Transcription doesn’t do justice to Stephen Colbert, but for what it’s worth: In the process of apologizing Wednesday to Canton, Ga., for calling it “the crappy Canton” last week, Comedy Central’s faux conservative inexplicably unloaded on Canton, Kan., population 829, in McPherson County: “You can smell that dump all the way from Topeka. You know what they say about Canton, Kan.? Nothing. Nobody talks about it. I would say we should convert it to a landfill but that is insulting landfills. If Dorothy was from Canton, Kan., she would have wished that the house dropped on her. Hey, say, that reminds me of a joke. How many Canton, Kan., residents does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None. They don’t use lights ’cause they don’t want to see where they live.” Gov. Kathleen Sebelius responded in kind Thursday, inviting Colbert to spend a night in Canton’s historic jail.
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- DorisKing on Open thread 11/22
- Chas on Open thread 11/22
- george on Health care reform would save state money
- satatom on Open thread 11/22
- satatom on Open thread 11/22
- Politico on So they said
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/22
- JWink on Health care reform would save state money
- Politico on Health care reform would save state money
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/22
59 Comments
Colbert gets paid for acting stupid and insulting people, places and things.
It appears that Comedy Central got their money’s worth.
The old Gray Mare seized on the opportunity to get some free publicity though.
I didn’t see the aformentioned show, but I can tell from the context that Colbert’s “apology” to the Canton in Georgia was to pick, at random, a Canton on the map, and proceed, in his character’s clueless amd ridiculous fashion, to trash them even more thoroughly. It’s called comic irony.
The fact that Rhonda found it inexplicable (really? you’re serious?), sadly, tells us more about Rhonda than Colbert.
P.S. Besides, how can Canton Kansas compete with “oxygen and paved roads”? (snicker–just checked it out!).
The segment was meant to be satire, and it was hillarious because Colbert had no idea how true he was speaking.
I don’t even think there isa single person in that town who even watches Colbert, they’re either at the bar, or watching the Christian channel, or beating the wife.
Probably the best thing that has happened to Canton in some time!
Bet they’re solidly Republican, after reading Colbert’s description.
OMG, I saw it when it was broadcast. I was in the kitchen, heard it, and couldnt belive it, so I rushed into the living room and watched the end of it. I laughed so hard I couldnt breathe!!
I even stayed up to watch the rerun later just to make sure I wasnt dreaming!
I watch Colbert all the time, and love him and “The Word”. TRULY funny!!!! But this…
Belongs in the Colbert Hall of Fame.
And I like Pmom, I bet he doesnt even know how true it is. Either that, or someone on his staff DOES know about mac county kansas and was just dead on.
No wonder the repuke here are whining. They HATE when the truth zeros in on them and theirs.
And they think rush is funny? Heheheheheheheheheheh!
Oh and another thing that made it so funny was that Colbert himself was on the verge of busting out in laughter during the whole bit. I expected him to break up at any minute, just like Harvey and Tim used to do on the old Carol Burnett show.
Colbert was funny and he knew it. And so did the rest of America.
Kansans… as humorless as you think…
Yup, K-Grrl, this reminds me of when Steve Martin called Terre Haute, Indiana the “most nowhere place in America.”
He later was on-tour in Terre Haute and a young woman was standing by the side of the road waiting for his car with a sign that read: “Terre Haute, IN Zip Code 00000″
Bigotry, thy name is liberalism!
Yes, I know, it is supposed to be satire, in that the Cobert character is making fun of TV news types and conservatives in general, but this doesn’t wash.
Besides, look at the libs on this thread who are more than happy to trash small town America!
Come up with a stereotype about gays, or women, or a minority, and the libs go nuts.
Christians and rural residents? Free game in the mind of a liberal.
“Franklin” whines –
“Come up with a stereotype about gays, or women, or a minority, and the libs go nuts.”
Since we’re talking about comedy, “Franklin,” share with the group some of your funniest gay, and women, and minority stereotypes.
I like a good joke as much as anyone.
Certainly you can fill this forum with laughter.
Besides, look at the libs on this thread who are more than happy to trash small town America!
Franklin, show me on this thread where someone trashed “small town America.”
I’ve never been to Canton, but it looks pmom and KFG have. . .
Heh Paulie. Satire and humor dont really harm anyone.
Now, christians who pass taliban like laws to enshrine their “beliefs” (fantasy) in the state constitution…
Now THAT is harmful.
