The "How Does Stephen Colbert Work" Edition
October 17, 2014 1:06 PM Subscribe
In its inaugural episode, Slate's Working podcast spends ~35m talking to Stephen Colbert (not the character Stephen Colbert) about exactly what a work day is like for him.
Similar but non-congruent is Lifehack's series How I Work, an extensive archive covering a huge range. Worth exploring. The co-founder of Deviant Art, the host of a public radio show, and many others across a spectrum of careers can be found there.
Similar but non-congruent is Lifehack's series How I Work, an extensive archive covering a huge range. Worth exploring. The co-founder of Deviant Art, the host of a public radio show, and many others across a spectrum of careers can be found there.
"I look at CNN to see what absolute middle of the road news was three days ago"
*burn*
posted by MetropolisOfMentalLife at 1:42 PM on October 17, 2014 [3 favorites]
*burn*
posted by MetropolisOfMentalLife at 1:42 PM on October 17, 2014 [3 favorites]
~35m talking to Stephen Colbert (not the character Stephen Colbert)
The character is an expression of the man's personality and values, just like Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same guy.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:13 PM on October 17, 2014
The character is an expression of the man's personality and values, just like Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same guy.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:13 PM on October 17, 2014
The character is an expression of the man's personality and values, just like Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same guy.
No, actually, that's not true. And anyone who has been paying attention knows this.
posted by hippybear at 2:32 PM on October 17, 2014 [14 favorites]
No, actually, that's not true. And anyone who has been paying attention knows this.
posted by hippybear at 2:32 PM on October 17, 2014 [14 favorites]
The character is an expression of Colbert the man's personality and values in the sense that it's his unique take on the psychology driving right wing pundits like Bill O'Reilly (narcissism, vanity, bullying, emotional manipulation, etc.,) and how those pundits appeal to the baser instincts of their viewers in order to manipulate the viewers' interpretation of news and events.
BUT, justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow - if you're arguing that Colbert the man and Colbert the character actually share the same worldview and politics, you're way, way off base.
posted by stenseng at 2:50 PM on October 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
BUT, justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow - if you're arguing that Colbert the man and Colbert the character actually share the same worldview and politics, you're way, way off base.
posted by stenseng at 2:50 PM on October 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Wouldn't be the only one, there's a meme on the right that Colbert is secretly an ACTUAL conservative because blah blah eleventh dimensional chess.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 3:25 PM on October 17, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 3:25 PM on October 17, 2014 [3 favorites]
I'd encourage anyone who thinks Colbert is a conservative to revisit his 2006 speech at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
posted by stenseng at 3:34 PM on October 17, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by stenseng at 3:34 PM on October 17, 2014 [3 favorites]
Or his 2010 Congressional testimony in support of the rights of migrant workers:
On September 24, 2010, Colbert testified in character before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Security. He was invited by committee chairwoman Zoe Lofgren to describe his experience participating in the United Farm Workers' "Take Our Jobs" program, where he spent a day working alongside migrant workers in upstate New York. At the end of his often-humorous testimony, Colbert broke character in responding to a question from Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, and explained his purpose for being at the hearing:
“ I like talking about people who don't have any power, and this seems like one of the least powerful people in the United States are migrant workers who come and do our work, but don't have any rights as a result. And yet we still invite them to come here and at the same time ask them to leave. And that's an interesting contradiction to me. And, you know, 'Whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers,' and these seem like the least of our brothers right now... Migrant workers suffer and have no rights. ”
posted by stenseng at 3:37 PM on October 17, 2014 [7 favorites]
On September 24, 2010, Colbert testified in character before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Security. He was invited by committee chairwoman Zoe Lofgren to describe his experience participating in the United Farm Workers' "Take Our Jobs" program, where he spent a day working alongside migrant workers in upstate New York. At the end of his often-humorous testimony, Colbert broke character in responding to a question from Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, and explained his purpose for being at the hearing:
“ I like talking about people who don't have any power, and this seems like one of the least powerful people in the United States are migrant workers who come and do our work, but don't have any rights as a result. And yet we still invite them to come here and at the same time ask them to leave. And that's an interesting contradiction to me. And, you know, 'Whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers,' and these seem like the least of our brothers right now... Migrant workers suffer and have no rights. ”
posted by stenseng at 3:37 PM on October 17, 2014 [7 favorites]
Aaaand he's also described himself as a Democrat.
