Gawker: Comedy Central

Hey Why Not?

Hamilton Nolan — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:05:53 EDT

Kanye West is teaming up with Comedy Central for a new show "described as hip hop meets the muppets." It was only a matter of time. [THR]

Stephen Colbert's Gift Bag

Hamilton Nolan — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:24:08 EDT

What does pseudo-nationalist Stephen Colbert give his show's guests in their gift baskets? Lipstick and bacon, zing? No, that's just what a tired hack would say in a weak attempt at a joke, demonstrating why said hack will never be good enough to write for the Colbert Report. The paper of record infiltrated the Colbert green room and found this in the gift bags: "Bottled water. Altoids. Gum. Ground coffee. Tooth whitener. Vodka." In reverse order, that's exactly what politicians consume before going on the show. [City Room]

'Times' Shock: Everyone Still Getting Their News From The Daily Show

Moe — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:10:02 EDT

Did you read Sunday's Times piece about how people are getting their news from Jon Stewart these days? Because I sure as heck didn't! I don't need the Times to tell me to stop reading the Times and turn on my cable box — mainly because I was pretty sure I had read that same exact story in the Times before. But this morning, as the story was still carrying the top of the "Most Emailed List," I decided to go find that old Times story I remembered. Well, it wasn't easy. There are 102 stories listed in "Past coverage" of Jon Stewart (the original Michael Phelps!), about nine of which employ the phrase "get their news from." And yet I could not for the life of me find the one I remembered actually reading. Turns out it is because, like the former "young people" who started this whole "getting news from the Daily Show" trend, I am now very very very old…

Because they've been doing this story since September 2000.

Alexis Boehmler is a junior studying English at Davidson College. At 20, she is bright and well versed, with strong views on the abortion issue and other political matters. Occasionally, friends tease her about her passion for literature; she recalls with some embarrassment speaking in class once about Don DeLillo's novel "White Noise" and being moved nearly to tears. Her opinions do not betray a hint of apathy or intellectual lethargy, and she has every intention of voting in November. And her primary news source — often, her only news source — is "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," a parody.

Just to make sure the story still holds up, we put a call into Alexis, who now works at BOMB Magazine. Turns out she still gets her news from the Daily Show. "Maybe because he covers a variety of topics and personalities, as opposed to the same thing over and over," she said.

Is Jon Stewart The Most Trusted Man In America? [NYT]
Much, much earlier: The Stiff Guy Vs. The Dumb Guy [NYT]
Related: Colbert, Stewart Viewers More Well-Informed Than Those Watching O'Reilly, Dobbs [ThinkProgress]
Which also isn't exactly news: Daily Show Viewers Smarter Than O'Reilly Viewers [BoingBoing, 2004]

MoveOn Goes "Viral" With Gross Pro-Obama Valtrex Ad

Pareene — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:37:53 EDT

This pro-Obama ad is about how "hope" is a lot like a sexually transmitted disease. It is designed to reach to the Youngs, all of whom have herpes, especially in Brooklyn. It is by MoveOn.org. In order to make sure it appeals to those cold-sored 20-somethings, it feeds their bullshit pop culture nostalgia by featuring a guy who was on Boy Meets World and a lady from that vampire show. It will be the very first political ad ever to appear on Comedy Central where it is sure to convince to all those post-racial young Larry the Cable Guy and Carlos Mencia fans to vote for Senator Obama.

CNN Launches A Comedy News Show

rebecca — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:51:38 EDT

You know the Colbert Report, and how it's really successful? And how other forms of news are less popular and some are dying? CNN noticed that too! So their Headline News channel will soon be airing Not Just Another Cable News Show, a weekly program with a light take on hard news using memorable gaffes from the past week. Time.com Washington editor Ana Marie Cox, of Wonkette fame, and noted Canadian/Huffington Post contributor Rachel Sklar will be commenters. The show, whose concept is stolen from the first segment of the Daily Show and whose title is stolen from the Wayans brothers, begins April 5. [AP]

