Colbert Gets Buzz Cut in Baghdad

He's broadcasting four shows

(NEWSER) - Stephen Colbert is taking his show on the road—to Iraq. Next week, the Colbert Report will broadcast from Baghdad, where the host says he'll be "Bob Hoping" it, the AP reports. The four shows will be taped in front of 450 troops, and Colbert is taking it seriously. "I don't want to forget that people are struggling through the things that I sometimes make jokes about," he said. More»

(NEWSER) - Stephen Colbert wants to help Michael Steele bring his flava to the masses. The Colbert Report star can tell the new RNC chairman is a gangsta at heart, because he’s said he wants to bring the conservative message to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings,” which he promises will be “off the hook.” So Colbert’s inviting—nay, challenging—Steele to come on the show and “lay down some dope, yet fiscally responsible rhymes.” More»

From racism to favoritism, comedians explain lack of jokes

(NEWSER) - John McCain has been skewered by late-night comics throughout the presidential campaign, but Barack Obama has escaped relatively unscathed. As this week's New Yorker cover flare-up made clear, satirists are struggling to find an angle on the Democratic nominee. The New York Times speaks to half a dozen late-night hosts and writers, who cite everything from fear of racism to their own favoritism to explain the silence. More»

President promises US will still have 'strong presence'

(NEWSER) - As the last 6,000 American troops prepare to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, President Obama today heralded the end of the divisive war—but issued a warning to the country's neighbors: The US will continue to have a "strong presence in the Middle East." He added, in a speech made after meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki this morning, that "the United States will never waiver in the defense of our allies, our partners, and our interests." More»

Stewart-Colbert-O'Brien lineup would be a win-win-win situation

(NEWSER) - Conan O'Brien is about to go back on the market—but the late night talk show market is full. "ABC has already said it's not interested in hiring him," writes Patrick Goldstein. "HBO isn't prepared to get into the late-night talk show racket. And Fox has a lot of issues to overcome, starting with a huge lack of enthusiasm from its affiliates." His logical destination: Comedy Central. More»