After more than nine years of blustery bravado and Daft Punk dance sequences, faux political commentator Stephen Colbert is hanging it up. The Colbert Report will air its last episode on Dec. 18 as the comedian prepares to take up the reins for David Letterman in 2015.
That's also the last time that Stephen Colbert the comedian plans to appear in character as Stephen Colbert (use the French pronunciation), the conservative commentator with the heart of gold. Colbert's satiric take on politics and the media often did a better job explaining the political landscape than newspaper columnists and cable commentators.
And so it's with a heavy heart that we've highlighted five of our favorite Colbert Report moments. Have a favorite moment from the show you want to share with us? Let us know on Twitter @DecodeDC.
Truthiness
Colbert's first episode gave us a taste of what was to come as the comedian debuted the term "truthiness," the perfect encapsulation of what has sadly become the de-facto mode of argument in much of Washington. The word would later be voted Word of the Year in 2006 by Merriam-Webster.
ColbertPac
The 2012 presidential election gave Colbert a platform to discuss super PACs at a time when most still didn't quite understand what such organizations could legally do. In this clip, Colbert walks through the process of creating a super PAC with Trevor Potter, a former commissioner and chairman of the Federal Election Commission.
Due or Die
Following growing criticism of the Obama administration's use of drone strikes and the killing of an American citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki, Colbert tried to parse Attorney General Eric Holder's justification for the drone strike that killed the jiahidi cleric in Yemen.
#CancelColbert
After The Colbert Report's official Twitter account tweeted a racial joke without context, activists online started an online campaign to cancel the show. Here Colbert addresses the #CancelColbert controversy and the ensuing media coverage.
Pointless Counter Pointless
The return of the CNN show Crossfire gives Colbert the opportunity to comment on the state of political discourse, with help from Sesame Street mainstays Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.
Want to keep up with all the latest DecodeDC stories and podcasts? Sign up for our weekly newsletter at decodedc.com/newsletter.
