The Colbert Report's The Word is one of those iPhone applications that takes advantage of that sort of portable player. The Word is one of those segments that doesn't translate well to a book, unlike Letterman's Top Ten Lists. Video clips better convey the emotion of the segment.
Basically, the application is all the clips of Colbert's most famous segment, and I mean all of them. The app requires a WiFi or data connection to work (because you don't want all those clips taking up memory) but they're constantly updated. I'm not sure if this will be forever or until they get bored with it and figure out another way to make money.
I was going to start this letter by telling you how much of a fan I am of you and your show. But I'm sure you already know that, right? You probably cannot conceive of a TV viewer who doesn't like your show, so my love of everything you do probably comes as no surprise to you. But last night you did something that hurt me and several of my friends deeply.
You made a joke about the Gorton's fisherman being kidnapped and said that he was in Maine. He's not, he's in Massachusetts. I should know because I grew up a mile from Gorton's and devoured their fish sticks every week (now with crispier breading!).
One of television's oldest and most powerful names is about to get a little less powerful.
Media mogul Sumner Redstone is selling nearly $1 billion shares of CBS and Viacom to pay off a big portion of his debt to preserve his media empire. He owes nearly $1.46 billion and has to pay at least $500,000 of it by the end of October. Maybe he's got some used DVDs he can sell at his local Gamestop.
Of course, he'll still maintaining "controlling interest" in both companies but it won't feel the same. Now, no one will have enough power to make media bigheads like Stephen Colbert (literally) dance.
The Word is one of the best segments of The Colbert Report, and last night Colbert ranted about a large cross in the Mojave Desert that is causing some controversy.
I think we can all agree, no matter what your politics, seeing Tom Delay dancing to "Wild Thing" on Dancing with the Stars was rather...surreal. Last night, Stephen Colbert talked about it.
I never want to hear the phrase "knee slide into a fist munch" again.
On The Colbert Report last night, Stephen Colbert was waiting by The Atone Phone for people to call him to apologize the way that they have wronged him. Unfortunately, his phone number is shared by someone else and he gets a call from another Comedy Central guy. (Video also here.)
The Colbert Report is in vacation right now (it returns on September 14), so how about we look at the career of Stephen Colbert to get us through these weeks?
Rolling Stone has a new cover story on Colbert and an interesting feature up at their site that gives an overview of what Colbert has done over the years. Not just the stuff we've all seen (like The Dana Carvey Show and Strangers with Candy), but also his work on the short-lived sketch show Exit 57, a dramatic turn on Law and Order: CI, and voiceover work for a really terrible-looking video tennis game.
We often hear the phrase "die hard fan," but who is actually willing to "die hard" for the thing they care most about?
If you believe in statistics, that honor would go to fans of Comedy Central.
A recent study conducted by a research group found that fans of the long-running cable network have the most dedicated fan base. Plus, those polled think people who watch The Colbert Report and The Daily Show are "cool." Are the kids these days still saying "cool"? My, where has all the time gone?
The Space Shuttle Discovery was supposed to launch around 1:30 this morning, but bad weather in Florida means it has been put off until the same time tonight. On board will be the COLBERT, the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, named after the host of a certain late night comedy show. In this video, that host thanks NASA.
The big debate right now regarding the healthcare plan is the concept of "death panels." Not sure where or when this first came up, though last night, Stephen Colbert pointed out it was from Sarah Palin's recent Facebook posting that brought it to the public.
The scary part? The reality competition show that Colbert mentions at the end of the clip is something that we'll probably see at some point.
I don't understand the decisions that public school systems make sometimes, like the Chicago Public Schools deciding that the guy who sings the song "Birthday Sex" would be a good choice for a back-to-school promotion. Stephen Colbert doesn't get it either.
There's a lot of talk about healthcare these days (duh), and one of the ideas that is being proposed (or at least the idea of it being proposed is out there) is the taxing of soda. I drink a ton of diet soda, but it seems to me that some people think doing this means the end of the Earth. Stephen Colbert isn't going to stand for any new soda tax. (Video also here.)
I know, the moon landing anniversary has come and gone, but here's one more clip.
If you didn't realize it, Stephen Colbert also covered the historic event on July 20, 1969. Well, in a way. I'm assuming that this is probably a little more true-to-life than a lot people might realize, since Colbert was into this stuff when he was young and actually does have a soft spot for Nixon. The kid they have playing him is pretty funny.
The Emmy Award nominees were announced this morning, and with the help of a lot of caffeine and my DVR, I managed to catch the announcement. Here are the nominees in the major categories, with some comment on who was nominated and who was neglected.
If you notice, the major categories have more nominees starting this year.
Outstanding Drama
Mad Men Damages House Lost Big Love Breaking Bad Dexter
The Outstanding Comedy Series category is one of the toughest of the big Emmy categories to predict. Why? Well, if you look at the list of nominees the last few years, you'll see why: What's considered a comedy? In 2005, Desperate Housewives was nominated; with what's gone on during the show this year, you'd be hard pressed to nominate it as a comedy this year. Same could be said of Ugly Betty, which got a nod in 2007.
In addition, the Emmy committee has a tendency to nominate the same shows repeatedly despite signs of decline -- Two and a Half Men is still funny, but does it deserve a nod every year? -- leaving less slots open for new blood.
So, between Men, 30 Rock, and The Office, all of which should get nominated, that leaves two (or three?) slots open. Who should go in there? Well, I can think of two right off the bat... and they're both on CBS.
The Colbert Report's The Word is one of those iPhone applications that takes advantage of that sort of portable player. The Word is one of those segments that doesn't translate well to a book, unlike Letterman's Top Ten Lists. Video clips better convey the emotion of the segment.
Dear Stephen,
The Colbert Report is in vacation right now (it returns on September 14), so how about we look at the career of Stephen Colbert to get us through these weeks?
We often hear the phrase "die hard fan," but who is actually willing to "die hard" for the thing they care most about? 
The 
The Outstanding Comedy Series category is one of the toughest of the big Emmy categories to predict. Why? Well, if you look at the list of nominees the last few years, you'll see why: What's considered a comedy? In 2005, 
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The Prisoner -- An early look
