Rants and Ramblings: random commentary about culture, media, politics, technology and whatnot.

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I’ve given it a month, but I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of Daily Show spin-off The Colbert Report. That’s not to say that the show doesn’t have its moments (even now, I’ll generally watch through “The Word” segment). It’s just that four days a week is too much ego-driven faux newsman bluster for me to take. Maybe I’d like it better if the show was just once a week, or a regular segment on The Daily Show. But as it is, it’s just too much, and the “Look, I’m lampooning Bill O’Reilly and his ilk!” schtick wears thin rather quickly.

I think Stephen Colbert’s self-absorbed journalist persona works best in moderation. I cheered his appearances on The Daily Show because they were a surprise and, most importantly, brief. He’d appear onscreen, lampoon the news story of the day and serve as a witty foil to Jon Stewart’s “everyman trying to make sense of an insane world.” With The Colbert Report, there’s no one for him to play against (his befuddled guests don’t count), so it’s all Colbert, all the time.

(Although, if you can’t get enough, someone’s recapping every episode at colbertnation.com.)

As an aside, a bit of random trivia: According to the credits, the show’s theme song, “Baby Mumbles,” was written and performed by Cheap Trick. It’s rather catchy. As are the show’s opening credits. The screeching eagle at the end? Genius.

And speaking of Daily Show cast members, angry commentator Lewis Black appeared on The Weather Channel last night in a new feature called “Celebrity Weather,” in which he took a stab at being a weatherman. (AP: “Your new weatherman: Lewis Black” - 11/09/05)

Meanwhile, MSNBC ran a story last week about some of the people that appear in the “news segments” of The Daily Show — whether they realize what they’re doing and what’s happened to them as a result of being on the show. (“Fake journalism, real consequences” - 11/03/05)