Just laughing my ass off at that one. Yep. Too funny. I find it HYSTERICAL to be denied thelegal benfits of marriage because you and your imaginary sky god dont like who I love.
Just laughing my butt off…
Political_mama
Posted August 1, 2008 at 9:08 am | Permalink
The segment was meant to be satire, and it was hillarious because Colbert had no idea how true he was speaking.
I don’t even think there isa single person in that town who even watches Colbert, they’re either at the bar, or watching the Christian channel, or beating the wife.
——————–
This is really funny Pmom. Much funnier than Rush could ever be. The libs on here think that for comedy to be ‘really’ funny the gag line has to be about God, guns, or tradional values.
Well I have had my laugh for the day. You libs just keep carrying on with your hatred of the right and take that hatred into the voting booth with you come election day. I have enough faith in my country to think most voters will wake up in time to stop the Obamanation and this brand of ‘humor’ from taking over. Thanks for the help.
“ksfarmgrrl” –
It’ll be interesting to see how Canton, Kansas works this. With a spark of wit and imagination, they could parlay this into a recurring bit on Colbert’s show.
I know you’re no fan of Governor Sebelius, but she at least got the joke and invited Colbert to “spend a night” in Canton’s historic jail. She almost guaranteed a night in the Canton jail.
Thing is, if The Colbert Report didn’t have a studio audience laughing, it could run on Fox News prime time. If Bill Orally got a studio audience, it’d be a Comedy Central hit.
This might be a recurring gag for Colbert. He’s got plenty of other Cantons to abuse-then-apologize-to.
The Canton-Galva school principal could offer that the their football team will call themselves “Canton-Galva-Colbert” this season in return for an apology and get their Hot and Cold water towers on national TV.
(In your face, Pratt!!)
But, no.
They’re much more comfortable walking around in a huff.
In fact, that could inspire Canton’s new civic slogan:
CANTON — Gateway to the Huff!
Monkey Colbert is funny – sometimes – I was referring to the typical lib reaction on this blog. Pmom and farmie thought it was funny because – drumroll – it is true about those ‘religious’ gay hating people in Canton.
Typical predictable reaction to a ‘comedy’ routine by the left libs.
Political_mama
Posted August 1, 2008 at 9:08 am | Permalink
The segment was meant to be satire, and it was hillarious because Colbert had no idea how true he was speaking.
I don’t even think there isa single person in that town who even watches Colbert, they’re either at the bar, or watching the Christian channel, or beating the wife.
———————————-
Typical opinion of small town residents held by uppity, elitist, socialists.
By the way, how’s life in the whorehouse?
The liberals dream world:
We will all be walking around like drones in the movie Equilibrium, with no emotion, no hate, no nothing.
Just good little drones who do as they are told and don’t have any thought or feelings of their own.
And if you don’t do those things you will be hunted down and killed for not taking your medication which makes you a drone.
Utopia! No one will ever have their little feelings hurt ever again.
In the liberal mind, hate against conservatives is justified and bigotry towards Christians is funny.
When you call a liberal a bigot, the liberal just doesn’t get it.
To the liberal, hate is OK, if directed at the politically correct target!
I’ve relatives who live in and around Canton, Kansas. The town itself is basically another small, Kansas town, primarily supported by the agricultural economy surrounding it. It’s a nice place, I guess, and will likely wither away in the future. There’s a very good restaurant on U.S. 56 outside of town, great rolls and pastries. The McPherson County Fair is held there, and at the fair, one can (or used to be able to) partake of buffalo sandwiches, the meat coming from a “surplus” animal at the Maxwell Game Preserve, North of town, on the way to Roxbury (the familial roots in Kansas on the paternal side).
It is my impression from talking with the folks that there is the inevitable exodus of the younger generation. There’s not much to hold them there, the “good jobs” are in McPherson. During the forced school consolidation of the 1960s, the high school was lost, and Galva (just a few miles South) the winner.
Just a few thoughts on Canton, Kansas.
“okobserver” spins this tale –
“Pmom and farmie thought it was funny because – drumroll – it is true about those ‘religious’ gay hating people in Canton.”
Exactly what about Colbert’s comedic rant about Canton, Kansas addressed “…those ‘religious’ gay-hating people…?”
Conjure up straw-men arguments and whine out your defense against them, “okobserver.”
It’s pretty much all you CONs have got.
Monkey – Colbert didn’t say it but look at the responses from Pmom and Farmie. Even you should be able to do that.
