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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Wind pushes tree over onto Grants Pass woman's car Bates-Dotterrer race leads state's campaign spending spree Elderly woman's kidnapper sentenced to 15 years Restaurant Inspections (No heading) Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Wind pushes tree over onto Grants Pass woman's car Elderly woman's kidnapper sentenced to 15 years (No heading) Emergency Services 'Constant state of paranoia' Politics and Elections Fire chief has sheriff's back Phoenix council races draw a crowd — and debate Winters worn down by criticism Eagle Point might get on the bus Richardson accuses Kitzhaber of 'corruption' in final debate Education Kids Unlimited Academy awarded $450,000 grant County helps fund RCC job training SOU student says free speech issue overblown SOU interim president leads in a different direction Medford school officials consider costs of full-day kindergarten Environment Reintroduction of McCloud River salmon inspires film, tribe Rite Aid bear cub may be released into the wild in spring Rite Aid cub well, could come back to southern Oregon Neighbors smell trouble in proposal to spread waste on Sams Valley farmland Bear cub captured in Ashland pharmacy State news Nation - World Obituaries Donna Lee Norvell Faith Ann Honer Sherry Nell Bean Pat V. 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Old-fashioned hat maker Real Estate News New I-5 interchange puts south Medford on fast lane to fast food Lithia buys Clovis dealership Rental vacancies increase Jackson County real estate sales, prices continue rebound Pallet Wine Co. expands in downtown Medford People In Business People in Business Transportation Frontier Airlines to end Eugene-Denver service Business Resource Fair has answers Erickson's Navy contract extended Lithia buys Clovis dealership Agriculture Hundreds look for work at Harry & David hiring fair Umpqua Holdings more than doubles net earnings Harry & David will hold hiring fair Thursday Ranchers offer livestock exchange 1-800-Flowers CEO: Labor shortage an issue for Harry & David Opinion Latest Our View: Cost is a poor excuse for local pot tax Letters to the Editor, Oct. 26 Dana Milbank: Larry Pressler's quirky Senate campaign Guest Opinion: Common Core testing sets math students up for failure Guest Opinion: Campaigning and voting 'the Oregon way' Editorials Our View: Cost is a poor excuse for local pot tax Don't bet on pot windfall for schools Our View: SOU's 'free speech zone' constitutionally questionable Our View: Kitzhaber is still the best choice Our view: Merkley-Wehby race leaves us unconvinced; Walden seems destined for permanent position Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Oct. 26 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 25 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 24 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 23 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 22 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Common Core testing sets math students up for failure Guest Opinion: Campaigning and voting 'the Oregon way' Guest Opinion: A glimpse into the reality of our elections Don't overlook importance of Jackson County commissioners race Measure 92 misleads rather than enlightens Lifestyle Latest stories Rocks and Rhetoric Engagement Wedding: Potter-Hazel Wedding: Martin-Berg Wedding: Hale-Lombardi Food Community blog: Quick breads take well to gluten-free ingredients Community blog: Barrel Aged and Sour Beers Ledger David Cellars has a new winemaker and big plans Community blog: There's a method to mix, match alternative grains Ashland resident's cookbook showcases gluten-free creativity Home and Garden How to live and work in a tiny home Dear Monty: Rent-back clause prevents financial disaster​ Recycle plastic at The Expo Friday and Saturday How to know when trees and shrubs need to go Dear Monty: Is your real estate agent a secret agent? 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Our View: Cost is a poor excuse for local pot tax ... Elderly woman's kidnapper sentenced to 15 years ... Wind pushes tree over onto Grants Pass woman's car ... Our View: Cost is a poor excuse for local pot tax ... Elderly woman's kidnapper sentenced to 15 years ... Colbert a threat to America's heartland? Don't believe it In selecting Stephen Colbert to replace David Letterman as host of the "Late Show," CBS has waged war on America's heartland — or so proclaims that Palm Beach font of heartland mirth, Rush Limbaugh. