I AM AMERICA
(AND SO CAN YOU!)
Looking into the mind of one of America's most well-known
(and well-loved) comedians.
Introduction
"I am no fan of books. And chances are, if you're reading this, you and I share a healthy skepticism about the printed word. Well, I want you to know that this is the first book I've ever written, and I hope it's the first book you've ever read. Don't make a habit of it."
- Introduction to the Introduction of I Am America (And So Can you!)
If you've never seen or heard of Stephen Colbert, the excerpt above might just give you a taste of his heartily loved and heavily criticized nature found in many of Comedy Central's sketches and shows since the mid-90s.
- Introduction to the Introduction of I Am America (And So Can you!)
If you've never seen or heard of Stephen Colbert, the excerpt above might just give you a taste of his heartily loved and heavily criticized nature found in many of Comedy Central's sketches and shows since the mid-90s.
The Man
Born of Irish-American descent, Stephen Colbert grew up the youngest of eleven siblings. In his book, he often comments on his youth, capturing it with "..the Five Fs of childhood: Family, Faith, Furry Friends, and Fear of the Elderly." He was raised in a devout Catholic home in Charleston, South Carolina. As he said in an interview with Time Out New York, he was raised to believe that one could reside faithfully in the church, while also being one to question it, which is a principle that can easily be seen throughout his comedic material. In the same article, David Cote writes, "He quotes Shakespeare and Robert Hayden at the drop of a hat, and seems equally comfortable parsing theology and the foibles of media personalities [...]" While presenting himself, oftentimes, as a more brash commentator of touchy topics, Colbert's intellectual upbringing can be seen when he's not using his familiar political satire to advocate for his opinions.
It is often said that comedians emerge from dark times, Colbert being no exception. When he was a mere 10 years old, his father and two brothers, Paul and Peter, were all killed in a plane crash. In an interview with People Magazine's Aurelie Corinthios, he puts it as something that he most loves, but wished had never happened. Not fully coming to the acceptance stage of his grief until around 25 years later, he knows that without it, he would never have made it to where he stands in society now. After having expressed his conflicting thoughts of gratitude and dread, Colbert states that "It's not the same thing as wanting it to have happened. But you can't change everything about the world. You certainly can't change things that have already happened."
Presently, Stephen Colbert, his wife, and his three kids, Peter, John, and Madeline, reside in Montclair, New Jersey.
It is often said that comedians emerge from dark times, Colbert being no exception. When he was a mere 10 years old, his father and two brothers, Paul and Peter, were all killed in a plane crash. In an interview with People Magazine's Aurelie Corinthios, he puts it as something that he most loves, but wished had never happened. Not fully coming to the acceptance stage of his grief until around 25 years later, he knows that without it, he would never have made it to where he stands in society now. After having expressed his conflicting thoughts of gratitude and dread, Colbert states that "It's not the same thing as wanting it to have happened. But you can't change everything about the world. You certainly can't change things that have already happened."
Presently, Stephen Colbert, his wife, and his three kids, Peter, John, and Madeline, reside in Montclair, New Jersey.
The Book
On October 9th, 2007, Colbert released his first book ever, titled, I Am America (And So Can You!), which was his way of expressing a variety of his strong opinions through the written word. Throughout the course of the autobiography, we hear about his takes on everything from the structure of the economy, to religion, to animals, to sex, to American society as a whole, and discussions on all of the above combined.
Once you've gotten past the Introduction in which he (attempts to) explain himself, the book goes into "Part One: [His] American Childhood." In this four chapter section, Colbert talks The Nuclear Family, Old People, Animals, and Religion. He expresses his feelings on the operation of the more domestic areas of our lives, including criticisms on how young Americans treat relationships, the retrogression of the quality of parenting, and explanations of his own religious beliefs (plus "suggestions").
Part 2, "My American Adolescence" goes into sports, relationships, sexuality, and higher education (quite the sandwich). This section contains a lot of "great ideas!" as he likes to put it. (I'll let you be the judge of the truth of that adjective. "I've often thought [baseball] should be played with an apple instead of a ball." [Colbert 75]) Also included - comments on us living in a welfare state; I did say it was quite the sandwich.
You get the idea. Stephen Colbert has a lot of opinions on a lot of subjects, and he has no problem continuing to express them in parts 3 and 4. In his closing pages, Colbert poses the question, "What Have We Learned?" (Correction: "What have you learned. I already know everything in this book, or I couldn't possibly have written it. Don't make this about me. You always do that. It's about you and what you've learned from me." [Colbert 213])
So, what have we learned?
I've learned about the "forces aligned to destroy America" (Colbert 213) - whether those be terrorists or organic cereals - and about how he plans to prevent their success. I've learned how to avoid bias found in the media by looking at it and saying, "that's biased." I've learned about how rules are actually just "Big Government interference" (Colbert 73). Most importantly, I've come to have an even greater amount of respect for Stephen Colbert. His ability to firmly express his opinions clearly and definitively without worrying about what the media, the press, or the people are going to say about it is an ability that not many have. While comedians almost everywhere make people laugh at the expense of another's beliefs or actions, Colbert knows how to convey the important stuff without being looked at as taking direct stabs at those who do not see eye-to-eye with him, all the while being true to his own perspectives.
Multi-Media
The Show(s)
Before replacing David Letterman as the host of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert started his career on television as the writer and creator of Exit 57, a sketch comedy which aired on Comedy Central from 1995 to 1996, and then moved on to work with some of its team on Strangers With Candy. Finding his footing with the popular American network, he worked as a writer for The Daily Show for seven years, moving on to create his own The Colbert Report, of which gained him widespread success. His role as "America's most fearless purveyor of 'truthiness'" as Comedy Central puts it, "[raises] the bar for political satire."
Before The Colbert Report's final episode in December of 2014, it was announced by CBS that Colbert would take on The Late Show, premiering in September of last year.
Before The Colbert Report's final episode in December of 2014, it was announced by CBS that Colbert would take on The Late Show, premiering in September of last year.
Stephen Colbert Talks His Final Election Special (The Colbert Report)
Stephen Colbert Talks Macbeth (The Late Show)
Stephen Colbert Talks Recent Gun Laws (The Late Show)
Stephen Colbert Talks First Episode Mishaps (The Late Show)
Stephen Colbert Talks Lord of the Rings (The Late Show)
The Other Works
You might be wondering, "Where can I get this wonderfully sarcastic and emphatically enlightening book?"
These are the links you're looking for.
These are the links you're looking for.