No
one has more clearly demonstrated the power of combining comedy with the internet
than Stephen Colbert. He has become one of the most influential cultural icons
of our time. Stephen Colbert first gained widespread attention as the longest-running
news correspondent on Comedy Central's news parody program, The Daily Show,
and in 2005 became the host of the spinoff series, The Colbert Report.
Through the parody of his persona as an ultra-conservative talk show host, Colbert
brings to light many important and controversial social issues in a humorous and
offbeat way. His insightful and engaging style earned him many accolades during
his very first season, including 3 Emmy nominations, Time Magazine's nod
as one of the 100 Most Influential People and Merriam Webster's naming the word
'truthiness', which he featured on his very first episode, as the 2006 Word of
the Year.
Because
of his enormous popularity, Colbert was chosen as the featured entertainer at
the 2006 White House Correspondent's Association Dinner. Keeping in his persona,
he satirized the White House and the media with a controversial and critical routine.
Colbert received a lukewarm reaction from both the audience and the mainstream
media. But when the video of his performance circulated on the Internet, it caused
such a sensation that not only did the ratings of his show skyrocket, but Time
Magazine and The New York Times later noted it was the defining moment
of the 2006 midterm elections.
Colbert
has demonstrated, time and time again, the enormous influence he has by urging
his viewers, known as the Colbert Nation, to mobilize for a specific action. He
received 17 million votes, for example, in an online contest to name a bridge
in Hungary after asking his viewers to vote for him. Colbert's cultural icon status
was enshrined in February 2006 when Ben & Jerry's unveiled their new ice cream
flavor, 'Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream.' Colbert's popularity is a remarkable
example for entertainers and others in the public light to use their enormous
potential to influence their fans to help to create a better world.
