Contemporary Comedic Genius: Stephen Colbert & Comedy Central

Join us for a presentation on Stephen Colbert’s work on The Daily Show (1997-2005) and The Colbert Report (2005-2014) during which he performed precient bits that were way too far out for broadcast television.  

On The Daily Show, as the lead correspondent in Indecision 2000 and 2004, he was among other personas a point-counterpoint commentator with Steve Carrell in “Even Steph/ven”, an interpreter of Prince Charles eating a banana, and the host of the “This Week In God” segment. 

From 2005 to 2014, he hosted The Colbert Report, where he took on the persona of a right-wing TV pundit to explain the word “Truthiness,” to roast President George W. Bush to his face at the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner, and to explore the roles of farm workers, the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the true meanings of SuperPACs. 

All of this was great preparation for his nightly monologues and insightful interviews as the host of the Late Show where Colbert now is the undisputed king of late-night viewing ratings wise.  

Martin J. Marshall has taught the Contemporary Comedic Genius series in Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) programs in over 50 courses at 13 universities over the past 12 years, as well as 5 presentations at the JCCSF. His subjects range from Moms Mabley and Lenny Bruce to current comedians such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. In between there are groups and individuals such as Monty Python, early SNL, Woody Allen, Robin Williams, Mel Brooks, The Smothers Brothers, George Carlin, Garry Trudeau, Richard Pryor and others.