Where Reality Ends and Fantasy Begins

For those of you who don’t watch Fox News, Stephen Colbert of the Comedy Channel was invited to testify in Congressional Hearings on farm workers and illegal immigrants. Stephen Colbert is host of a satirical show called The Colbert Report in which he portrays a faux conservative commentator. This, along with The Daily Show, is done in a real news format. The problem is many folks, including many young people and college age students, use it as their sole source of news thinking the programs are real. Seriously! The political content is far left.

At any rate, he was asked to testify in front of the committee by California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren as an advocate of illegal alien rights. It is unclear whether he was supposed to do it in character, but it began to garner attention on the conservative blogs and airwaves yesterday morning, particularly on the Fox and Friends early morning show. They asked a simple question. Why was a comedian, with no particular knowledge of the problem, invited to speak at the hearing, wasting the taxpayers’ time and money? Illegal immigration is one of the more serious issues dividing the country and should be treated as a serious matter.

When Colbert appeared today, the chairman asked him to leave and to submit his comments in writing. But Congresswoman Lofgren spoke on his behalf, and he was allowed to proceed. In his testimony, he attempted to introduce pictures of his colonoscopy, among other things. To his credit, he did take some of his time to express his views that Americans don’t want the jobs the illegal migrants are doing, and perhaps we should give up fruits and vegetables.

This is not a free speech issue. The issue is that we Americans wrapped up in our digital electronic equipment from computers to cell phones to Wi’s to Ipods and Ipads, are losing our ability to tell the difference between fact and fiction. When people believe that these satirical shows are accurate sources of news rather that satirical comedy, there is a problem. Antics like these are best suited for television, radio, movies and the theater. People are hurting in this country. Don't even mention that Congress is adjourning with no action on the tax cut extension issue. The arrogance of left wing lug nuts to pull this type of stunt is offensive.

So Colbert got himself a whole lot of media attention. He got another 15 minutes of fame, as if he needed it. He and the Daily Show’s Jon Stewart are going to host a anti-Glenn Beck rally on the mall in Washington October 30 if they can get permits, which is at issue right now. You see, it’s not a true rally. It is a faux rally, an exercise in living theater.

You know what’s really scary? Those people who believe these guys are serious news reporters…. their votes count as much as mine. And that’s not a laughing matter.