May 1, 2006 at 23:00:00

Stephen ColbertThe New Jon Stewart

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By Becky Burgwin (about the author) Page 1 of 1 page(s)

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For OpEdNews: Becky Burgwin - Writer

Saturday night at the White House Correspondents Dinner, Stephen Colbert made American history. With an audience that consisted largely of the president and the first lady, their friends, their staff, members of the supreme court, employees of the administration and self-serving Washington reporters he stood for over 30 minutes and did a routine so scathing that he must have been just inches away from getting yanked off the stage by the secret service. The most amazing part about his performance...very few people were laughing. As someone who has done some performing, I can tell you, it's hard to do comedy in front of a crowd that you know for a fact wants to kill you. Lots of footage of folks with their mouths hanging open, though, and that was great.

Want to know how it affected millions of us who are scrounging for anything we can get our hands on...gossip, scandals, misspoken words, perp walks, silly pictures ANYTHING... I've watched it three times today.

God we've been needing this for so long. It's manna from heaven. I'm sorry Jon. I still love you man. I mean when you called Tucker Carlson a dick on Crossfire I had an orgasm. I kid you not. God that took guts. Right there and then you became my numero uno. That made me so happy. I mean it. I was happy for months about that. I still watch it. And the fact that it got Tucker canned and the show cancelled was the absolute best thing I've seen in the last 5 god-forsaken years.

But, Jon, we're all so desperate. We have so little to hang on to. You do the best Bush imitation of anyone. It makes me laugh every time. Just that look on your face and the heh-heh thing all hunkered down...it's the best. And when you get footage of him being a jerk, and then you imitate him, it's just so entertaining. And jeezoman Jon, do we need to be entertained.

We're in deep doo-doo, Jon, and we need every hilarious crumb you can throw us about the maniacs who have gotten us here will be so appreciated.

What Stephen did was genius. He did what we've all wanted to do for so long. He looked right into President Bush's eyes and basically called him a dangerous, pea-brained, no account asshole. And godammit that took balls...brass balls, as you said. So I want to say thank-you to Stephen Colbert for the most entertaining stand up I've ever seen and thank-you to Jon Stewart for inventing him. You've given some war-weary American citizens something to live for.

Ms. Burgwin's writings have appeared in Time, Newsweek, New York Magazine, Counterpunch, Alternet, Out2 and OpEdNews as well as several other online Op Ed sites. She is emerging from an year and a half hiatus due to grief over the 2004 election. (more...)

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