A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All
Fake News Pundit Brings Tidings of Peace, Love and Understanding
Stephen Colbert is an awfully smart man. The comedic skills necessary to ape cable news gas-baggery four nights a week on his Comedy Central show The Colbert Report stand him in good stead with this take-off on cheesy Christmas specials. He’s got all the essential ingredients: music, famous guests and a folksy host who knows how to keep things moving – himself.
"Another Christmas Song": Colbert Sings Solo
Fans of his show know that Colbert will sing at the drop of a hat. He’s done duets with Tony Bennett and Barry Manilow (both of whom have “robbed” him of Emmy awards) and he opens the show with a solo song and dance number: “Another Christmas Song.” Featuring a cameo by Colbert’s children, the song wants to be a new holiday classic to keep money flowing into the Colbert bank account: “I’ve got plenty more so go buy a modem, log onto iTunes and pay to download ‘em.” This number is the one that’s most characteristic of “Stephen Colbert” the character, rather than Stephen Colbert, the performer.
Willie Nelson, John Legend, Toby Keith and Feist Amp Up the Music
From there, the songs get funnier or more blasphemous, depending on your point of view. There’s Toby Keith declaring a war on the war on Christmas, Willie Nelson as a stoned Wise Man, John Legend singing the world’s sexiest tribute to a common spice, and Feist as an angel on Heaven’s prayer hold line.
The bare-bones plotline has Colbert in his mountain cabin trapped by a bear (the Number One Threat to America) and unable to get back to New York, where Elvis Costello is waiting to tape the real special with him. The guests drop by throughout the special, but the best cameo belongs to Jon Stewart, Colbert’s former boss at The Daily Show, who turns up to offer an alternative to Christmas: “Can I Interest You in Hannukah?” Despite Stewart’s weak singing skills, the chemistry between the two friends and colleagues is a delight.
The penultimate number features all the musical guests chiming in on Costello’s “(What’s So Funny ‘bout) Peace, Love and Understanding,” a gorgeous rendition particularly aided by Feist’s ethereal vocals. The final number, sung by Colbert and Costello, “There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In,” brings the special to a close by letting the audience get a glimpse of the “real” Stephen Colbert.
Colbert the Character versus Colbert the Man
As fans of the show know, Colbert is a practicing Catholic, and this song bewails the lack of Christmas spirit typified by the holiday’s crass commercialism. But it could also be read as a criticism of atheism, with lines like “Some folks believe in nothing, but if you believe in nothing, then what’s to keep the nothing from coming for you.”
This would be typical of the “Stephen Colbert” character who enjoys telling other people what to think, but the lyrics and the music are such that this tune, at least, feels sincere. It’s a slightly jarring ending to an otherwise goofy special (and one that certainly didn’t lack for commerciality – it felt like ad breaks came every five minutes).
But overall, the show was a joy, portions of DVD sales will be going to charity (and the DVD features extras including a new song), and it may just get Colbert what he covets most: an Emmy for performing.
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