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Stephen Colbert jokes about the Japanese media

The June 11th episode of The Colbert Report featured a segment in which Stephen Colbert made some jokes about the low-tech charts/diagrams used on Japanese TV news programs. Here’s a clip of it (skip about 3 and a half minutes into the video to get to the Japan part):

31 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - June 12, 2008 at 5:28 pm

Categories: Odd / Strange Tags: colbert report, comedy, japan

ダビ

Haha, I usually don’t enjoy comedy central but this was quite good.
matt

Colbert Report is always great.
wow

Wow, this guy is a dick. Mostly he just call random countries stupid in a very elaborate way. And mispronounce foreign names, which seemed to be the best way to make the audience laugh. Last time I though that funny was when I was 10.

But I admit he makes a good point with the Japanese media using cardboard to present information — this is quite a stone-age technique compared to what journalists do with the help of computers.

StoneJack

You know information doesn’t need to come from a 45 inch LCD screen and presented with the latest in 3d graphics and special effects to be… uh… informative.

His point is the same as his show, stupid. Although I never watched so I admit I might be passing a bit of a hard judgment here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colbert_report Yours Truly

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colbert_report:

“The show focuses on Stephen Colbert, a fictional anchorman character played by Colbert.
….
Described as a “caustic right-wing bully,”[36] an “arch-conservative blowhard,”[37] and by his creator and namesake as a “well-intentioned, poorly-informed, high status idiot,” Colbert is egomaniacal, xenophobic and fiercely anti-intellectual. He claims to be politically independent, like his idol Bill “Papa Bear” O’Reilly;
….
the character is a blustery, self-obsessed right-wing commentator with a strong distaste for facts. He incorporates aspects of the real Colbert’s life and interests, but is modelled primarily as a parody of cable news pundits, particularly Bill O’Reilly”

Yay for wikiality
Tadashi

You misunderstood. They have computers and special effects, they are just busy blending in silly text into entertainment shows.

phauna

I haven’t met one Japanese person who could explain why they need to write every second word that their tarento say onscreen in huge colourful letters.

“Is it because you don’t understand them?” No.

http://pontasmemorandum.blogspot.com/ ponta

For the foreigners who are studying Japanese— gaijin-friendly TV— perhaps?
ダビ

Lots of jyukugo with the associated homonyms actually make it difficult even for native speakers to pick up everything without the text?

phauna

I asked some Japanese this, and they said they perfectly understand the spoken dialogue. They said they didn’t ‘need’ the writing at all.

helical

It’s supposed to make it funnier, and it sort of was when used sparingly.
It sort is like a not-so-subtle “LAUGH NOW” or a “THIS IS THE PUNCHLINE” sign with the joke coming in through the eyes as well as the ears, so you have a better chance of “getting it” I guess?
But now whole shows are subtitled so it feels like they want you to keep laughing constantly even to lame attempts at humor as soon as you flip to the channel.

toru

helical, you are right. I’m sick of seeing those “THIS IS THE PUNCHLINE”.
http://aki-akiaki.blogspot.com/ Aki

helical is right. If my memory serves me right, “Susume! Denpa Shounen” aired from 1992 to 1998 was the first TV show that used excessive subtitles. Since that show had good audience rating, other shows also started to use subtitles rather excessively.
Erika

It’s to accentuate some funny stuff that people say so people can understand why it’s funny? Or something.
I don’t think it’s too stupid.

Simon

Colbert Report is a satire of right-wing pundit shows. He *plays* a dick.
http://dd one

Always funny.

come on, MEAT HATS!!!!!
Darren

wow that guy i so unfunny its unbelievable, do people really find him entertaining ? And the fact that he makes a point of saying that Germans shouldn’t try comedy seemed somewhat ironic considering his clear lack of comedic talent. But yeah what is up with the cardboard lol.
http://www.zdwonline.de Haf

Cardboard signs are quite typical in japanese news and info TV as well as a variety of shows. I think it’s nice that they don’t have to display everything in fancy 3D animations, gives the whole thing a warm, down-to-earth touch.

Oh, and Mr. Colbert, learn to pronounce “Tageszeitung” before you try to mock the paper. *grmpf*
Oh, and whoever thinks that Germans can’t be funny should learn some German and then watch/listen to either
Dieter Nuhr
and/or Mario Barth
Two.
Great.
Comedians.
And German!
Quin

Judging by some of the comments above most people don’t get that this is a parody news show and shouldn’t be taken literally.

Oops

Exactly.

http://technotaku.com/ Xacur

Morning Musume is featured in that video too XD
TXX

I think the cardboard signs is there for the sake of the person that holds it, makes them feel in control of what they are showing, I often see weather-guys~~~ pointing at random points on the big green-/blue-screen.

And maybe the expectations for a cardboard sign isn’t as high as a massive and impressive 3D animation.
http://gabuchan.wordpress.com gabuchan

This clip by colbert report is funny as hell. he gives a funny outside perspective of some silly japanese things. I hope you can understand it is a parody show. Take it easy folks.
Why do they use the cards? Why not have graphics?

Why do they always have the subtitles on shows ? = i think its cause it makes it easier to understand and since tons of people read manga here (cmon its a big part of the culture) perhaps its easier to watch tv with the teleprompt?

Like someone said again, its awesome for foreigners trying to pick up the language. I mean I spent a year learning japanese straight from taking notes of the tv.
Another thing is “learned helplessness.” Perhaps without the subtitles, Japaense wouldnt understand? I mean it is a very tough language.

kabocha5000

learned helplessness? what are you, a psychologist?

http://www.japaneconomynews.com/ Ken

Another thing is “learned helplessness.” Perhaps without the subtitles, Japaense wouldnt understand? I mean it is a very tough language.

Japanese people don’t need subtitles to understand thier own language.
Ahti

Just for posterity – Colbert mentioned Estonia as a country that has no access to word processing.

Estonia is currently one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to utilizing internet-based services (e-banking, e-government, e-education) and 57% of Estonians use internet daily.

luxis

if like others i know who knew this, then you obivously didnt not understand the joke he was making, im sure some of the audience didnt know either but they thought it was funny cus its small country that you never really hear much of

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http://0 Emma

The arabic on Obama’s suit just said ‘Obama’ in arabic. and how he pronounced all the names (including the arabic newspapers’) was a very stupid attempt to make poeple laugh, and they seemed to be stupid enough to laugh. This is not funny at all, just plain stupid..
luxis

toooo many of you are taking the colbert report to seriously, hes *playing* a dick if you dont know much about the show then don’t make uninformed comments and say hes not funny, you kinda need to know the background to it before you comment. in no way is he calling any country stupid and his pronunciations are exaggerated not mispronounced
kana

lol i love morning musume.

Stephen Colbert jokes about the Japanese media

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