have empathy for. Fucked up because the press is supposed to be antagonistic to the government, not sympathetic. Colbert's performance was brilliant and a great representation of "speaking truth to power." Even Bill Hicks and Lenny Bruce never got to do their skewering with the targets of their ireful humor just an arm's reach away.
Posted by: evan | May 1, 2006 02:07 PM