or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
May 05, 2006
My Email To Richard Cohen
Dear Mr. Cohen,
Congratulations on your hilarious column about Stephen Colbert. It was a stroke of genuine comic genius on your part to "criticize" Colbert's performance by adopting a persona so similar to that of Colbert's own -- i.e., a high-status, self-satisfied idiot completely oblivious to how he appears to others.
Moreover, as much as you clearly admire and have learned from Colbert, you showed yourself to be even more talented than he is. Colbert and other comedians sometimes claim it's difficult to satirize current events because they can't imagine anything worse than what already happens. But you've proven it's indeed possible to create an imaginary character far more egregious than anyone real.
As "you" say, you are truly funny. Please keep up the good work.
best,
Jon Schwarz
What a great country, where a humble comedian can be considered a "bully" to the most powerful man in the world!
Posted by: Adam Kotsko at May 5, 2006 01:13 PMLOL--good one, Adam!
Posted by: Mike of Rugoren at May 5, 2006 01:17 PMF'real. Adam for the win.
Posted by: BRG at May 5, 2006 01:56 PMRichard "I am a funny guy" Cohen has the sort of comic talent no one on this blog can match. It's so subtle, so stealthy, so well hidden that no one, not even himself, has ever been able to spot it.
Until today, that is, when Jon located it: somewhere in the vast open space between Richard's ears.
Nail on head, oh blogger god. And pithy.
Posted by: bobbo at May 9, 2006 01:07 PMNo, it wasn't funny. It wasn't supposed to be funny. There's nothing funny about what Bush and company are doing.
It was a slap upside the head and he needed to hear it.
The humor was all in that greedy asshole finally getting a dose of what he's worked so hard to keep away from his ears all these years.
I doubt it'll alter his selfserving view of the world, but if it gave him a stomach acid attack I say 'Well Done, Colbert'.
I wish Richard Cohen and other members of the liberal media would stop attacking Cobert for his conservative views:
http://jonswift.blogspot.com/2006/05/liberal-media-attacks-stephen-colbert.html
