One could not work on Stephen Colbert’s production team without respecting Colbert’s sincere belief in the importance of respecting our national institutions and adhering to the norms. So this news is quite shocking, as you would think that at least one manufacturer will ensure that every attempt is made to cooperate, follow the rules … This is quite easy to avoid.
From New York Times:
Capitol police said Friday they arrested seven people in the hallway of the Capitol building on Thursday night, at a time when the building was closed to visitors.
During the arrest, the team completed pre-arranged interviews with members of Congress and filmed the “latest comedy elements” in the corridors of the building for an upcoming segment of The Late Show.
Social media users said it was ironic that members of the production team could be punished more than some of the participants in last year’s attack.
And to fill a few holes in the story, from Hollywood Reporter:
A number of people working for the CBS ‘Late Show with Stephen Colbert were arrested Thursday night at an office building in the US Capitol after shooting a sketch featuring Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Among those arrested was Robert Smigel, the former writer on Saturday night and late at night with Conan O’Brien, best known for his role as Triumph. Before that, Smigel appeared as Triumph in the late show.
Obviously, this in no way rises to the level of the seriousness of the incidents that they were certainly trying to satirize. Ironically, it is true that they can be punished, equal to or even greater than some of the least violent rebels. It will all depend on the actual facts (more specific than those currently available), who knows what and when about where he crossed the border.
But, again, that just can’t happen.
Stephen Colbert’s status has risen to the point where many see him as the conscience of the “Americans who think” segment of society. He became famous for his political satire and took this political “eye in the sky” to new heights on The Late Show. Colbert’s whole brand is the “good neighbor,” the neighbor who is especially funny. He is a national treasure because he is absolutely not a “television star” in the traditional sense.
Every effort must be made to ensure that the mark is protected. They knew they were going to shoot in the Capitol. They knew they would do so, as the hearings covered the coup attempt and the illegality that took place in the Capitol. And while this offense / crime doesn’t come close to any rebel or congressman doing a reconnaissance tour, someone had to make sure everyone, support staff, comedians, and Capitol police were on the same page.
It’s not that hard. And now their boss will be in a position where, as the state’s conscience, he will have to admit that they were wrong, and as the face of the program, he will take responsibility. That’s what a good neighbor does.
Jason Mikiak believes that a day without learning is a day that is not experienced. He is a political writer, a writer, author and lawyer. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teenage years and years in college in the Northwest Pacific and has lived in seven states since. Now he enjoys life as a single father of a young girl, writes from the beaches of the Persian Gulf. He loves to make his flower pots, to cook, while studying scientific philosophy, religion and non-mathematical principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please do not hesitate to contact us for speaking commitments or any concerns.
