Stephen Colbert: Just as Fake as the "Real" Journalists

Via Progressive Review.

ELANA BERKOWITZ AND AMY SCHILLER, CAMPUS PROGRESS--When you were developing your super straight guy look and sound, which actual media personalities did you model yourself after?

SC: First of all, I am a super straight guy. I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and I am perfectly comfortable in blue blazers, khaki pants, Brooks Brothers suits and regimental striped ties. It's just genetic. I love a cocktail party with completely vacuous conversation, because I grew up in it.

But in terms of who I channel, my natural inclination was Stone Phillips, who has the greatest neck in journalism. And he's got the most amazingly severe head tilt at the end of tragic statements, like 'there were no…survivors.' He just tilts his head a bit on that 'survivors' as if to say 'It's true. It's sad. There were none.'

So Stephen Colbert is a real guy, pretending to be as fake and shallow as a real, "professional" journalist. Uh, let's see: the most important thing is fake sincerity; if you can fake that... no, wait....