Am I the only one who just doesn't much like the Colbert Report? The interviews, especially. Colbert always comes off like a dickhead -- that's his shtick -- but the guests are in a catch-22 as well. They look bad if they play along and bad if they try to play it straight. It just ends up being awkward and conveying virtually no information. Why bother? Jon Stewart is a notorious pitcher of softballs, but at least he actually tries to engage his guests.
Van Jones on Colbert Report 12
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Posted 12:21 PM on 3 Apr 2008
by David Roberts -
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David Roberts is staff writer for Grist. You can follow his Twitter feed at twitter.com/david_h_roberts.
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caniscandida Posted 5:32 am
03 Apr 2008
"herding unicorns"
Well, I agree with DR, that Colbert and Stewart are not the ideal formats for good thinkers such as Van Jones. But, hey, that is up to all you kids to decide -- like David ("Hey you kids, get off my lawn!") Roberts.
In fact, I thought Van Jones was given a lot of time to express himself, and what he is up to, and he did so well.
Plus, I liked Steve's electric diagonal-striped tie. I always dress myself in the morning according to what Stevey-baby was wearing the night before.
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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Colburn Posted 5:42 am
03 Apr 2008
Why bother? To spread the word!
"They look bad if they play along and bad if they try to play it straight. It just ends up being awkward and conveying virtually no information. Why bother?"
I totally disagree. As long as guests don't make the mistake of either being too self-righteous or alternatively trying to out-Colbert Colbert, then they usually come off looking decent, AND they get several minutes to make their case to a large demographic that doesn't read Harper's or watch the PBS Newshour. This interview conveyed virtually no information to people such as you who are already well-informed about green-collar jobs, but you aren't the kind of person Jones was trying to enlighten by going on the show.
As I see it, Jones got several minutes of time to explain his point of view to over a million young people, albeit with some heckling from Colbert (which is good, because it keeps today's ADHD TV audience from getting distracted or bored). If people had never heard the term green-collar before, then they would learn more about the idea from this interview than they're likely to learn on the network evening news broadcasts or the cable news channels. Bravo to Jones for going on the show, and bravo to Colbert for having him.
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caniscandida Posted 6:21 am
03 Apr 2008
"today's ADHD TV audience"
I.e., "you kids"?
I.e., no less than fifteen years younger than "us" wise old poops? Ha!
Actually, I agree with Colburn. If only a couple of Colbert's viewers look up Van Jones and his work, that is a great victory. And I suspect that more likely than not, they will be younger than me.
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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Colburn Posted 9:38 am
03 Apr 2008
Chasing eyeballs
"If only a couple of Colbert's viewers look up Van Jones and his work, that is a great victory."
And even if none of them go look up Van Jones and his work, they will at least know what "green-collar" is all about, so that when a candidate for elected office comes along and talks about creating green-collar jobs, they will understand what that means and (we hope) be more likely to support that candidate.
It's a shame that a lot more people learn about the world from the Colbert Report than from Grist, but given that it's the case, I think it's important for people like Jones to go where the eyeballs are.
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David Roberts Posted 9:43 am
03 Apr 2008
Whoa, whoa
I'm not arguing that Colbert shouldn't have invited Van Jones or that Jones shouldn't have accepted. Of course it's important to spread the word.
I only said that I don't enjoy the show, and particularly the show's interviews. They seem neither funny nor particularly enlightening. One or the other would be nice.
grist.org
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GreenMom Posted 2:20 pm
03 Apr 2008
I think you're being a little harsh, DR...
...Canis and Colburn are right. We're not the target audience. Young people in general, including the ones who don't pay close attention to environmental issues, are the audience for guests like Van Jones. (I guess I'm giving myself "old fart" status...").
The kids need to hear Van Jones. They need to hear over and over about green collar jobs, until they're conditioned to expect them.
Shout out to Stephen Colbert for having Van Jones on, even if I learned nothing I didn't already know.
