Performance in New Media Observed through Stephen Colbert

Jenkins (2009) describes the new media skill of performance as being able to shift between different identities with the intention of using this tactic to lead to new discoveries. Essentially what he seems to be saying with this is that you are more likely to glean information if you tailor your personality to the information you are attempting to acquire.

An example of this that I have observed is within Stephen Colbert’s interviews on The Late Show. Specifically, he appears to tailor his personality to each guest that he has on the show. It is usually a subtle change, but it is most notable when comparing an interview he conducts with a comedian against an interview with a politician.

In the first clip, he is interviewing Bernie Sanders and jokingly asks him about being called a liberal and a socialist and why he will not accept those as an insult, to which Sanders clarifies that he prefers being called a “progressive” (The Late Show, 2015). It is evident within this interview that Colbert is striving to be his usual funny self, while maintaining an air of professionalism. He allows Sanders to speak his piece before making a joke pertaining to the political rhetoric Sanders just spouted. The audience is completely silent as Sanders speaks.

In the second clip, he is discussing the lack of diversity in television with comedian Aziz Ansari (The Late Show, 2015). The audience is in a constant state of laughter throughout the entire interview, even though the two men are actually discussing something very serious. Colbert chose to be a bigger personality with Ansari because that’s what the audience wanted and he is, in the end, striving to get reactions from his guests that please the audience.

While the changes are subtle, it is easy to see how Colbert shifts his performance based on his subject. This allows him to conduct dynamic interviews that glean information that might not have otherwise been brought to light. Though neither of these interviews reveal any shocking information, it is clear from the audience’s response that it is important for Colbert to conduct these interviews differently.

This shift in performance is an extraordinarily effective tactic, especially when done as subtly as with Colbert, and definitely a useful skill to possess within today’s society.

Works Cited

Jenkins, H (et al). (2009) "Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21^st Century". The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning. The MIT Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. (2015, September 19). Why Won’t Bernie Sanders Take “Socialist” as an Insult? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuN6I30NNa4.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. (2015, November 11). Aziz Ansari Diversifies “The Late Show” [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao3_3yBv13M.