Some of you have asked me what I thought of Stephen Colbert’s speech at the WHCA. Sorry. I’m one of those people who leave before the dinner. I took a friend from England for the cocktails part; and then scarpered for a dinner with other friends, winding up on the couch falling asleep watching Chevy Chase’s "European Vacation". The fiance, fresh back from London, wanted to acquaint me with this important cultural artefact. So no review from me. But here’s Noam Scheiber:
My sense is that the blogosphere response is more evidence of a new Stalinist aesthetic on the left–until recently more common on the right–wherein the political content of a performance or work of art is actually more important than its entertainment value. Jon Stewart often says he hates when his audience cheers; he wants them to laugh. My sense is that, had most of the bloggers complaining about the WHCD been around Saturday night, there would have been lots of cheering but not much more laughing.
I love Colbert; but perhaps he misfired. It happens.
The Dish 