your miss shop needs you

on saturday april 29, comedian stephen colbert, formerly of the daily show with jon stewart, currently host of his own the colbert report, addressed the annual white house correspondents association dinner. standing mere metres from the most powerful man in the world he unwaveringly delivered what is unquestionably in my mind one of the most incendiary pieces of satire ever produced. it was bold, fierce, unapologetically intelligent and for me called to mind the words of edward r. murrow as scripted by george clooney in his oscar-nominated good night and good luck and equally perfectly delivered by david strathairn. they are as follows;

This might just do nobody any good. At the end of this discourse a few people may accuse this reporter of fouling his own comfortable nest and your organization may be accused of having given hospitality to heretical and even dangerous ideas. But the elaborate structure of networks advertising agencies, and sponsors will not be shaken or altered. It is my desire, if not my duty, to try to talk to you journeymen with some candor about what is happening to radio and television. And if what I say is responsible, I alone am responsible for the saying of it. Our history will bewhat we make of it. And if there are any historians about or years from now and there should be preserved the kinescopes of one week of all three networks they will there find recorded in black and white, and in color evidence of decadence, escapism and insulation from the realities of the world in which we live. We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable, and complacent. We have a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude,amuse, and insulate us then televisionand those who finance it, those who look at itand those who work at it may see a totally different picture too late.

for those interested, the complete transcript of colbert's words can easily be found throughout the interweb. but to see the true poetry of his delivery, and the skill in his rhetoric and oratory, please follow the links below immediately (before they are taken down). however you can, access this footage. i can think of nothing more imperative or essential for our times and the relative lack of coverage this speech received in my country (australia) saddens me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiSEIQ7SfgA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YucAX_byj5U

finally, beneath this post you will find some personally selected highlights which particularly appealed to me