24 seconds ago 2009-12-05T23:51:43-08:00
When truthiness meets PR, you find Stephen Colbert guest editing the June 8 issue of the newly resdesigned (again) Newsweek magazine. Comedy Central's funny fake newsman will be the first guest editor in the news magazine's 76-year history.
Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham told The New York Observer:
"I was just very impressed with the range of his knowledge and he had an almost encyclopedic feel for anything that came up ... As we think about ways to both inform and surprise readers of the magazine, the notion of having him as a guest editor seemed like a good one."
The Observer goes on to remind us of the disastrous consequences of guest editors of yore. Roseanne Barr editing The New Yorker, anyone? Longtime writer Ian Frazier quit over it, and the moment has become a Tina Brown-infused punch line in the magazine's history.
Gawker is less than impressed and "obtained, via a publicist, via Newsweek's marketing team, a direct (outrageous!) quote from Colbert about his upcoming fake editorialism":
"When Jon Meacham asked me to guest edit Newsweek I jumped at the chance, particularly because my guest editorship at Mature Honeys fell through. I guess my photo essay of sexy housewives reenacting the Battle of Fallujah was too 'real' for them."
We'll admit that Colbert is no Roseanne (sorry, Roseanne), but we also found it hard to watch Jon Stewart host the Oscars. Sometimes funny just doesn't cross over well, no matter how smart you are.
Check out one of Meacham's guest appearances on "The Colbert Report."
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Jon Meacham | ||||
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