Media Bubble: Outside The Portfolio

abalk2 — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:05:26 EDT

Welcome back to CBS Radio, CEO Dan Mason. There are a couple of items in your inbox. Start with that Imus folder. [NYP]

Gwen Ifill discomfits Tim Russert and David Brooks over their Imus appearances. [E&P]

Funny people and Arianna Huffington discuss how Don Imus crossed the line. Apparently, it was the "moral authority of his own irreverence" that did him in. [NYM]

David Carr takes a look at Field & Stream. Eat it, Portfolio. [NYT]

When it comes to networks that manufacture fake journalism Comedy Central's audience is better informed about current events than those who watch Fox News. [E&P]

All this new web stuff makes Simon Dumenco cranky. [AdAge]

NBC Thursdays: No-see TV. [Mediaweek]

from now on
rosie odonnell
will just be screaming
on the inside
unlike her viewers [Rosie]

Comedy Central: "You're Gay, You Have A Girlfriend"

Choire — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:20:32 EDT

Our friends at Comedy Central left us a voicemail! Apparently the media bowling league competition has turned ugly. Actually we just have one friend at Comedy Central—this is [UPDATE: From a jerkface who has since apologized. Albeit at gunpoint.] Language NSFW. Unless you work at Viacom, we guess.

Media Bubble: Comedy Central Going Down

abalk2 — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:18:23 EST

Comedy Central and TVLand head downtown to Hudson Street, although that may just be a plot by Viacom to make mass layoffs easier to handle. [NYP]

Google will happily narc out its users. [Internetnews]

SF Chron reporters not to attend jail. And the BALCO steroids case leaker? The BALCO guy's lawyer. Innaresting. [SFGate]

David Carr weeps for the tabloidization of the Observer; the Post cites its "bizarre and frightening" artwork. Mike Bloomberg just reads it for that column by windowdresser Simon Doonan. [NYT]

Keith Olbermann re-signs with MSNBC. [TVNewser]

Even in England celebrity mags are beating the hell out of regular lady titles. [Guardian]

Remainders: Did Someone Say Mid-Terms?

Doree Shafrir — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 18:00:03 EST

A reader emails us that her friend who works at the Daily Show suggested sending us the sign above because it was just so funny. Wow, working at Comedy Central must be really depressing.
Joel Klein and Russell Simmons made a video together about voting. Next week: Mayor Bloomberg and Jay-Z rap about smoking cigarettes, trans fats. [NYM]
Chelsea Clinton probably didn't watch the video, because she couldn't vote. [NYT]
The Yale Daily News endorses both candidates in the Connecticut Senate race. How very useful for the electorate. [IvyGate]

Dan Rather to Play Grumpy Grandpa on Comedy Central Tonight

Chris Mohney — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 15:30:34 EST

Finding himself with time on his hands post-CBS — despite that bitchin' new job at HDNet — Dan Rather will ... co-host? co-anchor? something ... with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert tonight on Comedy Central. The trio will analyze election results live starting at 11 p.m. ET, though unfortunately Rather says he will clamp down on his trademark insane folksy witticisms. We'll be heading out shortly to get our hands dirty with some participatory democracy here in New York, where we're already hearing rumbles of poll chaos around the city due to lost voter rolls and technical foul-ups. If you've run into inadvertent disenfranchisement today in NYC through agencies human or otherwise, let us know your tales of voter angst.

Dan Rather to 'play it straight' on Comedy Central tonight [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Media Bubble: Get Your Piece of Stereogum While There's Still Time

abalk2 — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 10:10:40 EST

Comedy Central rats out YouTube, clips pulled. [NYT]
Time Inc. to invest heavily in the Internet components of its top-tier titles. Not in the top tier: Time. Guess The Ana Log doesn't draw as many eyeballs as People's coverage of Vince and Jen. Also, more job cuts to come. [WSJ]
You can't sell a book by its cover. Unless, you know, Vince and Jen are on it. [WWD]
Just because Katie Couric's dad has Parkinson's and she's donated to Michael J. Fox's foundation doesn't mean she can't deliver a completely impartial interview with Fox. [CBS]
Porn baron Richard Desmond to decimate Express staff. [Guardian]
Scott "Stereogum" Lapatine now owned by joint consortium of Bob Pittman, Jason Hirschorn. [NYP]

