NPR : Fresh Air from WHYY for Monday, Jan. 24, 2005

Linked above is a great interview with Stephen Colbert from The Daily Show. Colbert notes that by analyzing his humor, he and Terry Gross are making the least entertaining radio program ever. I would disagree, and I suggest that listeners to Gross's program are more than happy to dissect the cute bunny to see how it works.

Colbert speaks openly, if broadly, about his faith. I was unaware of his status as a Believer prior to this interview, but I guess I'm not too surprised. His "This Week in God" segments often have off-hand references to information that could be looked up, but sounds as if it was known. To wit: "Do you realize that 80% of Bush's tax cuts go to Ephesians? [minimal audience response] Oh, that joke KILLED in Tarsus!" (From memory, not transcript -- my apologies if inaccurate.)

He also notes that he tries not to make fun of people for having faith, but rather for the things that people do in the name of faith. Of course, listening to him, one gets the impression that most of that analysis is gut-driven, rather than put up to the making-fun-of-people's-faith measuring stick.