Colbert’s Catholic addiction
May 13, 2011, 1:25 pm
Posted by David Gibson
Speaking of unreformed liturgies…Stephen Colbert can’t kick the habit. So to speak.
H/T: Thomas Peters, the “American Papist”
Colbert would make a great (and funnier) bishop of NY.
And David could be his PR guy – a big improvement also!
Too bad about the quals.
Not only is Stephen a great comic, he’s no mean actor. Jimmy Fallon, who is in nowhere near the same comic class, is an even better actor. (Maybe SNL had something to do with that?) Jackie Gleason was also both a fine comic and actor, but I doubt Jon Stewart could play a bedpost. I’ll generalize: great actors can usually do comedy at least very well (anybody besides me remember John Barrymore? Utterly hilarious), but great comedians aren’t always good actors. Hmm. Wonder why.
Ann, movie critic Elvis Mitchell took up that topic (comics/actors), and said that comics and singers make excellent supporting actors because they have an instinctive sense of timing and ability to respond to other actors b/c of all the live work they do.
I thought it was an interesting idea. I’ve seen Jonathan Winters do straight roles that were chilling (great turn as Minnesota Fats on “The Twilight Zone,” a character also played by Gleason in the movie “The Hustler”!)
I thought singer Justin Timberlake did a great job in “The Social Network.”
And, of course, Jerry Lewis was a standout in “The King of Comedy,” the only movie of his I’ve ever been able to watch without wanting to slap him.
Jean –
Hmmm. Interesting thesis. It’s understandable that singers can often act. Look at Sinatra and Pavarotti. Then there was the biggie — Shakespeare was an actor first. His comedies are still funny. Midsummer is being played here in the part this summer, and Bottom is still getting rave reviews (If I get to Heaven, I’m going to ask Mr. Shakespeare to do Bottom. Even St. Jerome will laugh, no doubt.)
Odd to me how American kids will play the guitar and sing, but don’t learn poetry the way the English seem to.. Yet the Americans all want to be movie stars, Anyway, I’d love to see Stephen do a serious movie. Preferably something religious.
Maybe Colbert could parlay his mock “more Catholic than the pope” demeanor into Bridie in a remake of “Brideshead Revisited.”
Maybe.
If we have a problem with a good comedian poking fun at his/our religion, then perhaps we need to study what we believe about our religion that makes us fearful of a little humor.
One of our more famous Catholic actors (albeit from a far right cultish sort of parish) is Mel Gibson – and let us not forget the Sheens (no, not Fulton – talk about acting!) and countless others. Comedians and actors with a Catholic background abound.
I remember my favorite actress of all time, Ann Bancroft, (AKA Mrs. Mel Brooks) of ‘The Graduate’ fame, I have never seen a Mother Superior (Agnes of God) played by an Italian Catholic as a Jewish Mother! Oi! What a performance.
Thomas Gibson is from the Charleston (SC) Diocese, Cathedral parish and Bishop England HS.
Patrick Dempsey from St. Patrick’s Parish in Lewiston, ME.
May we continue to furnish artisans, scientists, theologians, comedians and actors of all types to the world!
And may we laugh in peace!
Speaking of Catholic comedians – Let’s not forget Bob Newhart and Bob Hope
:-)