Before he hosted The Late Show, Stephen Colbert hosted one of the most intelligent and poignant political satire shows on television. Taking on the persona of a far-left conservative with an inflated sense of self and a passion for politics, Colbert would mockingly support those politicians with whom he identified the least and report on stories from their perspective, all the while surrounded with patriotic and Stephen Colbert themed memorabilia.
Each episode was brimming with verbal irony as Colbert ranted from his fake platform; hyperbole as Colbert took the extremes of his political opponents' views and drew them out to their fullest extent; and parody, as he pretended he was the very thing he mocked.
The show as a whole went far beyond Colbert's persona, however. In incredibly well written and eloquently delivered segments, Colbert would use his identity to raise awareness of flaws in the system and even suggest solutions, or at least encourage viewers to take what little action they could. Though The Colbert Report is no longer on the air, it has left its mark both in politics and in the annals of satirical television.
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