And hey, it was entertaining enough. Not hysterically funny, but good enough to keep me from changing the channel. I'm happy as long as the kids keep watching...
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Colburn Posted 2:44 pm
03 Apr 2008
Re: Whoa whoa
David,
When you said "They look bad if they play along and bad if they try to play it straight. It just ends up being awkward and conveying virtually no information. Why bother?" I understood you to mean "Why should people like Jones bother going on the show if they end up looking bad and conveying virtually no information?"
After reading your post again, I realize you may have meant, "Why should I bother watching?" If you meant the latter, then I have no problem with that.
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Matt Posted 10:32 pm
03 Apr 2008
For Fun
There are two things to think about. The first is that Both Stewart and Colbert are primarily there to make fun of people. Stewart makes fun of politicians and the "news" agencies and Colbert makes fun of idealogues (by posing as one). I guess their point of view is that everything is spun anyway, why not spin it for fun?
The second thing to think about is: lighten up! Give people a little credit. It's impossible to watch more than 30 seconds of any episode of the Colbert Report and not realize that he is full of crap (again, on purpose). The fans, the guests, and I daresay Steven himself know that is going to be ridiculous... and that's OK! As much as I love you all here at Grist there are only a few folks here who actually laugh! I understand as well as the next guy that our world has serious problems that require serious answers, but no one is motivated to do anything when people are depressed. Laugh about it, have a good upbeat take on things, and let's get to work already!
Lighten up, people! Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Cry, and people think you're an environmentalist. :)
If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra
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Jon Rynn Posted 2:17 am
04 Apr 2008
Colbert gave away some good lines...
...like we need a president who used to be in the solar power industry. And Jones was perfectly in sync with the interview, he really didn't have to do what some interviewees do, try to amusingly get away from some conservative thing that just got thrown at them. I actually think it means that Jones has his pitch down so well that it's hard for conservatives (even fake ones) to really take pot shots -- after all, he's emphasizing a growing economy, and that seems to put a stop to things Colbert could have come up with -- "don't you want us living in caves?" kind of thing.
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Baby Boomer Posted 2:44 am
04 Apr 2008
Creative ideas from the interview
We all have different tastes, but I love Colbert. My husband, not so much, but he did come up with a good idea. To use prisoners in a beneficial way for the environment and for their health, install treadmills to generate electricity. Prisoners get beneficial exercise, and prisons get sustainable electricity that doesn't harm the environment.
I only get uncomfortable with Colbert during interviews with congress people. They come across as so clueless and dumb that I go into a depression. The author and PR interviews can be fun because those people understand the premise and try to get their points across in a fun way. I thought Van Jones was excellent, and I learned stuff because some of us reading Grist aren't experts. Please remember that some of us have to be educated to your lofty levels.
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kmp Posted 2:57 am
04 Apr 2008
Colbert is funny
when he has a guest on that you'd like to see abused. Think about the potential for Colbert with Inhofe on.... with Bush, or Cheney, or Condi Rice. I might break a rib laughing.
But he's not as funny when there is someone on who is articulate, bright and, like Van Jones, is pushing an agenda that is hard to argue with; what do you find to pick on about putting more Americans to work and saving the environment? And he's not as funny when he has someone on that you agree with, and he is picking on them and not letting them speak. Human nature I guess, to defend your heroes and enjoy seeing your enemies suffer.
Anyway, I agree that I thought Colbert was uncharacteristically "nice" to Van Jones.. gave him lots of time to speak and even the digs were pretty mild. But then again.. I don't really watch TV - I only see Colbert here. So if DR did not post these Colbert clips, I would never see them. Ironic?
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eelalien Posted 1:08 pm
21 May 2008
Colbert & Van Jones
Colbert is a lamb in wolf's clothing - I don't quite understand why normally intelligent people don't get that the undercurrent of his show is actually quite subversive, and not at all out of line with enviros, leftists, et al. Not liking his "schtick" is one thing, but if you simply don't get it, don't watch it. Plenty of stuff to really get your goat (on purpose) over on Fox News...
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