By Lisa at 12:14 pm
The month of May was full of teasers galore about The Report’s trip to the Persian Gulf and also featured some fantastic public appearances by Stephen. Check out all this, and more, that was added to Colbert University this past month:
- From Romulans to cat food to a mysterious puzzle with clues embedded in an episode, Stephen never failed to fascinate in May. Test your knowledge with the June It-Getter’s Quiz, written by Faculty Associate Vigwig!
Watch Stephen’s commencement address at the Medical University of South Carolina located in our brand new Assorted Other Speeches page!
- Prompting audience participation is something that makes The Report so much fun to watch! See what tasty treats were added to IMPROV 401: Audience Participation and the Colbert Nation:
- The official patch for NASA’s COLBERT intergalactic exercise equipment is now available for purchase!
- Just when the Nation thought they’d heard the last of Stephen and Richard Branson’s water fight, it looks like a fist-fight might be in the works!
- Stephen challenges the Nation to solve the puzzle about where and when The Report is going to the Persian Gulf using the clues hidden throughout a May episode — can you figure it out?
- Paul Rieckhoff and Kyp Malone, guitarist and vocalist for TV on the Radio, offered some kind words about their experiences on the show in Behind the Scenes at The Colbert Report!
- Some great reading material was added to Interviews and Other Articles, including:
- Read all the juicy details about the StandUp2Cancer Fondue Lunch winners’ intimate conversation with Stephen in Colbert Platinum.
- Writers and staffers at The Report are always busy, busy, busy! Check out some of the latest happenings in Better Know a Report Staffer:
- Audience Coordinator extraordinaire Mark Malkoff bids farewell to his post, but embarks on a truly unique and exciting adventure!
- Hear Opus Moreschi’s insights on writing for the Report, as part of a Writers Guild panel.
- Get ready to laugh out loud at Frank Lesser’s latest creative piece, “The Yeti Wears Prada,” that appeared in a recent issue of Slate.
- Check out the scoop on a new intern.
- Stephen speaks Sanskrit, in Foreign Languages!
By Lisa at 4:04 pm
We all know that April showers bring May flowers, but I bet you didn’t know that it also brings the latest and greatest that’s been added to Colbert University this past month:
- Show off your Colbert know-all by taking the May It-Getters Quiz, written by Faculty Associate, Vigwig!
- Watch Stephen rhapsodize about DonorsChoose.org, a nonprofit that helps teachers around the country fund their projects, and learn about its new collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Don’t miss NoFactZone.net’s coverage from the Completeists who were lucky enough to be in attendance in Interviews and Other Articles!
- This past month, The Nation was treated to numerous public appearances of the wonderful writers at The Report! Check out everything that’s been added to Better Know a Report Staffer:
- Read Stephen’s interview with executive producer Allison Silverman about the very beginnings of her career as a comedy writer in Better Know a Report Staffer.
- Watch former writer Eric Drysdale’s appearance on Important Things with Demetri Martin where he competes in a “Passive Aggressive Race”.
- Peter Grosz plays a seemingly closeted husband in a Colbert Coalition ad and also gets a shout-out from Stephen and helps introduce The Decemberists before their live performance.
- Poor Barry Julien (aka: the barista under Stephen’s desk) gets yelled at by Stephen for not winning the World Barista Championship competition.
- Catch a brief glimpse of Glenn Eichler as “Glen in Sports”.
- Frank Lesser plays a doctor alongside Stephen in hopes that Stephen will be nominated for an Emmy as Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
- Watch some fantastic behind-the-scenes footage of Stephen recording the voice of the President for Monster Vs. Aliens in Other Interviews and Articles!
- Check out the most recent addition to the Formula 401 family of premium manseed products: Formula $3.99, which was added to MKTG 401: Marketing Concepts: The Colbertoverse.
- A new word appeared in the Opening Graphics: Purple-Mounted! Take a peek at this and other words in COMM 401: Faux-News Segments.
- Listen to Military.com’s Podcast interview with Stephen in which he talks about The Report’s shows in the Persian Gulf and promotes DonorsChoose.org in Other Books, Interviews and Articles.
By Lisa at 9:38 am
As we start to emerge from a cold restless winter and enjoy the beginnings of springtime, we also invite you to enjoy the most delightful and recent additions to Colbert University this past month:
Stephen prompted the Nation to action to get NASA’s Node 3 International Space Station Module named after him, and the Nation responded! Read all about it in IMPROV 401, Part 1: Audience Participation and the Colbert Nation!
