Since 2005, “The Colbert Report” has been making Americans laugh and learn more about our politics and government.
Since this is the pop culture issue, what better subject to write about than the man who “won television” himself, Stephen Colbert. 2014 has been his victory lap as “The Colbert Report” comes to a close and he moves on to replace David Letterman on the “Late Show.” His show has generated plenty of laughter but has also helped expose a generation to political issues of the day.
Colbert is first and foremost a performer and a comedian. In “The Colbert Report” he plays a satirical representation of conservative political pundits. Not only does he carry on his flawless performance when reading from a teleprompter, but he does just as well during unscripted interviews and public events, such as when he testified before Congress about his experience as a migrant farm worker, or when he spoke at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Many people could probably play a hyperbolic caricature for thirty minutes four nights a week, but only Colbert could so effectively embody that caricature both on and off the show for so many years.
Not only has “The Colbert Report” been a source of entertainment and laughter, but of political influence as well. “The Report,” along with “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” ranked at the top of the late night talk show ratings among young adults in 2010. Surveys even show that young people get their news from the two Comedy Central programs more than from any other source. That kind of influence is very powerful in national elections where the youth voter turnout rate is traditionally very low. But in 2008, three years into “the Report’s” run, youth voter turnout was the second highest ever. Obviously there are a number of factors that contribute to increased voter turnout, but “The Colbert Report” has surely had an influence on the way our generation thinks about and understands politics.
A notable example is Colbert’s coverage of the ins and outs of Political Action Committees leading up to the 2012 election. Instead of explaining what these Super PACs are and why they can be harmful to democracy, Colbert created his own legally valid Super PAC, “Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow.” Throughout the process, he exposed the ways in which Super PACs are becoming more and more powerful in U.S. elections. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that viewers of “The Colbert Report” had a more accurate knowledge about campaign finances than viewers of any other mainstream news program. If the role of news media is to maintain an informed electorate, then “The Colbert Report” has been beating out media giants like CNN and Fox at their own game, and in hilarious fashion no less.
It will be a bittersweet day next Thursday when the last episode of “The Colbert Report” ends, but fans of the show are excited to see what Colbert brings to a more mainstream talk show this January. But nothing will ever replace the incomparable genius of “The Colbert Report.” Tip o’ the Hat to you, Stephen Colbert.