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 14, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Apr 14, 2014 at 2:16 AM Posted Apr. 14, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Apr 14, 2014 at 2:16 AM » Social News In selecting Stephen Colbert to replace David Letterman as host of the "Late Show," CBS has waged war on America's heartland — or so proclaims that Palm Beach font of heartland mirth, Rush Limbaugh. Don't you believe it, Heartlanders. But wait, there's more. CBS also must be waging war on Asian-Americans, since a Twitter activist who calls herself Angry Asian Woman called for an end to "The Colbert Report" late last month following a joke she didn't like. Apparently, Colbert in his pretend role as a loudmouthed, conservative blowhard (keep guessing) made a crack about the "Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever" in response to the new Washington Redskins Original American Foundation created by team owner Dan Snyder, who refuses to change the Redskins mascot name. It was satire, folks. If you have to explain a joke ... you may be living in post-humor America. Oy! May I say that? Just to be safe, let's go with heavens to Murgatroyd, begging forgiveness from all Murgatroydians extant and, again, just to be safe, nonextant. Finally, no offense to Snagglepuss. But back to Rush, who elaborated as follows: "What this hire means is a redefinition of what is 'funny' and a redefinition of what is comedy, and they're blowing up the 11:30 format under the guise that the world's changing and people don't want the kind of comedy that Carson gave us or even Letterman. "They don't want that anymore. It's the media planting a flag here. I think it's maybe the media's last stand, but it's a declaration. There's no unity in this hire. They've hired a partisan, so-called comedian to run a comedy show." Here's the thing, and I say this with all due respect, Colbert is a comedian whose shtick is to present an exaggerated impression of a conservative talk show host. He's a character! Sort of like, spoiler alert, Bill O'Reilly. You don't hear O'Reilly complaining about his role as comic foil. One, he has a sense of humor. Two, it's good for him. Three, he knows that when people are paid millions to yack on TV, they don't get to whine when someone else making millions gets a new gig. I wouldn't be surprised to see O'Reilly among Colbert's first guests. To put it plainly, the fellow who will be sitting in the "Late Show" chair is nothing like the character on the "Repor(t)," which is both a delightful and grievous prospect. Many will mourn the exit of Comedy Central's Colbert, but millions more will celebrate his new role. Having met the real-life Colbert, the lad from Charleston, S.C., I'm confident viewers will find him every bit the Everyman as was all-time favorite Johnny Carson. The one time I appeared on "The Colbert Report," Colbert met me in the Green Room beforehand and, speaking as the polite Southerner he is, said, "Now, I'm going to be in character on stage, so don't let me put words in your mouth." You can't say I wasn't forewarned. In real life, Colbert, the youngest of 11 children, is a regular guy with an extraordinary wit who is as heartland as they come, if you judge "heartland" as devoted to family and devout of spirit. He became a funny guy in part as a result of tragedy: When he was 10, his father and two of his brothers died in a plane crash. Colbert inherited his brothers' Bill Cosby record collection, which he says he listened to night after night. From personal grief, he blossomed into a national treasure — wickedly funny, charming and charismatic. That he has made jokes at the expense of nearly everyone is merely further testament to his qualifications. An equal opportunity offender in a politically correct world. What more can one ask of a comedian? Of all people on the planet, Americans have always been among the quickest to laugh, especially at ourselves. In my experience, Heartlanders have the best sense of humor of all because they don't take themselves so seriously. The degree to which one takes oneself seriously is a fairly reliable measure of both breeding and intelligence. Thus, Limbaugh insults his own audience when he suggests that they should be offended. The notion that a fake persona's comedy routine is a threat to the American heartland bears a striking resemblance to the sort of literal-mindedness that leads to inquisitions and the Taliban. If you can't take a joke, you could always change the channel. But you'll miss all the fun. Kathleen Parker, winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, is a syndicated columnist for the Washington Post Writer's Group. Email her at [email protected]. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 14, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Apr 14, 2014 at 2:16 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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