Stephen Colbert on the parallels between Elvis Costello’s relationship with Bruce Springsteen and Colbert’s relationship with Jon Stewart:

[Elvis Costello] was trying when he was younger to try to write Bruce Springsteen songs — and that he really liked Bruce Springsteen’s sound. And he said, but then he eventually stopped doing that because he would try to write these songs like Bruce Springsteen and he would end up writing things that were a little bit wry, sardonic or even character-based. And they didn’t have that sort of sincere, anthemic quality that Bruce’s songs sometimes have. And that kind of blew me away, because he’s describing his relation to Bruce Springsteen kind of like my relationship to Jon Stewart. And Jon’s favorite artist is Bruce Springsteen, and my favorite rock artist is probably Elvis Costello. So there’s an odd parallel between Elvis’ evolution from what he was trying to do like Bruce and my evolution from what I was trying to do when I worked with Jon.

Stephen Colbert on why he loves “The Best Imitation of Myself” from Ben Folds Five:

When I first heard the song just a few years ago, I just thought he had written it for me. But then when I listened to it more, I thought it’s just a beautiful expression of how we are toward each other as people. We don’t think that we are sufficient for each other - that no one wants to know the real me or the whole me.  I just want to give you the part of me that I think you expect to see from me. And almost as if that little part of me is more than the whole of me because I don’t want to give you any of the poison. 

Stephen Colbert on the parallel between Elvis Costello’s relationship with Bruce Springsteen and Colbert’s relationship with Jon Steward:

[Elvis Costello] was trying when he was younger to try to write Bruce Springsteen songs — and that he really liked Bruce Springsteen’s sound. And he said but then he eventually stopped doing that because he would try write these songs like Bruce Springsteen and he would end up writing things that were a little bit wry, sardonic, or even character-based. And they didn’t have that sort of sincere, anthemic quality that Bruce’s songs sometimes has. And that kind of blew me away because he’s describing his relation to Bruce Springsteen kind of like my relationship to Jon Stewart. And Jon’s favorite artist is Bruce Springsteen and my favorite rock artist is probably Elvis Costello. So there’s an odd parallel between Elvis’ evolution from what he was trying to do like Bruce and my evolution from what I was trying to do when I worked with Jon.

Stephen Colbert on why King Herod’s song from Jesus Christ Superstar made a big impression on him when he was young:

That’s a theatrical expression of contempt and that opened my eyes as a kid - that you could actually be, well you could be wrong in character, you could be blasphemous in character. And it doesn’t negate how you feel about subject.

Today’s show: Stephen Colbert not only sings a few bars of songs that have influenced him, he also plays a few recordings he loves and tells us why.

Also… we talk to Tom Wolfe about his new novel, Back to Blood.

I’m hoping Mitt Romney can get his act together in this debate because as a conservative pundit, or rather, playing a conserve pundit…it’s so difficult for me right now to get behind Mitt Romney. It’s incredibly frustrating as a performer who has to model behavior that is so schizophrenic and bifurcated because it’s almost an unprecedented candidacy – as far as I can tell. No one seems to like him – even the people who are behind him. There isn’t a sort of monolithic point of view to base my own satire on.

Basically, the satire of my character in relation to Mitt Romney now is night to night, I can change my mind and I can be hopeful or in despair from night to night because I have no point of reference for what’s happening now. Even McCain in 2008 post-Lehman Brothers might have seemed like a bit of a winged duck, but people still liked him. People were still behind him.

You get a feeling that everybody of the sort that I’m modeling really has one foot out of the boat right now and I really I hope Mitt – I mean listen I have my own political views, but as a performer I hope he does something positive tonight so that there’s something for me to rally behind because that’s what my character wants to do… He wants to have a champion that he can champion and that just doesn’t exist in Mitt Romney right now. He’s just a walking wound.

— Stephen Colbert on how his character wants Mitt Romney to do well in the presidential debate in Denver

Stephen Colbert on creating his Super PAC

The whole thing came about by accident. We were just trying to do a parody ad of a Tim Pawlenty ad, and I couldn’t figure out how to end it. And then I said, ‘Well how does his ad end?’ And his ad ended with just a simple card on the screen that said, ‘LibertyPAC.com’ — whatever his political action committee was. And I said, ‘Okay, just put a ColbertPAC.com at the end and one person on the staff said, ‘Do you want me to buy that url?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, yeah — we might want to use that later.’

And then the network called and said, ‘Are you really going to get a PAC?’ And I said, ‘Why do you ask?’ And they said, ‘Because if you actually get a PAC, that could be trouble.’ And I said, ‘Well then I’m definitely going to do it.’ Because I like the idea of, why is it trouble? Everybody can do it, why can’t I do it? … We’d done jokes on Citizens United for about a year, and then I realized, ‘Oh, well this is what the whole year is about. It’s really about this whole new flush of cash into our political system that is in large part untraceable or traceable only after the fact when it’s too late, after the primaries, after the elections is over. And I said, ‘OK, well let’s just try to do it’…

We really played the game hard up through the South Carolina primary, when Jon Stewart took over my Super PAC, because I announced my plans to form an exploratory committee about whether or not I should run for president, to illustrate how easy it is to give money to somebody else and really have control over what happens. Ostensibly it’s no longer in your control, but you’ve given it to your best friend, who actually rides to work with you this morning and you share a building.

Stephen Colbert on the message his new book “America Again” explores:

That sort of paradoxical statement that our greatest days are ahead of us and we have the greatest history and the history of history, but this instant right now is completely screwed up and we’ve got to save America from disaster.

Stephen Colbert returns to Fresh Air today to talk about his new book, “America Again.”

But remember when the tables were turned earlier this year? A good opportunity to look back at Terry’s interview on “The Colbert Report”.

(In case you’re wondering, Stephen is standing on a chair here.)

Stephen Colbert is our guest on the show tomorrow. Get ready with this gem from Stephen’s, or should we say, Steve’s report for Good Morning America in 1997.

tallwhitney:

buzzfeedrewind:

Stephen Colbert reporting on “Good Morning America” in 1997, back when he went by “Steve”! 

[watch]

STEVE COLBERT?!

Stephen and Maurice.

(Source: drunkonstephen)

Terry was on The Colbert Report last night. If you missed it, you can watch the video here. Also, here’s a list of the interviews Stephen mentioned during their chat:

Grover Norquist on Fresh Air

Bill O’Reilly on Fresh Air

Stephen Colbert on Fresh Air

Terry and stephen

#freshaironcolbert

— If you’d like to join in our discussion about Terry’s appearance tonight on Colbert, this is the Twitter hashtag to use. I’ll be updating from the @nprfreshair account and my own personal @mkramer account. Okay, off to NYC. See ya, Internet.

Last night: Maurice Sendak on Colbert Pt. 1

Last September: Maurice Sendak on Fresh Air

Last June: Stephen Colbert on Fresh Air

Tonight: Terry Gross and Maurice Sendak (Pt 2) on Colbert (possibly probably not also featuring Vin Diesel)