Solitarity

http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=103035&is_large=true

Stephen Colbert’s word always strives to draw viewers’ attention to an issue through sarcasm, humor, and often a serious undertone. This episode’s word- solitarity refers to the tasering incident during John Kerry’s speech at the University of Florida, or more importantly, the reaction to the tasering by audience members, most of which sit by and watched the scene happen.

Colbert directs his word at today’s “inactive” generation. He mocks one of the members sitting in the audience saying that he “is probably thinking I wish they would stop tasering this guy so I could go home and watch this guy getting tasered on UTube.” Colbert goes on to say that if the student getting tasered expected fellow students to rise up in protest he was “asking the wrong generation.” Colbert’s word succeeds at making people laugh while thinking “that is so true…and actually pretty sad.”


Colbert’s comparison of the tasering incident to student protests during the Vietnam War highlights the seriousness associated with the need for today’s generation to become more motivated. He draws attention to the fact that today’s generation, “instead of amassing people to march on Washington, they amass hits on a website calling for a march on Washington.” Colbert focuses on the convenience associated with simply writing a blog versus taking action. As I sat and watched this episode of The Colbert Report, I tried to tell myself that I would have spoken up, but instead, I came to the conclusion that I should write about it in my blog for English 201. Isn’t that ironic.