By Leo Corman ’15

December 18 marked a bittersweet moment for myself and almost 2.5 million other viewers: Stephen Colbert’s final performance on “The Colbert Report.” Colbert will take over the “Late Show” for David Letterman on September 8, but he will leave his hilarious alter ego behind.

For those not familiar with it, “The Colbert Report” was a fake news program hosted by Colbert, who masqueraded as an aggressively ignorant right-wing pundit meant to resemble Fox News anchors like Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. According to Colbert, the character was a “well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot.”

Part of what made “The Colbert Report” so appealing was Colbert’s ability to fully immerse himself in his satirical character. It was one thing for Colbert to assert ridiculous, exaggerated conservative views on subjects like gay rights and immigration in scripted segments, but it was an entirely different and more remarkable matter for Colbert to carry that persona into live interviews and off-air appearances, turning the Colbert character into a larger-than-life figure truly unlike anything else in the world of comedy. Colbert wrote two books (using the same self-important tone he employed in every show), the most recent being “America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t.” He also spoke at the 2006 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, testified before Congress in 2010 and routinely interviewed members of the House of Representatives in his “Better Know a District” segment, all firmly in character. He (sort of) ran for president and created his own real Political Action Committee (Super PAC), “Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow.”

In short, the Colbert caricature evolved beyond anything he could have imagined when the show first aired in 2005, and he fearlessly brought that character with him into normally serious and professional situations. Colbert even developed his own pseudo-language, which includes the show’s fundamental concept of “truthiness” (a truth conceived from one’s gut, requiring no logic to support it), as well as gems like “freem” (freedom without the “do”), “mantasy” (male fantasy) and “engayify” (probably self-explanatory). In fact, Colbert has an entire Wikipedia page devoted solely to his cultural impact. In addition, Colbert often utilized the power and influence he gained from the show for altruistic purposes. In his final week, Colbert raised over $300,000 for charity by raffling off his “C”-shaped desk and iconic self-portrait.

Of course, Colbert’s bread and butter was wonderful sarcastic satire, at which he was incredibly adept. Not only were his scripted segments extremely clever and funny, but his interviews were also demonstrative of his quick wit and intellect. Colbert was brilliant enough to make his character seem so inane. Like all good satire, Colbert’s work additionally served the important role of uncovering and ridiculing ignorance. His “truthiness” was not a far stretch from the actual tactics used by TV personalities and politicians, and Colbert exposed the illogic and hypocrisy of figures across the political and news-media spectrum.

However, my favorite moments on “The Colbert Report” occurred when Colbert broke character, when he found his material so ridiculous that he couldn’t maintain his usual deadpan. I enjoyed those brief insights into the person Stephen Colbert, separate from the character he created. While it pains me to have to write this article in the past tense, I look forward to getting to know the real Colbert in the next chapter of his legacy.

Colbert’s Nuggets of Wisdom:

“I cannot stand people who disagree with me on the issue of Roe v. Wade … which I believe is about the proper way to cross a lake.”

“There’s an old saying about those who forget history. I don’t remember it, but it’s good.”

“You said in your book that at the end of the day, every politician is human. What about during the day?”

“Twenty-two astronauts were born in Ohio. What is it about your state that makes people want to flee Earth?” (to Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones)