The Colbert Report

If you're looking for "truthiness" on television, check out this collection of the funniest moments from Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." Join host/self-proclaimed "four-star American hero" Stephen Colbert as he presents his views on modern life in the United States and puts the "pun" in conservative political punditry. 160 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.At a liberal three hours, this Colbertrospective is as definitive as The Best of Chappelle's Show. Here are the signature segments ("Better Know a District"), defining moments (the definition of "truthiness", Merriam-Webster's 2006 Word of the Year), classic confrontations ("Papa Bear" Bill O'Reilly, Jane Fonda, and Emmy-stealer Barry Manilow) and essential features (the "Green Screen Challenge" and "Stephen Colbert's Rock and Awe: Countdown to Guitarmageddon,") If you're a recent immigrant to Colbert Nation, this DVD is your passport for full citizenship. A spin-off of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report (those T's are silent) is a pitch-perfect parody of self-mythologizing TV pundits ("This show is not about me," Colbert, in full gravitas, proclaims in episode 1. "It is dedicated to you, the heroes. Who are the heroes? The people who watch this show"). Colbert is a "straight shooter" who doesn't trust books ("they're all fact and no heart") and he promises to "feel the news at you." But the media-savvy Colbert doesn't just feel the news, he makes news. Included is his jaw-dropping "Better Know a District" interview with Florida Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler, who was running unopposed in the 2006 Midterm election, prompting Colbert to goad him into saying "a few things that would really lose the election for you if you were contested" ("I enjoy the company of prostitutes because it's a fun thing to do"). Soon after, the Democratic leadership told incoming-freshman congressmen to steer clear of the Report. Colbert has abandoned his run for President of the United States following his failure to secure a place on South Carolina's ballot. It's just as well. There is, he states, "a whole big world to fix," and now more than ever we need a leader, who, as venerable 60 Minutes correspondent Morley Safer observes at one point, is "a sunburst of emotion in a time darkened by reason." --Donald Liebenson