Although, by his own account, he was not particularly political before joining the cast of The Daily Show, Colbert has described himself as a Democrat according to a 2004 interview. In an interview at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard Institute of Politics, he stated that he has "no problems with Republicans, just Republican policies."
posted by stenseng at 3:40 PM on October 17, 2014
Although, by his own account, he was not particularly political before joining the cast of The Daily Show, Colbert has described himself as a Democrat according to a 2004 interview. In an interview at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard Institute of Politics, he stated that he has "no problems with Republicans, just Republican policies."
posted by stenseng at 3:40 PM on October 17, 2014
The character is an expression of the man's personality and values
Most people who say that (I'm not accusing you, somebody) are actually claiming that the "narcissism, vanity, bullying, emotional manipulation, etc.," are part of his REAL self because Liberals like him are ALL like that, and he's just using the character, who is NOTHING like a real Conservative, to belittle his enemies. Which is one of the few examples of Right-Wing Character Assassination I've seen that has any logic behind it. No sense, just logic.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:29 PM on October 17, 2014
Most people who say that (I'm not accusing you, somebody) are actually claiming that the "narcissism, vanity, bullying, emotional manipulation, etc.," are part of his REAL self because Liberals like him are ALL like that, and he's just using the character, who is NOTHING like a real Conservative, to belittle his enemies. Which is one of the few examples of Right-Wing Character Assassination I've seen that has any logic behind it. No sense, just logic.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:29 PM on October 17, 2014
You can testify in character before a House Judiciary Subcommittee?
It's the only way they can get some of the Climate Change Denialists to show up. If forced to be truly 'under oath', they'd have to admit they've positioned themselves to profit from a global climate disaster.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:32 PM on October 17, 2014 [2 favorites]
It's the only way they can get some of the Climate Change Denialists to show up. If forced to be truly 'under oath', they'd have to admit they've positioned themselves to profit from a global climate disaster.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:32 PM on October 17, 2014 [2 favorites]
I'm fascinated by these kinds of interviews. Thanks for posting, hippybear!
posted by FreelanceBureaucrat at 8:34 PM on October 17, 2014
posted by FreelanceBureaucrat at 8:34 PM on October 17, 2014
What an oddly schizophrenic listening experience, it's NOT Colbert but the puppeteer behind the character. A strangely rational working performer, but the guy SOUNDS like that wacky reactionary goof, just reasonable.
A great overview of what making a TV show is all about. Really worth a listen if you like being backstage, probably a pass for a regular audience member.
posted by sammyo at 9:09 PM on October 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
A great overview of what making a TV show is all about. Really worth a listen if you like being backstage, probably a pass for a regular audience member.
posted by sammyo at 9:09 PM on October 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
I guess Plotz wanted to start with a bang, but he's going to have a tough time following that if it's just to be a slice of life type of show.
posted by Trochanter at 9:48 PM on October 17, 2014
posted by Trochanter at 9:48 PM on October 17, 2014
You can testify in character before a House Judiciary Subcommittee?
Surely that's what happens most often.
posted by juiceCake at 11:56 PM on October 17, 2014
Surely that's what happens most often.
posted by juiceCake at 11:56 PM on October 17, 2014
re: his 2010 testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee, it is a goddam shame that attempting to stand up for the rights of the alien and the "least of these" can in anyway be interpreted as evidence against someone being considered a "conservative". What have we wrought?
posted by dblslash at 5:40 AM on October 18, 2014
posted by dblslash at 5:40 AM on October 18, 2014
Having listened to this, Colbert is sharp. He rattles off the opening lines to this poem in the interview, too.
posted by Catblack at 9:35 AM on October 18, 2014
posted by Catblack at 9:35 AM on October 18, 2014
Catblack, you seem a little surprised. Which I think might be a testament for how well he's done creating the character, but still seems odd.
posted by protocoach at 3:15 PM on October 18, 2014
posted by protocoach at 3:15 PM on October 18, 2014
As to the daylight between Colbert and his character - remember that he grew up as a part of the Charleston world, and is truly close to many conservative-minded people. It's an odd balance to maintain one's intellectual curiosity and integrity in a non-analytical, affluent comfort zone, and to cherish those differences, but he has been doing that balancing act for a long time.
posted by mmiddle at 6:10 PM on October 18, 2014
posted by mmiddle at 6:10 PM on October 18, 2014
Listening to this reinforces two things I have long believed about work:
1) The people who are most successful at they do are the most successful because they work harder then anyone else at it. Sure lots of people can see short term success through timing and talent. But sustained success requires hard work.
2) If you are going to work hard at something (which Colbert very clearly does), you best be passionate about.
posted by dry white toast at 7:56 PM on October 18, 2014
1) The people who are most successful at they do are the most successful because they work harder then anyone else at it. Sure lots of people can see short term success through timing and talent. But sustained success requires hard work.
2) If you are going to work hard at something (which Colbert very clearly does), you best be passionate about.
posted by dry white toast at 7:56 PM on October 18, 2014
The podcast was great (not a fan of mid-show commercials, though).
I was surprised at all the good luck rituals Colbert has with his team. Was he joking? The special pencils just for biting while he's in the wings, touching his make-up artist's hair to gauge the audience, not shaking the hand of one particular guy at the end of the day, ringing a bell on his final bathroom break, touching all the crew before he goes on stage, etc.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 1:21 PM on October 19, 2014
I was surprised at all the good luck rituals Colbert has with his team. Was he joking? The special pencils just for biting while he's in the wings, touching his make-up artist's hair to gauge the audience, not shaking the hand of one particular guy at the end of the day, ringing a bell on his final bathroom break, touching all the crew before he goes on stage, etc.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 1:21 PM on October 19, 2014
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