Colbert at the WH correspondent’s dinner

This one is like the Zapruder film – destined to be viewed millions of times by several generations of Americans. The shock-value with both is what links them together in terms of their popularity and staying power. Aside from the man sitting about 10 feet away from him though, Colbert put on a clinic here that must have been widely admired throughout the comedy world. Whether it needed to be done or not, this film redefines the role that comedy plays in our democracy, and I can’t help but remember Bill Hicks as I watch this once again. There’s a piece of Bill’s genius that can be heard in the voices of so many comedians today, but in Colbert’s performance here, it is very thick, like you can almost picture him thinking the same exact things if he were still alive…this one’s in memory of Bill Hicks: