The Colbert Report

Meghan McCain went on The Colbert Report last night to talk sex and the Republican Party. She sounded optimistic about the party's future, saying she's a prosex, pro-life woman and a pro-gay-marriage Republican. Of course, Stephen asked her what incentive he would have to get married if can just gay-marry and "hang out with dudes" all the time.

While she took a slam at Briston Palin's "abstinence tour," she maintained there is one thing about the campaign she won't comment on — Sarah Palin. Not even when Stephen asked her to comment on that comment!

Last week an ad warning of a gay storm brewing shocked the Internet for about five minutes, at least until the casting call of auditioning actors surfaced. Now that New York's governor wants to legalize same-sex marriage, Stephen Colbert fears the storm is headed for his backyard. And it's a "threat to marriage to that won't be solved by clearing out your web browser." What to do when all you have is a cable show? Make your own ad. Watch it below.

It's amazing the things you can learn from a comedy show. Last night, Stephen Colbert invited Dambisa Moyo, the author of Dead Aid, on his show to discuss US aid to Africa. She says the type of assistance that celebrities lobby for and rich countries provide isn't always good for the continent.

In the last 60 years, wealthy countries have given Africa more than $1 trillion in aid, but poverty levels continue to increase in countries that have become dependent on foreign support.

Moyo explained to Stephen that government aid "very often is used for corruption. It causes inflation. It causes a debt burden, which is unsustainable." She says the developed world should support business leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa through direct investment. Moyo sounds like she has some good ideas — let's hope policy makers at least pick up her book.

Mainstream news outlets' long, insular nightmare that young people confuse fake news shows like The Daily Show and Colbert Report with real news may be coming true. Nearly one-third of people under 40 say satirical news shows are taking the place of traditional news.

Though Jon Stewart's interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer was called "serious journalism" in the White House press room, he's always rejected the idea of himself as a journalist. His show — he's said repeatedly — should be taken as entertainment, not news, and that people wouldn't see its humor if they weren't consuming news somewhere else.

Either way, it seems to me satirical news is better than no news. And, for some people — OK, me — it served as a gateway show into more respected news sources. Like the Internet!

Source

Oh man, if you missed The Colbert Report the other night, I've got to fill you in on the details about this hilarious segment. Stephen started talking about Milton Pedraza, the CEO of the "Luxury Institute," who recommends a strategy of "stealth wealth" and "avoiding conspicuous consumption for a less flashy image" during this economic crisis. Stephen then goes on to say that he took Milton's advice of forgetting $10,000 mobile phones and picking up iPhones instead, so he decided to trade in his $310,000 Vertu cell phone for an iPhone and a land line (keep your eyes peeled for his blinged-out rotary phone!). Ha ha Stephen, you woo us again with your antics.

Source

Stephen Colbert recently took Sesame Street's awesome Cookie Monster to task for abandoning his whole-hearted pro-cookie agenda. He now eats fruit — and cookies are just a sometime snack. WTF?! Cookie (is that his first name?) tries to explain that he was once the Robert Downey Jr. of cookies, and this is a good change. I'm not sure Stephen bought it.