Stephen Colbert Too Moved by Author to Employ His Usual Comedy Routine

Stephen Colbert is one of the funniest people I've seen in the last twenty years. His talent is evident enough, but his ability to make me laugh goes beyond that. What I mean is he's likable; there seems to be a moral core at his center; he is not merely a mercenary comedian eager to use any guest as fodder for laughs. This was evident a couple of nights ago when he had writer and zoologist Alan Rabinowitz on his show discussing his book Life in the Valley of Death: The Fight to Save Tigers in a Land of Guns, Gold, and Greed.

Usually, an author who tries to talk about his or her book will be greeted with unrelenting sarcasm and mockery as Colbert asserts his Bill O'Reilly-infused hyper-masculine charade. But the show took an unexpected turn when Colbert asked Rabinowitz the spark behind his mission to save tigers.

Without a trace of mealy-mouthed pretentiousness or self-aggrandizement, Rabinowitz explained that he suffered from acute stuttering as a child and retreated into a world of seclusion in which he only would talk to creatures that would not scorn and ridicule him--animals of various sorts. When he overcame his stuttering, he made a promise to the animals: I once had no voice like you and now that I have a voice, I am going to be your voice and I am going to do all I can to help you.

After explaining himself with great poise and lucidity, he received sincere applause from a moved audience. Colbert was at this point in no position to mock him. Instead, he lowered his head in humility and said that Rabinowitz had come closer to any guest to making him cry. He then continued his discussion with the author. The talk was humorous but absent of Colbert's  typical mockery.  Clearly, Colbert was moved by this man and he shifted the gears of his comedy act to accommodate that sympathy.

I think what separates a great comedian like Colbert from merely good comedians is empathy. An effective comedian is like a laugh machine, but a great comedian interacts with people and his empathy gives him a certain spontaneity that lesser comedians lack. And lacking that spontaneity, they have to stick to their "script." Colbert has no script. He improvises better than the best of them.

Comments

[Ray]

That was indeed a great interview.

The simplicity and sincerity of Rabinowitz's explanation worked so much better at getting his reasoning and emotion across to us (and colbert) than the agressive, overwrought stuff we're usually presented.

[Jeff McMahon]

I agree. We live in a "mediated" society that makes us so affected and self-conscious and here was a man who was comfortable expressing himself in the most direct terms. What a breath of fresh air, if you don't mind my cliche.