In Lib land everything goes back to God, Guns and Gays. Surely you aren’t surprised.
VT do they have a bar where the Christian and wife beaters hang out at?
There’s a beer joint. Never asked anyone there whether they were Christians or wife beaters; guess that just isn’t any of my business (although fairly, most if not all the locals in the beer joint would profess to be Christians, I suppose).
Lots of Mennonites in that area.
A Galva restaurant that I have frequented is definately owned by a Mennonite family.
Christian? Yes.
Gun toating? Well, probably not. Though Mennonites are allowed to own weapons for hunting purposes, I do not think they have very many “carry concealed” permits.
Oops; messed up a bit. Canton-Galva High School is in Canton, got my towns messed up when I was talking about the consolidation. Galva lost its high school. Sorry, Canton.
You’re right, Franklin, many Mennonites in that area, primarily South of Canton around Galva. Canton itself has other denominations represented in its churches, the Methodist Church being one of the larger, as I recall.
I used to live a small Oklahoma town that was eventually featured on “60 minutes,” when a local resident tried to drop out of the dominant fundamentalist church, and was accused (correctly, it turns out) with having–gasp!–unmarried sex!
They literally would not leave him alone. It was creepy and surreal to see this on the tube, but not much of a surprise to me. This was in the early 80s.
Doesn’t represent all small Oklahoma towns, of course, but weird things can happen in small, cloistered communities and, yes, religious extremism and firearms can make a volatile mix. Just ask the good folks of Afghanistan.
“okobserver” admits –
“…Colbert didn’t say it but….”
So you were lying, huh?
Or trying to spin a CON talking point out of made-up straw?
Have a client on “Empire” street, in Galva.
Hope Colbert does not get ahold of that!
I like small towns, but a town with, maybe, a dozen streets using the name “Empire” even makes me laugh!
Oil and plastics manufacturing are big in McPherson, as is natural gas distribution.
Of course, the beef at the restaurants and the Farmers Markets in that area can’t be beat.
“Doesn’t represent all small Oklahoma towns, of course, but weird things can happen in small, cloistered communities and, yes, religious extremism and firearms can make a volatile mix. Just ask the good folks of Afghanistan.”
———–
Oh brother.
Monkey
Grow up.
OK was talking about other posters, and about liberal “group think” in general.
“I don’t even think there isa single person in that town who even watches Colbert, they’re either at the bar, or watching the Christian channel, or beating the wife.”
Uhm, no. This comment crossed the line.
Colbert, however, is truly brilliant.
Monkeyhawk
Posted August 1, 2008 at 12:39 pm | Permalink
“okobserver” admits –
“…Colbert didn’t say it but….”
So you were lying, huh?
Or trying to spin a CON talking point out of made-up straw?
———–
Monkey maybe you lost that radio show because you had trouble reading copy verbatum. I said was that Pmom and Farmie put ‘their’ own spin on his words. He didn’t mention bars, Christians and wife beating – Pmom did. He didn’t mention Farmies love life and her inability to marry her loved one – Farmie did.
As Chas says so eloguently – try to stay focused.
You libs sure like to throw that lie label around don’t you?
“Oh brother.”
Saying “oh brother” doesn’t make Rage’s comment untrue.
I suspect the good folks in Canton–small town, back-bone of America–would have been more than happy to shrug-off Colberts comments and go on with life without notice.
But no, starved-for-ideas, wanna-be reporters and a starving-to-be-VP governor have to create a limelight and run to it.
As if the shallow press and psuedo Kansas leader weren’t enough, it’s disheartening to read the disdain of the big city elites towards small town Kansas.
Agnatha,
I think perhaps the “oh brother” was meant to convey that it is rather absurd to compare rural American towns with high gun ownership and deeply held religious values to the terrorists and Taliban in Afghanistan.
Rage after all of these years what was the name of that little OKie town. I hail from that state and have fond memories of my childhood with a town that might have been a little like Hillary’s village.
If you did something wrong you could bet that by the time you got home mom and dad would know all about it. Party lines and good neighbors made sure of that. My dad owned a full service filling station on main street. Didn’t know any wife beaters personally that I was aware of. My uncle owned the local diner on main and we spent time there. Not sure if there was a local bar. It wasn’t in my frequented places.
Small towns are disappearing and I don’t look on that as a good thing. You are right about the beef from the Mennonite area. We buy ours in Yoder and can’t eat store bought after eating it.
