The Best of The Colbert Report

At a liberal near-three-hours, this conservatively-priced Colbert retrospective is as definitive as The Best of Chappelle's Show. If you're a recent immigrant to Colbert Nation, this DVD is your passport for full citizenship, as it compiles the signature segments ("Better Know a District"), defining moments (the definition of "truthiness," Merriam-Webster's 2006 Word of the Year), classic confrontations (with "Papa Bear" Bill O'Reilly, Jane Fonda, and Barry Manilow), and essential features (the "Green Screen Challenge" and "Stephen Colbert's Rock and Awe: Countdown to Guitarmageddon"). A spin-off of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report is a pitch-perfect parody of self-mythologizing TV pundits, with Colbert presenting himself as a "straight shooter" who doesn't trust books ("they're all fact and no heart"). The media-savvy Colbert not only promises to “feel the news at you,” but makes it as well. Included here is his jaw-dropping "Better Know a District" interview with Florida Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler, who was running unopposed in the 2006 midterm election, prompting Colbert to goad him into saying "a few things that would really lose the election for you if you were contested" (such as "I enjoy the company of prostitutes because it's a fun thing to do"). Soon after, the Democratic leadership told incoming-freshman congressmen to steer clear of Colbert, who has himself recently abandoned his run for President of the United States after failing to secure a place on South Carolina's ballot. It's probably just as well. Sure to be very popular, this crème de la crème collection is highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)