The latest target of Stephen Colbert’s hilarious satire on his Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report, is Wikipedia, the web encyclopedia. Wikipedia entries are written by thousands of volunteers, making its reliability somewhat suspect. “Any user can change any entry,” Colbert says on his show. “If enough other users agree with him, it becomes true.” This legitimizes Colbert’s new project: Convincing the majority of people that something ridiculous is true. “Who is Britannica to tell me George Washington had slaves? If I want to say he didn’t, that’s my right. And now, thanks to Wikipedia, it’s also a fact.”
Now Watch This:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/zmHm0rGns4I
Here’s what the viewers are saying on YouTube:
“Colbert has some powerful ideas, but wikivandalism isn’t the way to discover them.” — vcool
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“Colbert simply used Wikipedia to illustrate a simple concept that has been exploited and abused by a small number of people. Say something enough times and in the right places and it will appear (become) true.” — pgbrx
“Colbert is so ignorant! Oregon named Idaho’s Portugal? PLEASE HAVE SOME RESPECT WITH A COUNTRY WITH HIGHER VALUES AND HUMAN RIGHTS THAN YOURS!” — pedrocsilva
“Colbert manages to take the view many intellectuals and express them to the world in a hilarious comedic fashion! Genius Colbert! Absolutely Genius!” — Pulse7
On SPIN.com:
Everybody’s Talking About: Stephen Colbert: Funniest Man in America?
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On the Web: The Colbert Report
Talk: Do you rely on Wikipedia for facts? COMMENT
