Study: Conservatives and Liberals on Colbert.

[SirNitram]

Link To Abstract

This study investigated biased message processing of political satire in The Colbert Report and the influence of political ideology on perceptions of Stephen Colbert. Results indicate that political ideology influences biased processing of ambiguous political messages and source in late-night comedy. Using data from an experiment (N = 332), we found that individual-level political ideology significantly predicted perceptions of Colbert's political ideology. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the groups in thinking Colbert was funny, but conservatives were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements. Conservatism also significantly predicted perceptions that Colbert disliked liberalism. Finally, a post hoc analysis revealed that perceptions of Colbert's political opinions fully mediated the relationship between political ideology and individual-level opinion.

How shall we break it to them?

[fgalkin]

So, wait, conservatives actually think Colbert is being serious?

I would very much like to take a look at that study, but the site won't let me *sigh*

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[The Vortex Empire]

Wait, some of them think he's serious? How fucking stupid are these people? It's plain as day that it's satire and he's liberal.

[LMSx]

I remember reading in a TDS profile before The Colbert Report launched and Colbert got evasive, that he was a disenchanted Green Party voter in 2000.

There was an article I read about conservatives vs. liberals' interpretation of TCR, if this is the same one they just showed a single 2-3 minute segment and monitored the subject's opinions afterwards.

[General Zod]

Wait wait wait. Since when did Colbert claim to be unbiased?

[Thanas]

Anyone remember when Tom DeLay got indicted and Colbert "defended" him?

DeLay's people thought he was serious and linked to him on their website, calling him a great defender of real america and exposer of media lies.

[Wyrm]

Wait, they've only discovered this now? I thought it was obvious when I got wind that Colbert was popular amongst arch-conservatives! The ones who don't listen to 'biased' news sources for fear of contamination!

[The Yosemite Bear]

I think some of them have been staring into the abyss too long....

[Ilya Muromets]

Wasn't there an old statement to the effect of really good parody of conservatardism can sometimes be indistinguishable from the real thing?

[The Yosemite Bear]

Wasn't there an old statement to the effect of really good parody of conservatardism can sometimes be indistinguishable from the real thing?

it's called "Poe's Law" though I don't know what it had to the Ravens or the guy from exploitation now...

[Anguirus]

I also noticed that conservatives really didn't understand the satire in Team America: World Police.

[Mayabird]

Wait, wait, wait, they still haven't figured it out? Even after things he did like the White House press corp dinner roast and so on? Even after the memos that went out to all those Republican politicians saying, "Don't let yourself be interviewed by him! He's not actually one of us and he'll mock you!" which included one interview being cut off in the middle when someone's staffer got the memo late? I'm almost hoping this paper is old.

...2009. Okay, now I hope this data is actually old and outdated.

...$20 to view it?!? Screw that.

[Sriad]

Wasn't there an old statement to the effect of really good parody of conservatardism can sometimes be indistinguishable from the real thing?

it's called "Poe's Law" though I don't know what it had to the Ravens or the guy from exploitation now...

According to [http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Poe%27s_Law]RationalWiki[/url] it's from here.

It seems amazing that people could still not get it, but everyone's been guilty of seeing what they want to see a few times, and then I suppose there are people for whom it gets to be a habit.

[The Yosemite Bear]

gah! making a pun. you know Poe: horror writer, or the guy that just got banned from here a couple of months ago, or maybe the guy who writes and draws Exploitation Now and Errent Story....

nevermore.

[Sriad]

gah! making a pun. you know Poe: horror writer, or the guy that just got banned from here a couple of months ago, or maybe the guy who writes and draws Exploitation Now and Errent Story....

nevermore.

Then the joke is on me for 1: assuming that you weren't smart enough to use google to answer your own query and 2: failing to dress my link.

[Posner]

I feel embarassed whenever I even tangentially agree with Colbert. How can they not see the schtick?

[Darth Wong]

I feel embarassed whenever I even tangentially agree with Colbert. How can they not see the schtick?

Colbert's routine is obviously satire only when you can see how completely absurd his stated opinions are. If your own opinions are close to what he's saying, then you won't see the absurdity. You will think that he's stating a reasonable opinion, but in a bombastic manner.

That's why conservatives are so much less likely to get it.

[Aaron]

Colbert's routine is obviously satire only when you can see how completely absurd his stated opinions are. If your own opinions are close to what he's saying, then you won't see the absurdity. You will think that he's stating a reasonable opinion, but in a bombastic manner.

That's why conservatives are so much less likely to get it.

Do people not know how to read body language? Admittedly I don't regularly watch either him or TDS but every time I see either, both Colbert and TDS host have looks on their faces that scream "parody".

[Terralthra]

Do people not know how to read body language? Admittedly I don't regularly watch either him or TDS but every time I see either, both Colbert and TDS host have looks on their faces that scream "parody".

Maybe they think that the liberal media controls things to such an extent that he has to phrase everything as a joke and pretend that it's absurd just to be able to "speak the truth" on the air?

[Patrick Degan]

Do people not know how to read body language? Admittedly I don't regularly watch either him or TDS but every time I see either, both Colbert and TDS host have looks on their faces that scream "parody".

Maybe they think that the liberal media controls things to such an extent that he has to phrase everything as a joke and pretend that it's absurd just to be able to "speak the truth" on the air?

In the increasingly paranoid world of American conservatism, you are probably not that far off the mark.

[Oni Koneko Damien]

Do people not know how to read body language? Admittedly I don't regularly watch either him or TDS but every time I see either, both Colbert and TDS host have looks on their faces that scream "parody".

Maybe they think that the liberal media controls things to such an extent that he has to phrase everything as a joke and pretend that it's absurd just to be able to "speak the truth" on the air?

Why complicate it that much? They hear him say something they agree with, and immediately think he's on their side... and subconsciously ignore any body-language to the contrary. I mean, these are the same type of people who used to attack C.S. Lewis for being anti-christian. Anything below the level of 'blaring lights and sirens blatantly obvious' sails right over their heads.

[Lord Relvenous]

Yep, not surprised at this. Last week I was in a DnD session and the DM had to take a break. People starting talking about television shows and the Colbert Report came up. 2 people (ultra-conservatives) expressed how much they love Colbert saying "He's the only person that I can watch outside of Fox." Then when I told them that it was satire, they insisted for the next 30 minutes that he was conservative, even making up shit like "He's come out and said that he voted Bush in 2004" and whatnot. Oh, these same two guys thought that Red Eye was hilarious and their Canadian discussion a few weeks ago was priceless, even repeating some of what they said.

[Pulp Hero]

Do people not know how to read body language? Admittedly I don't regularly watch either him or TDS but every time I see either, both Colbert and TDS host have looks on their faces that scream "parody".

Have you ever watched Glenn Beck?

Go to youtube and search "Glenn Beck" and his "Road to Socialism" segments.

TDS could copy those segments word-for-word and it would be hilarious. Beck does it in earnest.