General Etiquette > Etiquette of the Rich and Famous

Colbert Report at White House Correspondents' Dinner

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Slartibartfast:
DISCLAIMER:  US politics are a big part of why this may be an etiquette blunder (or not), so please concentrate on the etiquette instead of the politics involved.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-869183917758574879&q=stephen+colbert&hl=en

Stephen Colbert (of the "Colbert Report" newscast on Comedy Central) was the guest speaker at this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner.  The video above was the speech he gave.  For those of you who can't see it, he basically roasts the president and bigwigs of the national media - phrasing everything as complements, but which aren't really.  (Things like admiring the president for being consistent "because if he believes something Monday, he'll believe it Wednesday.  No matter what happened on Tuesday.")

Not surprisingly, the press and White House officials present generally said it wasn't that funny, while a good chunk of the people on the Internet who saw it (I refuse to use the term "blogosphere") thought it was hilarious, appropriate, and richly deserved.

What do you think of this?  Was it rude, or was it justified because they invited him to be the speaker and they knew he was a political comedian?  Should he have been obligated to give a funny speech slanted to one political side or the other based on who his audience was?  Or should speakers at functions like this be able to say whatever they want?  Or something in between?

Niphil:
If they've never bothered to watch an episode of the Colbert Report, then I'd have to say they brought it all upon themselves.

Steven Colbert is hilarious.

MerryRaven:
Without commenting on the politics of the situation, had anybody who invited him ever seen his show?

I mean that is the entire point of his routine isn't it?  It was like putting John Daily on a Fox debate show (I forget the details) and were upset when he gave his honest opinion.  

Louis Black has a routine where he comments on being invited to the same kind of dinner. If you have ever seen his act he uses what used to be called "blue" material.  It is R rated and he uses a word that start with the letter 'F' frequently.  In his routine, he says they asked him not to use that word at all.

I wonder about the people who schedule these things.

You cannot blame a performer when you invited them to an event and they do their usual routine.  

If I invite a country singer to a picnic to perform and expect her to sing Pat Benetar I would probably be disappointed.

Chartreuse:
I wouldn't say he was rude, I'd say that whomever booked him didn't do their research.  Actually, does that person have a job now?  I wonder what the fallout for that choice was.

I'm going to echo the other posters and say that when it comes to performers, you get who you book.  Book a satirist who specializes in mocking a certain political perspective and the media in general, you're going to get that satirist.  If the Democratic National convention were to book Rush Limbaugh (as an example), they'd be getting Rush Limbaugh.  Colbert was not the least bit at fault here, the blame falls on whomever decided to book him without doing the research.

BatCity:
It looks to me from the C-SPAN title that this was supposed to be a roast.  And if you're not throwing a few slings at the guest of honor, that's no roast.

I admit Stephen Colbert was a very lucky guy to be given the opportunity to roast the president of the United States, but that's exactly what he was expected to do.

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