Comments on: Colbert Report Does Segment on A Guy Giving Away Breast Implants For In Honor Of IWD??

By: Ilena Rose

Ilena Rose — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:10:42 +0000

Thanks, Feminist Peace Network, for covering this story.

I adore Stephen Colbert and his brilliant, cutting satire that is all over the charts. He is a spinner extraordinaire.

As an women’s health advocate who has seen the ravages of breast implants over 13 years of working with thousands of women harmed by this very faulty medical device, it concerns me when the breast implant downside is treated so lightly.

Because of the enormous public relations budgets of the breast implant industry (manufacturers, front groups, plastic surgeons, other med device makers etc.) merged with tobacco industry and oil money and more … and you have a well greased media to fill magazines, TV, Wikipedia, blogs, etc. with the corporate version of reality.

They can trivialize the potential harm, and augment the perceived good.

In our international support group, we have communicated with ex-Penthouse Pets, women from other media campaigns (such as the implant site mentioned in this article), the former assistant post mistress, plastic surgeons, MENSA members, dancers and more … from near and from far.

The same corporations whose money sold and profits from the invasion of Iraq … minimizes the harm from vaccinations, Gulf War Syndrome, Agent Orange, breast implants, tobacco …together funding junkscience.com / ACSH.org / and their front groups below them.

Best from Ilena Rosenthal
Director, Humantics Foundation

By: Hillary

Hillary — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:37:50 +0000

There’s also nothing funny about, say, racism. Better tell all the black folks to stop making jokes about it! You know, if we just don’t talk about anything bad, maybe it will all go away! We wouldn’t want a satirical piece to open up a dialogue about issues of the day, would we now? Of course not! That would require THINKING!

Couldn’t you maybe better spend your time working on, I don’t know, female circumcision, female political prisoners, domestic violence against women, sexual harassment/assault in the US Armed Forces, etc. etc. etc. than try to censor a satirist? It’s a sad day when activists think “protesting” entertainment and the arts is activism. And it’s a shame you can’t appreciate watching master satirists at work.
And you know, in general, if you don’t like what’s out there in art/media, don’t whine – CREATE. That is the strongest response.

By: EvilDevil

EvilDevil — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 02:17:32 +0000

it was sad and funny, and of course it suppouse to be offensive, otherwise whats the point? if u are mad, dont be mad at CC or stephen, but instead to the guy that runs that website… seriously, some people need to regain their sense of humor…

plus dont forget what Jon said in Larry King, that people think their shows are very funny, until they make fun of an issue they care about. Then it’s not funny anymore… They are jesters, they are suppouse to make fun of the world and point out the obvious and its flaws, not to change it.

By: F.W.

F.W. — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:37:11 +0000

I’m a very proud feminist, but I would like to point out that I was not offended at all by that segment. They gave that idiot airtime because it’s what The Colbert Report and The Daily Show do. The shows have interviewed worse people (such as an individual who thinks illegal-immigrants should be shot and killed) and have done a good job of subtly pointing out the absurdity of their actions or viewpoints. The conclusion that “he hasn’t read any of the gazillions of news reports about just how dangerous implants are” from watching that segment alone isn’t factual. I’m offended (though not surprised) that such a website exists, and I’m disappointed that women would choose to participate in it, but the “Difference Makers” piece pointed out how nauseating the whole thing is. If anyone will be receiving complaints from me it’ll be that young man, not Comedy Central. If anything, I’d like to thank them and The Colbert Report for pointing it out to me.

By: Jess

Jess — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:36:00 +0000

Did I think it was the funniest segment the show had ever run? Not especially, no. But nor did I interpret it as any sort of endorsement of implants. What I saw was a mockery of a group of idiotic, superficial sleazes and their disgusting objectification of women. Stephen Colbert is a comedian. It’s not his job to alert the public to the dangers of breast implants.

And really, there are far too many real, serious women’s issues out there to get distracted by this kind of nonsense.