Texas Town Responds After Colbert Calls It An "Incorporated Outhouse"

CANTON, Texas — Stephen Colbert's one-man campaign against towns named Canton has its latest target firing back. A city councilman in Canton, Texas, joked that he would "mash his nose" after the comedian referred to the town as an "incorporated outhouse."

"What does that sucker know about it? He's never been here anyway," Councilman John Fuller said in a story Friday in the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

In an ongoing gag on his Comedy Central show "The Colbert Report," Colbert has been taking pot shots at various towns named Canton. It began when he referred to a Georgia town as "the crappy Canton."

Colbert then referred to Canton, Kan., with an unprintable epithet, and referred to Canton, S.D., as "North Dakota's dirty ashtray."

Cantons in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Ohio have so far escaped Colbert's ire.

Leaders of the Texas town of Canton, which has a population of about 5,100, invited Colbert to the town's monthly flea market _ which, according to a city Web site, harkens back to Texas' frontier traditions, "when it was common to trade a rifle for a good hunting dog."

"Canton is known worldwide," City Manager Andy McCuistion said of the town, located about 55 miles southeast of Dallas. "You can go anywhere in the world, and people will say, `Canton? Yeah, I know where that is. It's where that big flea market is.'"

Comments

[bmermaid]

I'm from South Dakota, I've been to Canton SD, and I'm afraid Colbert hit the nail right on the head.

[nikto]

Oh, by the way, TEXAS BBQ IS WAY WAY OVERRATED.

UPSTATE NEW YORK-STYLE BBQ beats Texas' like a dusty rug.

And that is a FACT.

NY State BBQ>>>>Texas bbq

[rip36]

That is a blanket statement. Give me names of the places.

[70sFez]

Was the pun intended?

[peorgietirebiter]

try goode co. in houston, county line just outside of austin and the original sonny bryan's in dallas... it's not southern, more beef than pork and sweet as opposed to vinegary ...
bbq is like pizza - allegiances start early and last... by the way nikto... the collective intelligence of new york is way over-rated.

[Dedalus2k]

Ironworks in Austin is fantastic. In an old ironworks building. Hangs over the water. The wooden floors are so old it looks like you could go right through them. Staff is blunt and a little surly. Best BBQ I've ever had.

[foxbat]

If there's more than one place that serves it, like a chain, then it's probably not great BBQ no matter what state you are in. Not that NY BBQ isn't good, as is St. Louis. Memphis, and others, but Texas BBQ is the best, but you have to get it from a place where you are scared to look at the kitchen :-).

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

LOL!!

[nikto]

CANTon?

America CAN!!

There is no CAN'T in Amurka!!

[richardwb]

Murka number one!
Murka number one!

[MiddleRoadLiberal]

And the rest of the world is Number Two.

[TurgidCaterwauling]

Whichever Canton one may live in, the publicity is priceless. Rejoice!

[dallashailee]

I hate driving thru Canton. It's not an outhouse...it's a speedtrap.

[WisePiper]

What small town in Texas is NOT a speedtrap?

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Good to know....even though i will probably never visit texas.

[ObamaLover]

no class, less humor.

[Hirnlego]

"mash his nose"
Did he actually take it seriously?

[MetalCanuck]

No

[Hirnlego]

Re-reading the text makes it obvious.. *rolls eyes*

[loax]

Colbert will have a field day with the flea market!

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

I sooo agree. If he is as clever as he has been in the past few weeks....... that councilman just gave him A LOT of ammo.........I didn't even intend that.

[MrT3]

yeah if that world is texas...lol...what is wrong with people??

[teller]

Damn, people. I thought Canton, Texas' response was very much in the spirit of Colbert's satire. It sounded pretty good humored to me. The comment about "mashing the nose in" was offset by the invitation to come visit. And the "Canton is known worldwide" is typical tongue in cheek Texas bragg, which is considered a Texas folkart and it not meant to be taken literally. Gee...

[jesthefaxman]

shhh

you're messing with the "who dun't git it" contest

keep that up and we won't give you the password

[ArmyCentrist]

Stephen Colbert (God, he even has me pronouncing his name in the faux-pretentious manner!) is incredibly random, and I love it! It's like watching Bill O'Reilly, only you know he's not really filled with all that hate...

[realityczech4u]

Stephen Colbert (God, he even has me pronouncing his name in the faux-pretentious manner!)

------------------------------
Does Jonathan Stuart Liebowitz have you calling him by his faux-WASP name?

[kellygrrrl]

I think Barbara Bush may have said the same thing about a great many towns, as well

[kellygrrrl]

every single time anyone from Canton, AnyState, comments on this
they just feed Colbert even more.

Brilliant!

[indypete]

I think the Canton residents nationwide are starting to get the joke. I used to live about a half mile from Canton Mass and can't wait to catch what he does to it.

[neoconsareliars]

Colbert meant Texas is one big outhouse for the GOP.

[truthynesslover]

I thought the whole of texas was an outhouse.Whats the joke?

[jimdog1954]

The "outhouse" is the nice part. Texas is the sh*t-hole.