- Check out how accurate the DaColbert Code was in predicting some of the 2009 Oscar winners in COMM 401: Faux-News Segments.
- Lots of folks in high political places have been getting the Colbert Bump as of late. Here are all the fabulous things recently added to POLI 301: Better Know a District: A Compilation:
- Stephen asks Wyoming Representative to the District at Large (”The Fightin’ Largies!”) Cynthia Lummis to judge some meats and also wants to know what brought the Greeks to Wyoming.
- Watch Friend of the Show Eleanor Holmes Norton briefly comment on all that Stephen has done to spread awareness of her District’s voteless status.
- Rep. Jason Chaffetz chats with Stephen backstage just before his interview and also engages in a brief leg wrestling rematch!
- Get a glimpse of all the wonderfully talented writers and producers who work so hard to bring us such fabulous shows in Better Know a Report Staffer:
- Now you can watch all three seasons of Strangers with Candy on Hulu.com! Check out this and lots of other goodies in Musky Treasures, Vault 1.
- Looking to update your wardrobe with some new Colbert swag? Check out the latest addition: A Colbert/Che t-shirt!
- The long-awaited Monsters Vs. Aliens is finally at a theater near you! Check out all the media buzz in Interviews and Other Articles.
- I think it’s fair to say that Stephen’s interviewees enjoy being on The Report just as much as we enjoy watching them. Check out what some recent guests had to say about their experience on the show in Behind the Scenes at The Colbert Report:
- Author Carl Wilson had many nice things to say about the exceptional production staff.
- Author Neil Gaiman discusses his pre-show chat with Stephen.
- Author Juan Cole got to sit at Stephen’s desk!
- Lead singer of the band Rush, Geddy Lee, talks about how he and the band came to be invited to do the show.
By Lisa at 12:18 pm
In February, as always, everyone at the Report worked hard to keep us laughing and smiling through the economic turmoil. Come on over and take a peek at everything that was added to Colbert University this past month:
- Test your knowledge of all things Stephen by taking the March It-Getter’s Quiz written by Faculty Associate, Vigwig!
- We saw some great new phrases added to the Opening Graphics this month! Check out all the “Grippy” action:
- “Seven-Inch Gangly Wrench” appeared in honor of the great Steve Martin’s guest appearance on The Report.
- “Juice It!” replaced the former on the episode after Martin’s guest appearance.
- It seems Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz had as much fun with his appearance on The Report as we did watching it! Check out all the exclusive unaired footage that was added to POLI 301: Better Know a District: A Compilation!
- Watch Stephen and better known Rep. Jason Chaffetz perform the Rock Band version of “Charlene, I’m Right Behind You”.
- Stephen also gives Rep. Chaffetz a facial!
- Get a glimpse of Chaffetz speaking with Stephen backstage before his interview!
- Oscar Awards season means movie stars in fancy dresses and tuxedos, but it also means Stephen’s prediction of the winners using the DaColbert Code! Check out all of Stephen’s predictions and the results in COMM 401: Faux-News Segments.
- Want your canine to be top dog? Try Stephen’s Formula 40-Woof, which was added to MKTG 401: Marketing Concepts: The Colbertoverse.
- The always wonderful Eleanor Holmes Norton made an appearance on the show and promised to make Stephen an honorary citizen of Washington D.C. and give him a key to the city! And in a candid video after her appearance, she spoke about how much exposure Stephen has brought to the DC Voting Rights Act in POLI 301: Better Know a District: A Compilation.
- The amazing writers at The Report are always surprising us with more than just the fantastic job they do on the show each week. Check out what’s been added to Better Know a Report Staffer!:
- Read Report writer Frank Lesser’s side-splitting essay on love and relationships.
- Poor “Audience Member” (aka: Report writer Tom Purcell) gets shot…AGAIN! Check out his most recent shooting as well as his other appearances.
- In honor of fellow “late-night fight” compadre Conan O’Brien departing the New York area for L.A. to host The Tonight Show, Stephen steals Conan’s invisible pocket dance strings and adds them to his Bookshelves, and later appears on one of the last episodes of Late Night with Conan O’Brien where the two square off in an invisible pocket dance, dance-off!
- Stephen’s feet were flying this past month! Check out everything that’s been added to PE 101: Dancing with Stephen Colbert!
By Lisa at 10:59 am
The first month in this new year has sure been a roller coaster of up’s and down’s for our country: We inaugurated our first African-American president, but we’ve seen the ugliness of this deep recession get much uglier. Thankfully, we’ve had the wonderful folks at The Colbert Report to keep us laughing every Monday through Thursday night without fail. Come take a look at everything that’s been added to Colbert University this month:
- Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah was better known this past month! Check out his interview as well as his reaction to being better known in our POLI 301: Better Know a District: A Compilation course.