Rage after all of these years what was the name of that little OKie town.
Collinsville.
“okobserver” asks –
“You libs sure like to throw that lie label around don’t you?”
Well, you inspire us.
Would you prefer “ignorant?” I can call you ignorant. No problem.
How ’bout “self-righteous?” You certainly live up to that without my help.
I could throw around “bigoted” or “stupid” or “so wrapped up in CON partisanship, reality has nothing in common with your existence,” I suppose, (although the latter is a bit cumbersome).
Since the 1960s, the unofficial Civil Rights plank of the Republic Party platform has been something like: “We sometimes smile at pickaninnies.”
Own it.
“I think perhaps the “oh brother” was meant to convey that it is rather absurd to compare rural American towns with high gun ownership and deeply held religious values to the terrorists and Taliban in Afghanistan.”
I understand that Nathan, but I think Rage actually had the appropriate disqualifiers in what he said. I think the history of this country has largely demonstrated, particularly in the 20th century and now, that the truly dangerous threats of tyranny come from small areas and small units of government (e.g., so called “sundown towns”).
Monkey
You are the true bigot.
You assume you know everyone’s heart and mind, simply by where they live or what political party or what church that person belongs to.
Rage I was in Collinsville not to long ago. It still qualifies as a ’small town’. Nice little place on the outskirts of big Tulsa.
I’ll bet 95% of Cantonites listen to Rush and think he’s funny….gosh it sure is hard being a hypocrite.
Well, they could have run with it and made something good of it. But… they didnt.
http://www.hdnews.net/Story/canton080108
And just for the record, I spent most of my career believing in small towns, and trying to freakin’ SAVE them.
But.. you cant fix stupid. And you cant save people from themselves. They get what they deserve. Slow, painful, and inevitable death.
And after almost twenty five years in the biz, I’ve come to one overwhelming conclusion.
They get what they deserve, because they are populated and “led” by people who would rather have the town DIE than to accept any change. And they are uniformly and without exception intolerant of anyone who is different from their grandpas and who is not “from there”.
Gee, ya think that contributes to a forty year history of bleeding population? Given those attitudes, WHO the phuck in their “right” minds, would want to move TO those towns? Who wants to live in a community that, instead of changing with the times, instead re-elects “leaders” who are merely dinosaurs waiting for better weather?
(crickets chirping)
Yeah. That’s right. No one. Which is why they are fading away. Not with a bang, but a whimper.
They should all be ever so proud of themselves….
But no. They’ll blame it on someone else. God forbid they should do something to save themselves, instead of just being T Rex. And waiting for better weather.
Like I said, you cant fix stupid. Or save people from themselves.
“In Lib land everything goes back to God, Guns and Gays.”
As Pre said so well today… O M G!
The profound stupidity of that statement, coupled with the obscene lack of self awareness of the author, is stunning, even to me, with my low expectations.
Well, like I said, ya just cant fix stupid…
And you wonder why small towns, populated by the likes of germie, are dying?
hehehehhehehehehhehehehehehehehhehehehehehehhehhe!
By the way,
The KKK had a great deal to do with women getting the right to vote.
Read the book, “Women of the Cloth” by Kathleen Blee.
Colbert’s comedy stylings are not the best in dealing with such rubes.
Colbert is a parody of a con like Heckler or Nathan.
For rubes, you’d need a parody character that could express himself in a Junior Samples Hee Haw sorta way.
Yep.
ksfarmgrrl
Posted August 1, 2008 at 10:57 am | Permalink
Heh Paulie. Satire and humor dont really harm anyone.
Now, christians who pass taliban like laws to enshrine their “beliefs” (fantasy) in the state constitution…
Now THAT is harmful.
Just laughing my ass off at that one. Yep. Too funny. I find it HYSTERICAL to be denied thelegal benfits of marriage because you and your imaginary sky god dont like who I love.
Just laughing my butt off…
————————
God and gays – your post not mine. You did leave out guns in this one. Truth must hurt. And I just love your compassionate take on the death of small town. Says a lot for liberals and the way they ‘care’ for others.
Jesus wept grannie. Like I said, a STUNNING lack of self awareness. LIBS are the god, guns and gays folks? hehehehe. It is JUST that lack of self awareness that is killing small towns.
And no. I no longer have compassion for these dying towns. They committed suicide. No one came in and murdered them. Actually, in someways, it is murder suicide. The “leaders” chose suicide, and they are taking the rest of the town with them. I think that qualifies as suicide-murder. And for what? Pure stubborness and hubris.
