I Am America (And So Can You!)

Perhaps it is the degree to which Stephen Colbert seems to have so completely absorbed himself in the conservative talk-show host he portrays on television that makes his humor so easy to consume. Colbert is utterly believable as a more right-wing version of Bill O’Reilly, and I Am America (And So Can You!) demonstrates how completely he understands his sardonic subjects. The book is a constant blend of the different aspects of the Colbert character, yet America is not simply the real Colbert and his writers recycling old jokes in new packaging. It shares with readers a more complete and in-depth view of the Colbert persona’s ideals. Surprise Gays, Dora the Explorer and the Apoca-Left represent some of the greatest threats to his utopian hope for the country. Colbert is on top of his game when his character is arrogantly infallible, free from the possibility of the idea of doubt, recognizing that he’s been influenced by others yet has left them in the intellectual dust long ago. The book is, quite simply, Colbert at his best.