Read George Bush's Tight, Pursey Lips

As he takes the full metal jacket impact of Stephen Collbert's brilliant wit at the Whitehouse Correspondent's dinner. Press corps discomfort you can cut with a knife. Yep! It's a beautfiul thing. You know something's up when Scalia is the only one in the room laughing. Complete speech available here, here, and here.

Witness Tucker Carlson's limp response. Nice to know that what holds the press back from heavy-hitting journalism is a desire not to make anyone uncomfortable with the truth. But did Colbert flop? I don't think so. Colbert made Bush look like the impotent little handpuppet he is.

It takes sand to hang it that far out there. But that's what the best comedians do. Lenny Bruce, Andy Kaufman, Eddie Murphy at his best, David Cross, and Bill Hicks to name a few. Here's one of my favorite Bill Hicks' quotes from the opening of Rant in E-Minor. Hicks launches into a tirade about Americans' underdeveloped intellectual behavior and a woman apparently disagrees so Hicks confronts her:

"Please don't debate me, it's my one true talent. I have 23 hours to develop this web of conspiracy theory, so please, just relax and enjoy your hair ... Your little cracker spawn are back at the hotel choking down the mini bar contents, probably fucking each other and producing more little crackers to come fuck with my life, you inbred redneck hillbilly fucking tourist, you. Good evening, how are you tonight? Welcome, welcome to 'No Sympathy Night.' Welcome to 'You're Wrong Night.'"

I only wish that theater rose to this level of risk (contempt, rage, truthiness®) - in both performance and subject matter (especially "political theater" which for me has come to represent an empty genuflect in the direction of the choir, but don't get me started!)

Thanks to T for the heads up.