Like I said, they get what they deserve. They dont have to die. They chose to do so rather than change. Suicide.
So.. they’re gonna preserve grandpa’s way of life.
All the way to the grave…
Nope. No compassion.
Hee hee hee heeeeeee….
And another paulie moment where up is down and black is white.
Republicans are the party of racial equality and the KKK should be thanked for advancing women’s sufferage.
uh huh.
Sonuvabiotch.
Next he’s going to say terry, joe and phred are gay rights advocates.
It makes just about as much sense and is just about as truthful.
No goddam wonder bonbon got her ass handed to her with strategists like paulie.
Um paulie? Could you work on governor “leadership”s next campaign?
Please?
Pretty Please?
Paul what nonsense are you spouting? Just admit that you’re racist and get it over with will you.
The KKK believes that women should be breeders for the white race. They have no interest in seeing women equal in any way. We’re incubators for their white seed, we’re to be home while they booze it up and shoot their guns. THen they can come home and shove it in her mouth when she begs for food money.
I was once married to a racist. There is nothing positive about being a woman in that lifestyle.
Oh and if you think they’re such patriots…my husband hung an American flag Painted with a huge swastika over the top and placed it above our fireplace. Yes. And when I took it down, I found myself in the hospital- again.
By the way, that’s “women of the Klan” not cloth.
Where do you stand on women’s rights Paul? Oh wait, I already know.
Pmom
Did you look up Kathleen Blee, did you look up her book, Women of the Cloth?
No, of course not.
Look, the KKK Act was written to protect “Catholics, Republicans and Negros” in the Reconstruction South.
I fit TWO of those categories.
I am no fan of the KKK.
But history is history.
The KKK believed that giving Women the right to vote would cancel out the votes of Blacks.
The KKK believed that White women would vote in higher numbers than Black women.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_M._Blee
You liberals on this Blog are very, very simplistic.
You behave as though there has always been a political ideology that agrees completely with YOU, today.
This is clearly not true.
Human beings are not perfect. Human beings form every political party. Human beings form every race.
Liberals live in fairy tale land, they want to believe that all of the Democrat leaders, in history, have been saints, and that all Republican leaders, in history, have been evil.
Liberals also like to dwell on “White guilt” (as Obama calls it in his book). Liberals will tell you, on and on, about the “sins” of White people, where slavery is concerned, without mentioning the fact that the slave trade would have been nearly impossible, if not for the Black and Arab Africans who captured and sold rival tribe members.
There is no “group sainthood” — there is no “group guilt”
We can learn from every political battle of the past.
Rarely has one side, in any huge political or social struggle, had all the answers.
This is what is great about our country.
America can take what works, from all points of view, and creat a great, working compromise.
Women’s suffrage workers benefited from the KKK.
Labor Unions tended to be very racist, in their start up years.
This doesnt make all women’s rights advocates racist.
This does not make all Union activists racists.
But it is the truth. Humans have faults, every one of your political heroes has faults.
Thank God we live in a country that can rise above our faults —
But conservatives and Republicans must point out the faults of liberals constantly, since you libs act like all of your leaders walk on water!
Kathleen Blee has written several books.
Women of the Klan is one book.
Women of the Cloth is another one of her works.
Would you like a copy?
Blee has also made the point that “Women’s Temperance” movements were, at times, anti-Catholic, as Catholics were associated with drinking.
Women’s suffrage and Women’s temperance and a growing KKK movement, all happening at roughly the same time?
Look, I think that drunk driving is horrible, and I hate what alcohol does to people, but I still like a drink every now and then. The WCTU had a point, however. Rampant alcoholism caused Prohibition, but there were some anti-Catholic roots to that movement, and many of its leaders also had women’s sufferage and KKK leanings.
Also, you can play for Christians as well. He smiled and said, Maybe Im gays after all. Try to keep your funniest gay out of Canton.
Why is the majority of anyone living in Kansas suprised at the aforementioned comments??. The state of Kansas has been the punchline state for a long time prior to Colbert’s comments, it’s nothing new. If you can’t take a joke or at the least laugh at yourself and/or where you live from time to time you’re in for a rude awakening. Easiest way to prevent any kind of future comments of “bad humor” is to not supply people like Jay Leno, Stephen Colbert, or whoever with ammo.
It was quite funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ldZ5htx7g8