George Takei Teaches Us to Laugh Again

Chris Mohney — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 15:45:23 EDT

Sure, last night's Comedy Central roast of William Shatner was all about the Dick-licking. On the other end of the wholesomeness scale was proudly out Star Trek actor George Takei, having plenty of chuckles at Shatner's expense as well as his own. The camera went to him frequently, proving that the Comedy Central producers were just as fascinated as we were by Takei's joyous open-mouthed laugh-rictus. Above is a homage of Takei's best laughs, plus bonus man-smooch courtesy of roast comedian Jeff Ross.

'South Park' Wins Peabody, Tom Cruise Foiled Again

Jessica — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 10:55:01 EDT

After some ten years of inane genius, South Park's "distinguished acheivement and meritious service" was recognized last night with a Peabody. Other honorees included House, Boston Legal and Battlestar Galactica, but there's nothing quite so compelling as watching Comedy Central continue its goofy march towards legitimacy.

"South Park" was praised as a show that "pushes all the buttons, turns up the heat and shatters every taboo," Peabody Awards Director Horace Newcomb said. "Through that process of offending it reminds us of the need for being tolerant."

Very true. We just can't believe it took them almost a decade after the creation of Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo to realize it.

'South Park' Wins Coveted Peabody Award

Media Bubble: Coming to Praise Brown and to Bury Him

Jesse — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 14:30:41 EST

• CNN's changes had nothing to do with getting rid of Brown; that was just a coincidence. "He's really a doll to work with," says CNN chief. [NYT]
• Of course, ol' Aaron had been a "drag" on CNN's ratings. [NYP]
• Knight Ridder sale could spark industry consolidation. You know, because there are too many independently owned papers left these days. [WSJ]
• S&S EIC Micahel Korda to step down, after 938 years in job. [WP]
• Comedy Central ups Colbert Report order to a full year, ensure 11 more months of a show we sort of feel like we should be watching but also don't enjoy as we'd hoped to when we do. [E! Online]
• Jack McCoy's flannel suits too boring for your TV-crimefighting tastes? Rejoice, then, in Sleuth, NBC Universal's new cable net featuring old crime shows from The A-Team to Miami Vice. [B&C]
• Russ Smith doesn't like Arthur Sulzberger. We're shocked. [NY Press]

The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations

Jesse — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 14:30:51 EDT

The Times today looks at Comedy Central's forthcoming Colbert Report, which debuts Monday, and considers the tough terrain faced by television spinoffs:

For it to succeed on a permanent basis, "The Colbert Report" will have to show that it can overcome numerous challenges, not least that it can avoid the stumbles of other progeny (like "After M*A*S*H" and, thus far, "Joey") that were spawned by hit series but never quite reached the same heights, creative or otherwise.

Which prompts us to make perhaps the easiest prediction we've ever ventured: Yes, The Colbert Report will be better than Joey.

See, at least we're better at this than Jeff Zucker.

The News Is Funny, as a Correspondent Gets His Own Show [NYT]
Earlier: Good Night, and Good Zucker

Media Bubble: He Had a Dream

Jesse — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 14:00:17 EDT

• A milestone in the struggle for equality: TV networks cover a missing black and Hispanic woman the same way they usually cover missing white women. Someplace, Dr. King is smiling. [USAT]
• Surprised to learn in the Post a few days ago that Osama planned to poison our cocaine? Yeah, so was the DEA. [NYDN]
• Morgan Spurlock is coming to Comedy Central, continuing his effort to become more ubiquitous than McDonald's but not nearly as delicious. [Mediaweek]
• Interestingly, in-flight mags are not the best place for subversive political satire. Who knew? [Folio:]
• At new Bloomberg LP headquarters, Charlie Rose guests are insufficiently from the hoi-polloi reporters. The horror. [WWD]
• Bob Woodward's The Secret Man is, maybe, a very poorly selling best-seller. [Media Mob]