- Stephen’s African-American counterpart, P.K. Winsome, made a few greatly anticipated appearances on The Report! Read all about the character’s past appearances in our Character Studies course, and catch up on what actor Tim Meadows has been up to in recent years in Better Know a Report Staffer.
- Many guests who’ve recently appeared on the show have also dished about their experiences and backstage tidbits. Check out everyone who’s been added to Behind the Scenes at The Colbert Report:
- After a very long absence, Stephen Jr. was spotted on Christmas Eve! Read all about his reappearance and more fun details in IMPROV 401: Audience Participation and the Colbert Nation.
- Watch Stephen cleverly recover from a verbal slip by distinguishing between “microfiche” and “microfish,” and the hilarity of the audio miscue when he tries to close the secret prison door under his desk in OOPS 101: Character Breaks!
- It’s always fun when Stephen not-so-subtly suggests a new mission for the Nation! Check out all the fun that’s been created in IMPROV 401: Audience Participation and the Colbert Nation:
- Who knew the Atone Phone number could be repurposed in so many ways? Read all about it’s derivative, 1-800-OOPS-JEWEL! And if you haven’t called it yet, you really should.
- Creative members of the Nation cleverly rose to the Lawrence Lessig Interview Remix challenge, and came through, as always, as did Stephen himself in his very own fanvid!
- Stephen continues to perpetuate his unfounded fear of Communism in a relatively new segment Cold War Update, which was added to COMM 401: Faux-News Segments.
- Stephen officially retired the “frog boiling” metaphor and adds what’s left of it to the Bookshelves. Check out this and other items that have been added over the years in COMM 401: Faux-News Segments.
- Check out some fantastic interviews that have recently circulated “the Internets”: writer Peter Grosz talks about where he keeps his Emmy and his love for photography, and alumni Ben Karlin was interviewed for “The Sound of Young America” in Better Know a Report Staffer.
By Lisa at 10:24 am
As we recover from the onslaught of the holiday season and begin anew in 2009, it’s hard to forget what an amazing year it’s been: from the Democratic primary race, to the Philly shows, to the Rain dance-off, to The Colbert Report’s first Emmy win, to the unprecedented Presidential election coverage, to A Colbert Christmas. And what better way to end a such a fantastic year than with a recap of the very last updates to Colbert University for 2008:
- All the hype for A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! certainly kept December merry and bright! Take a look at everything that’s been added here, there, and everywhere:
- Listen to another No Fact Zone EXCLUSIVE interview with Tek Jansen Producer/Animator J.J. Sedelmaier in Better Know a Report Staffer!
- Report writers Frank Lesser and Michael Brumm created a delightfully hilarious Twilight parody that you can find in Better Know a Report Staffer.
- Stephen (regrettably) downing some Zima to try and relate to his audience’s generation was added to Gastronomic Adventures.
- If you ever thought that participating in a field piece had to be as much fun as it looked, well, you’d be right, concurs “Fallback Position” participant Peter Earnest. Read all about it in Behind the Scenes at The Colbert Report.
- How strange would the ThreatDown be if “Stephen” weren’t angry? Probably as surreal as the JoyDown, which was added to COMM 201: Core Faux-News Segment.
- Despite the fact he was already eaten, “Bobby” made a reappearance on the last show of 2008. Read all about it in our Character Studies course.
- One lucky Completeist was able to visit Stephen’s portrait when it was unveiled as part of the National Museum of American History’s permanent collection! Go check out some great photos and a recap in the Codex!
And from all of us at Colbert University, we’d like to wish you a very healthy, prosperous, and happy New Year!
By Lisa at 1:48 pm
It’s hard to believe the Presidential election has already come and gone. So, as we settle into post-campaign time, much cooler weather, and into the depths of the holiday season, Colbert University is proud to bring you the following additions:
- Listen to No Fact Zone’s exclusive interview with Tek Jansen producer and animator J.J. Sedelmaier about his early career, working with Stephen, and the original concept behind Tek’s hair in Better Know a Report Staffer.
- The Nation spent this past month waiting with great anticipation for the debut of A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!. So come on in and take a look around!
- Read No Fact Zone’s exclusive interview with Songwriter David Javerbaum in Better Know a Report Staffer.
- Peruse the endless number of promotional items, song lyrics, and videos in MKTG 402: Marketing Concepts: Real World.
