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in The Colbert Report
by
Stephen Colbert, 13 May 2008
Jennifer Hooper McCarty, author of What Really Sank the Titanic, sheds some light on the disastrous catastrophe that ensued after the iceberg hit the Titanic. McCarty's background in metallurgical engineering has led her to conclude that the lack of high quality iron in that era led to faulty rivets being installed, and caused the ship to collapse as the rivets broke after colliding with the iceberg. Colbert eats up the material, advocating global warming as a possible solution to icebergs -- which he refers to as the "terrorists" of the seas.
Posted 11:53, 14 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Aniq Rahman
and edited by Brijit.
in The Colbert Report
by
Stephen Colbert, 12 May 2008
Oz appears to plug his new book, You: The Owner's Manual, but Colbert immediately takes issue with the concept, arguing he refers to the Bible for health tips because that book came from the manufacturer. Oz explains that his book could help explain why our body works the way it does. For example, he asks, "why does your bowel movement look the way that it looks?" Colbert answers: "because God likes cigars." Oz also remarks, "your penis is your dipstick for health," explaining the inability to get an erection is indicative of poor health. Finally, this provocative interview reveals how men can extend their life expectancy by three years by having more sex.
Posted 1:01, 13 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Pinoli
and edited by Brijit.
in The Colbert Report
by
Stephen Colbert, 8 May 2008
Astronaut Garrett Reisman does an interview via satellite, and the possibility of talking to an astronaut clearly tickles Colbert -- "Eat it Jon Stewart, I'm talking to space!" Reisman briefly discusses his responsibilities on the International Space Station before acknowledging that he's "a bit of a glorified janitor." The interview is clearly heavily edited, which can be a bit distracting. Still, the image of Reisman spinning his Wriststrong bracelet and doing flips is pretty cool, and he's obviously happy to be on the show.
Posted 9:47, 9 May 2008
This abstract was written by
David Arey
and edited by Brijit.
in The Colbert Report
by
Stephen Colbert, 8 May 2008
Arianna Huffington joins Colbert to discuss her book, Right is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution and Made Us All Less Safe (And What You Need to Know to End the Madness). She rails on McCain for being hijacked by the Republicans and giving up on his policy stances on immigration and torture -- a scenario akin to Colbert joining the Grizzly Bear Fan Club. The old maverick is in the past, she says: "it's like Happy Days, like Fonzie: he's gone." Huffington sticks to her McCain talking points despite frequent joke interruptions from Colbert.
Posted 9:45, 9 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Francis Merlie
and edited by Brijit.
in The Colbert Report
by
Stephen Colbert, 7 May 2008
Self-proclaimed failed scientist (turned journalist) George Johnson plugs his book The 10 Most Beautiful Experiments by performing one, creating electricity as Michael Faraday did by waving a magnet inside a metal coil. It quickly becomes clear, however, that Colbert did not do his homework (he assumed his guest was a scientist) so it doesn't take long for the interview to devolve into drawn-out masturbation innuendo. The segment finishes funnier as Colbert and his guest prove that two grown men will shock themselves repeatedly for laughs. And possibly book sales.
Posted 12:56, 8 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Brehm
and edited by Brijit.
in The Colbert Report
by
Stephen Colbert, 7 May 2008
Colbert interviews American professor Hasan Elahi, who in 2002 was suspected by the FBI of hoarding explosives, suspicions that were quickly allayed. But when released, Elahi was ordered to periodically check in with the Feds and was never notified that he was off the terrorist watch list. In response, Elahi decided to surveil himself and began photographing every mindless detail of his life for his website, trackingtransience.net. Colbert, on the other hand, thanks Elahi for helping the US fight him in the war on terror. The would-be suspect is clearly prepared for television, making clear points and sparring gamely with his host.
Posted 10:41, 8 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Pinoli
and edited by Brijit.
in The Colbert Report
by
Stephen Colbert, 6 May 2008
Opera singer Nathan Gunn comes on the show to defend his art, which is especially difficult given Colbert's accusations of elitism. As Gunn argues, the Metropolitan Opera is attempting to bring opera to the masses by broadcasting in movie theaters, an interesting advancement, though his descriptions sound like a scripted press conference. The most ironic part of this interview is that Colbert clearly knows much more about opera than his audience -- by accusing Gunn of corrupting the youth and basically taking part in "professional wrestling with a full orchestra," he educates his audience a little, which was probably the intent of the interview in the first place.
Posted 3:30, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
David Arey
and edited by Brijit.
in The Colbert Report
by
Stephen Colbert, 5 May 2008
Hiaasen wrote The Downhill Lie after returning to golf after a 32-year hiatus, and his book works as an account of his recurrent hate affair with the sport. Colbert and Hiaasen riff on the funny circumstances involved with hitting the links -- Colbert's love of posh golf clubs, memories of playing with his father (and never winning), and the psychological effect of being a terrible golfer are among the highlights. While Colbert finds enough material on the subject to make a good stand-up routine, Hiaasen never gets much of a chance to say anything.
Posted 10:12, 6 May 2008
This abstract was written by
David Arey
and edited by Brijit.
in The Colbert Report
by
Stephen Colbert, 1 May 2008
James Kunstler, doomsaying author of the novel World Made by Hand, spends a lot of a time describing what the world would be like without oil. He discusses the vagaries of ethanol, solar power, wind power and other things, while Colbert does his normal shtick. Though Kunstler says stores like Wal-Mart won't be a part of people's lives in the future, he never really goes into great depth about anything. This may be an interesting interview for those who don't know what's going on in the energy market, but those who do won't learn anything new.
Posted 3:12, 2 May 2008
This abstract was written by
David Arey
and edited by Brijit.
in The Colbert Report
by
Stephen Colbert, 30 April 2008
Noah Feldman, author of The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State, comes on the show to argue a point that's very troubling to Colbert: the American military is essentially protecting Islamic law in Iraq. Feldman, who helped draft the Iraqi Constitution, demonstrates how democracy has helped inch Iraq closer to theocracy, and by juxtaposing religion-based governments like those in Iran and Saudi Arabia, he shows that America has not been altogether consistent in how it deals with such governments. Feldman proves to be informative and interesting -- you know it was a good interview when Colbert responds with "I'm going to choose to ignore that."
Posted 4:23, 1 May 2008
This abstract was written by
David Arey
and edited by Brijit.