Stephen Colbert doesn't normally get heavy on The Colbert Report, but when he does, boy, does he go all out. In last night's episode of the Report, Stephen staged one of the most touching displays of love to the picketing writers that I have seen since the start of the strike. Before introducing the night's guest, Ambassador Andrew Young, the last living member of Dr. Martin Luther King's inner circle, Stephen rolled a video celebrating Young's efforts in a certain strike in 1969. In Stephen's hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, hundreds of black hospital workers went on strike, demanding fair pay, equal to their whiter counterparts. Young played a huge role in leading the community to support the workers. However, when he attempted to have some private negotiations with the hospital, the only administrator that was willing to speak with Young was a man named Dr. James Colbert, Stephen's father.
A good portion of the interview with Young was spent discussing Dr. Colbert's influence in the strike. I was really touched by the way Stephen was listening to the stories. For anyone that doesn't know, Stephen lost his father and two of his brothers in a plane crash when he was only ten years old, and I think maybe that's what made it so touching to me. Young also went on to say that he was Stephen's destiny and told him that he's the one that will end the writers' strike, just the way his father helped to end the hospital workers' strike. It was really an incredible moment that could have been topped only by a rousing rendition of "Let My People Go", lead by Stephen and backed by Andrew Young, Malcom Gladwell (the night's other guest), and the Harlem Gospel Choir.
Oh, wait. That's exactly what happened.
Yes, Stephen dedicated the song to all the striking writers, especially his own Report gang. As they sang on stage, the audience clapped along and pictures of the Report writers scrolled across the screen. It was so genuine and moving to see Stephen step out of character to show his love this way.
If you missed last night's episode, NoFactZone.net has a post with videos from the entire episode, so check it out.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-23-2008 @ 1:59PM
Christian H. said...
That was an amazing installement of the show. I got goosebumps...
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1-23-2008 @ 2:39PM
ac said...
The rerun is at 8:30 tonight right? I want to see this. Stupid exams ruining my late night TV scedule!
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1-23-2008 @ 2:45PM
willy the impeached said...
Great show. But ..
"Let my 99% white middle aged liberal multi-millionares go ..." is how it should have gone. Its a little disturbing to draw a comparison between a civil rights issue and money grubbing.
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1-23-2008 @ 2:51PM
robert said...
you're a little off on your assessment of the writers.
it's the AMPTP you're describing.
1-23-2008 @ 10:15PM
Rich said...
The ignorance behind this statement is astounding. The comparison made between the two is solid: both are rooted in a simple, small monetary matter but come down to one group's lack of respect and tendency to take advantage of the other.
Also, the idea that 99% of the writers are white, liberal, and multi-millionaires... it's just astounding, for me, at least, to comprehend the amount of Fox News you've been watching that drilled that crap into your brain.
1-23-2008 @ 2:47PM
Stephen said...
I saw the show as well and thought it was terrific. I learned alot from watching it. My father was a coal miner, so I understand strikes and how good a union can be for working America. This show was a touching tribute to not only his late father but also to the working class that deserves fair and equal treatment. Also, it was a perfect part on MLK Day.
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1-23-2008 @ 2:53PM
Ron R said...
Excuse me, but I suppose either you don't consider Jesse Jackson a member of King's inner circle, or you don't consider him to be "living." You state in the article Andrew Young is "the last living member of Dr. Martin Luther King's inner circle." Both Young and Jackson were with Dr. King at the Lorraine Motel on the day the civil rights leader was assasinated. Since I didn't see the Colbert report, perhaps that was their mistake and not yours, but in either case, the statement certainly appears to be wrong.
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1-23-2008 @ 3:22PM
Hank said...
Jesse Jackson shouldn't count, and neither should Al Sharpton, when it comes to civil rights debates.
1-23-2008 @ 3:25PM
Soby said...
Yeah, but Jesse Jackson is a douche whereas Young is not...
1-23-2008 @ 3:22PM
matthew said...
As for the author's statement that Andrew Young was the last living member of MLK's inner circle, I heard that Colbert say that on the show as well.
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1-23-2008 @ 4:01PM
GigG said...
Only JJ would say that JJ was part of MLK's inner circle.
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1-23-2008 @ 4:11PM
emme said...
Thanks! Would have missed this if it weren't for the post, and I'm so glad I didn't!
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1-24-2008 @ 8:52AM
Will said...
I support the writers but I really do think comparing anything that happens in Hollywood to the Civil rights movement is a stretch that only people in Hollywood could make.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:22PM
Karen said...
I was so moved by this entire episode, and by the end, when the cast, choir, and audience sang "Let My People Go," I was weeping. I saved the episode on my DVR because I felt as if no one part could exist without the whole to give it context. I'm pleased to see that the video is available online. What a great episode, and what an amazing connection to the Colbert family. That must have been an incredibly emotional experience for Stephen.
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