- The anticipation for A Colbert Christmas kept us all wound up as Stephen ran the talk show circuit before it’s debut. Watch videos of and read all of his interviews in our Other Books, Interviews, and Articles section.
- In the mood for some meatier interviews with Stephen? Check out Colbert Platinum and listen to Stephen and Terry Gross in an NPR interview and read all about Stephen’s own familial holiday traditions and much more!
- The media has its way with Stephen when he was roasted by the Spina Bifida Association. Check out all the media coverage including a brief conversation with Stephen before the roast, some great one-liners, as well as some video in our Other Books, Interviews, and Articles section.
- Watch Stephen prepare for Election Day by putting on his lucky prayer hat and munching on some chips and guacamole in an incense censer in our Gastronomic Adventures course.
- Report writer Barry Julien was everywhere in the media this month! Check out numerous updates to his entry in Better Know a Report Staffer.
- After waiting ever so patiently for two years Election Day finally came, as did the Colbert Report and Daily Show’s live one-hour election results special, “Indecision 2008: America’s Choice”. Words cannot begin to describe how fantastic it was, with exception given to a few pieces from the press, as noted in our Other Interviews and Articles Section.
- Apparently, Stephen also speaks Quenya (or High Elvish from The Lord of the Rings), which we added to LING 301: Foreign Languages course. (Thanks to observant Zoner, JMM!)
- Strapped for holiday gift ideas? Check out CU’s Extra Credit Reading List for a comprehensive list of books and authors that have been featured on The Report.
By Lisa at 10:45 am
As Election Day got closer and closer, everyone at the show pulled out all the stops, including forgoing their vacation in October to keep us laughing all the way to the polls. As a result of their diligence, some fantastic stuff has been added to Colbert University this past month.
Take a peek at everything that’s been going on in October 2008:
- Looking for a good book to read? Check out CU’s updated Extra Credit Reading List, a compilation of the authors and their books that have been highlighted on the show.
- Stephen cashed in all his stock and bought himself a KFC Snacker, which we delightfully added to our Gastronomy course.
- Check out all the fantastic coverage of The New Yorker Festival including soundbites from Stephen’s interview with Ariel Levy, a detailed account of the interview from The Huffington Post, as well as the inside scoop from an attendee about Stephen and his wife Evelyn’s exchange about the infamous Jane Fonda interview.
By Lisa at 4:08 pm
It’s hard to believe that summer is over, but things at CU are still sizzling!
Check out everything that’s been added in September:
- The Colbert Report wins their first Emmy award! Check out some great videos in Musky Treasures and blog posts about their big night!
- Stephen’s brief chat with the local news media just before The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is added to Musky Treasures.
- A new division of the Prescott Group, Prescott Oil, produces yet another education film for our viewing pleasure.
By WordsWithGrace at 10:47 am
It’s been a busy summer, so we’re combining our July and August additions in one post. Enjoy!
Here’s what we added to CU in August:
Here’s what we added to CU in July:
- NEW COURSE! MUS 202: The Colbert Report–The Musical (aka Stephen Sings!)
- New audience questions (and Stephen’s answers): How does Stephen explain his facial injury? … When he talks to himself at his desk, why does he call himself ‘ColberT’? … Would the show be different if Gore or Kerry were president? … How was it to meet Bill O’Reilly? … What’s his favorite karaoke song? … Were Doritos a real sponsor? … (Thanks to “Zoner” Katie, Lissou on the Colboards, UnderCover at TelevisionWithoutPity, and others!)
- Stephen offers debating tips to the National Association of Urban League Debaters.
- We update our BKAD course and add an index–it’s now a complete compilation of every BKAD, thanks to Comedy Central’s now ultra-complete archive!
- Another of Stephen’s Mr. Goodwrench commercials surfaces, from 2004! … now in Musky Treasures.
- Report booker Emily Lazar dishes about the show at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
- We add Rep. Robert Wexler’s Fire-Breathing Liberal to our list of books, articles, and interviews about Stephen and the Report. (It includes a short chapter called “The Colbert Report: It’s a Fun Thing to Do.”)
- We update our listing on the Prescott Group, adding the recently aired video The Elitist Menace Among Us.
- Recent character breaks: Stephen reaches for an iPhone that isn’t there. Oldies but goodies: The return of the “animal sounds toss.”
- Faculty Associate Lisa updates the Extra Credit Reading List, a list of books whose authors have appeared on the show.
- And a brand-new July It-Getter's Quiz!
Check back next month!