Logical Fallacies in Stephen Colbert's Colbert Report

Introduction: Colbert as Parody of Political Media

Stephen Colbert's Colbert Report is a useful television program to analyze for logical fallacies because it is a deliberate parody of the types of fallacies often used in opinionated news media, specifically Fox News. In the May 16, 2011 episode, Colbert mocks several former contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. His primary methods of attack are hyperbole and ad hominem attacks, interspersed with false causal arguments and false analogies.

Mike Huckabee: Straw Man and Ad Hominem Attacks

What is particularly amusing about Colbert's program is that not only does he deliberately use fallacies, but many of the subjects in his news clips unintentionally use fallacies as well.

Colbert pokes fun at conservative talk show host Mike Huckabee's statement that he will not run for president, beginning with Huckabee's proclamation: "All the factors say go but my heart says no." Huckabee is shown essentially constructing a straw man argument, portraying himself as valiantly resisting vague, unnamed advocates of his campaign so he can spend more time with his family — and his highly lucrative talk show. Colbert dryly suggests this is absurd, given that Huckabee was engaged in decidedly non-Commander-in-Chief-like activities, such as playing with his rock band and interviewing pop celebrities on his television show.

False Causal Arguments and Colbert's Self-Promotion

Colbert's own response constitutes an ad hominem attack: he implies that because Huckabee interviews George Lopez on his show, Huckabee is not a serious contender for the Republican nomination. The argument targets Huckabee's character and associations rather than addressing any substantive policy position.

Colbert then engages in a deliberately false causal argument of his own, claiming, "I made Mike Huckabee — admittedly kind of a rush job." He argues that because he advocated Huckabee's candidacy on his television show, Huckabee was launched to national prominence and briefly became a serious presidential candidate. Of course, before receiving his own Fox News program, Huckabee had a long-standing career in politics — including serving as governor of Arkansas — and his fundamentalist message resonated with a segment of the conservative Republican electorate. Colbert hyperbolically draws a connection between his first mention of Huckabee on the Colbert Report and Huckabee's subsequent popularity, thereby bolstering his own reputation as a political "kingmaker."

Colbert also deliberately draws a false correlation between placement on his official "on notice" list and political irrelevance, as Huckabee fell out of favor in Colbert's estimation. Also featured on the "on notice" list are Jane Fonda and synthetic sugar drink flavor crystals. Because neither Jane Fonda nor flavored sugar crystals have been elected president — and both appear on the list — Colbert concludes that Huckabee will never again be a serious presidential contender. This is a false causal connection that also hyperbolically overstates Colbert's influence in electoral politics.

Conclusion: Satire as a Tool for Recognizing Fallacies

The segment ends with Colbert jokingly going to Congress and attempting to secure funding for his own presidential run, implying by analogy that his joke news show is just about as serious as Donald Trump's Apprentice or Mike Huckabee's news program. However, the analogy is not entirely accurate, given that individuals with media backgrounds have successfully entered politics — from former President Ronald Reagan to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the late Sonny Bono.