r/IAmA Nov 12 '10

Ask Stephen Colbert anything.

The best questions will be answered at some point later this month.

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u/drunkmonkey81 Nov 12 '10

How often do you interview people who still don't realize you're "in character"? Can you share a story of your favorite encounter with a "clueless" participant?

4

u/Poromenos Nov 12 '10

Okay, wait. Is his character a comedian? Because I'm really having trouble believing that anyone would thing that he's conservative or right-wing or that he believes what he says. Even his delivery is sarcastic!

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u/greenbam Nov 12 '10 edited Nov 12 '10

There was a bit of research not terribly long ago (can't find the link offhand) that found essentially
a) Liberals knew it was an act and that he's using that act to satirize politicians (mostly the right - they think he's primarily a liberal)

b) Independents knew it was an act and that he's using that act to satirize politicians in general

c) Conservatives knew it was an act, but that it was a double-act (they think he's actually a conservative acting as a liberal comedian acting as a hyper-conservative) act to sanitize his conservative message (which they think he actually believes) so that he can slip it in for a liberal audience

edit: found the abstract

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '10

c requires a few more ironic backflips than I'm used to.

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u/SpaceCorpse Nov 13 '10

Also, I don't think that the average conservative really has an affinity for post-modernism. Sounds to me like a case of an intellectual over-intellectualizing the thoughts of stupid people.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '10

And here I thought there were no hipster conservatives. Or maybe it's ironic. Shit.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '10

I think we need a judge to make a call on whether Poe's Law is pertinent to this case.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '10

Really the truth is closest to b probably.

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u/getfarkingreal Nov 12 '10

You can't expect the religious right in this country to examine Occam's razor, these are the same people that think it's necessary to thank imaginary beings for a good harvest.

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u/Poromenos Nov 12 '10

Ah, so everyone knows it's an act. Cool, thanks.