Smoking is cool, kids! – life on the Colbert Report

February 1, 2008 9:42 pm

Yesterday saw my date with destiny – and very nearly a date with Stephen Colbert, the charismatic right-wing loon who hosts The Colbert Report. I hope I am not breaking any confidences when I say that out of character, Stephen is charming and very empathetic. That said, he stays in character a lot – backstage is a pretty nerve-wracking experience. During our interview he managed to get me to urge the nation’s children to start smoking, compare oral sex to Pepsi, and announce that our brain is our gut. Not bad for four minutes – for the remaining 8 seconds I kept my dignity very well.
Earlier in the week I spoke to the Googlers; forty minutes instead of four and gentle but intelligent questioning. I’d like to tell you more about Google but they zapped me with a special mind ray and I can’t recall a thing, except bright lights and soft voices.
Links to both Colbert and Google are here.

Posted in Everyday economics |
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Tim Harford’s blog

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Tim, also known as the Undercover Economist, writes about the economics of everyday life.

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