Colbert Out of Character

James Warren has a post on The Atlantic's website describing the appearance that Stephen Colbert, who was not in character, and some of his TV cohorts recently made at Second City's 50th anniversary celebration. Putting Warren's abrasive writing aside, it's a pretty fun read.

Among the topics discussed were Glenn Beck and MSNBC. My favorite part was Colbert's description of what happened when he got off stage after his infamous White House Correspondants' Dinner performance, which is also known as the raddest thing that happened all century.

Warren writes:

When the dinner was over, "I don't think I'm dying. I go to sit down and nobody's meeting my eye. Only [the late journalist-turned-White House spokesman] Tony Snow comes over and says I'm doing a great job." Then Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia came his way and told him he was brilliant.

"I said, oh, s-, don't let me like Antonin Scalia!"

Wondering what exit he should use, Colbert recalls being approached by actor Harry Lennix, whom he knew from their days at Northwestern University. Colbert indicated that he sensed some of the audience wasn't happy. "And he [Lennix] said, 'f- these people."

Fuck them indeed.