I don't know if it was funny. To tell the truth, I was in a state closer to suspense. Would he have the guts to go all the way? Would someone try to put a stop to it? As it neared the end, I felt more like crying with gratitude. If the MSM had shown one one-hundreth of Colbert's fortitude right from the beginning, a lot of American soldiers might still be alive now, thousands more would be unmaimed, tens of thousands more of Iraqis might not be dead, and you can conclude with the usual litany.

Funny? I don't know. But it sure was a cathartic release to the horror with which I've been forced to watch this country the past decade or more.

This reminds me of the official punditry surrounding the canceling of Ellen Degeneris' sitcom after she and her character came out and the show started airing episodes about lesbian dating. Few 'liberals' at ABC or elsewhere wanted to admit that they felt either uncomfortable or dismissive about the content, so suddenly, this show that had always been based on quirky, observational humor was "not funny." Within two weeks, this 'not funny' meme was supplying mutual reassurance to people who wanted to see the last of Ellen but not be branded homophobic.

This is not to say that the peoplel who found the show suddenly 'not funny' had to hold back laughs. But was Ellen ever a belly laugh show? It was observational comedy, like Colbert's, meant to elicit grins, smiles and maybe even a few new thoughts. What changed wasn't the nature of the humor, it was the reason for the stone faces--people's comfort zones had been breached.

Steven Colbert, your my hero!

NY Times, I'm canceling my subscription!

I am outraged that the New York Times did not address the performance given by Steven Colbert at Saturday night's Correspondents Dinner. The conspicuous absence of his name from your coverage speaks volumes. For 6 years the media has coward from this administration and in doing so abandoned their responsibilty to the public. They have tempered stories and events that were worthy of rigorous investigation and relentless coverage. Across te board, the media has lacked the courage and integrity to shine a light on Bush's hypocrisy, the consequences of his devastating policies, and his unseemly relationship with big business.

Steven Colbert gave a profound performance. He gave voice and inspiration to many of us... the discontented, the disillusioned and the disgusted. We have often fantasized by what we would ask or say to the President if ever we were to meet him. Steven took this rare opportunity, an unedited forum to call out the president, and he did it with courage and a wit that cut through the complacency of Washington, the media, and us citizens who have not mobilized. Thanks Steven. You are my hero.

Colbert's performance was breathtaking. I had no time to laugh really as I was afraid to miss the next uppercut. Sort of reminded me of the attacks in the British House of Commons.

It's that, as a viewing public, we've lost the ability to discern humor without a designated laugh track. There is plenty of laughter at Colbert's performance on the tape, and there was certainly lots of laughter in the private spaces of people who couldn't be there and watched it on CSPAN or YouTube.

But without the miked-up (prompted) in-house laughter of a studio auidence, or the familar chuckles (even falsely replicated as spontanious), something about it seems less "funny," as though we don't trust our own sense of humor, or don't understand that the best barbs sometimes don't deliver a hard belly laugh, but a sharp pang of recognition.

Doesn't anybody remember what was said about Jon Stewart's appearance on "Crossfire"? He wasn't funny; he didn't cavort like a happy clown for the hosts. Instead, Stewart spoke his mind, as he does on "The Daily Show", only without the comic breaks. Of course, Colbert couldn't play it straight and deliver a diatribe - as so many of us would love to do. So, through the character he has so brilliantly honed on his "Colbert Report" Stephen Colbert ripped the press and this Administration a new one. He was spending the 'capital' his celebrity has earned for him. I think he got much more for his 'capital' than someone else that once talked about spending his.

Before Monday afternoon, I had no idea who Steven Colbert is. In fiscal protest for Time Warner's tacit endorsement of Bush, Iraqocide, and the Republican Bulldozing of the American Dream, I had cancelled TV in all forms. I chanced upon Colbert's presentation by accident. I was really interested in the Cat v Dog theme that Video Dog (Salon Premium) was running. There was a rerun of Colbert's piece from 4/29. Frankly, I was stunned. I was amazed that this monologue aired at all. I was amazed that the video feed was not mysteriously interupted. I was astounded that somehow, this barrage of ironic truth-telling had made it's way into a public forum. I was also profoundly impressed with the courage Mr. Colbert displayed. Colbert had an opportunity to be 'funny'. He passed. Instead, he chose irony (and parody) to lay bare the myth of George W. Bush as a Leader, a Thinker and a Diplomat. Stephen Colbert chose to take his fifteen minutes of fame to force the Executive Branch of Government and the Mainstream Media to face the havoc they have wrought. Colbert demanded that Bush and the compliant press face the words and deeds of the past five years. He used the doublespeak that has defined this Administration... To redefine this Administration. Never in the history of this country has the cliche that Dissent is Courage been more pertinent than now. Thank you, Stephen Colbert. Thank you for your courage.

I've watched it twice, and like a classic Seinfeld, the beauty of its structure becomes apparent only the second time around. The first time I was going, "shit shit shit," agog that he was feet away from the Little Angry Man and his Standard Issue Wife. I couldn't believe it! It was wonderful and painful and I feared for his life.

The second time, I got into it with everything I've got. The sheepish looks of the sycophants in the audience, the smiles that froze and melted into fury....gimme more more more!

I was raised in the Watergate era, which breathed life into so many journalists my age. My question is: Where did you go? Where the FUCK did you go?