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I Am America And So Can Me !, By Stephen Colbert

1219 Words5 Pages

“I am no fan of books. And chances are, if you're reading this, you and I share a healthy skepticism about the printed word. Well, I want you to know that this is the first book I've ever written, and I hope it's the first book you've ever read. Don't make a habit of it.” This week marked my first indulgence of Stephen Colbert’s book I Am America, and So Can You!, and indulge I sure did. Colbert’s writing is driven from exclusively liberalized ideals, but reads like my 65 year old Republican Uncle venting about family vales. The only separation between the two is Colbert’s cunning wit and creative wordplay that spares the intellectual reader from the frustration that can come from putting an ear to arguments from a Conservative point of view. …show more content…

This chapter is essentially written with the purpose of satirizing the lack of respect that the elderly receive, as the wars they have fought and progress they have made is often overlooked in comparison to their current state inaction within society. The chapter on animals, on the other hand, discusses Colbert’s opinion that the most important animals are the ones to be used for farming. While Colbert shares his recommendations for choosing the right pet, he is more focused on what these animals can do for his stomach. As illustrated in the graphic below, Colbert shares a perviously unknown gem of information on just how important the cow can be for American consumption: (36). This picture is a perfect illustration of Colbert’s tone in this chapter; it adds a counterargument within the satire itself. This suggested overvaluing of cows and other sources of farmed meat is a common critique within the scientific community, with specific regard being shown in the instance of compromising other animal resources in favor of the larger steak-bearing beasts, (EFSA Journal 4317). …show more content…

While this is stated satirically, it brings up an aspect of the conversation on war perhaps more people should be having. It is interesting that with near unanimity, U.S. wars within the past 20 years have been on MiddleEastern soil, a geographic region where the majority of people are Muslim. Colbert’s metaphor of pitting these two religious groups against each other in the scheme of war is something we often hear regarding the followers of the Islam religion, but less frequently in reference to

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