from Comedy Central
One of the funniest moments from last night's O'Reilly/Colbert throwdown happened after the two larger-than-life pundits had gone their separate ways, when Colbert revealed to his studio audience that he'd absconded with a souvenir of the experience. From the AP:
It may have been a greater error allowing Colbert into the Fox News headquarters, located near the "Colbert Report" studios in Manhattan. There, Colbert smuggled a microwave out of the green room, a bounty which he proudly displayed at the conclusion of his show.
Hilarious — but how the hell do you sneak out of a studio with a microwave? We wondered, so we asked. And brace yourself, Nation — it was planned.
According to FNC spokeswoman Irena Briganti, Colbert told O'Reilly off-camera of his plan to take the microwave from the Green Room. "We were well aware of it and entirely amused - it was all in good fun," said Briganti in an email earlier today. "We honestly just thought the whole thing was hysterical."
On his show last night, Colbert concluded by noting the importance of the Colbert/Papa Bear union, which he said he wanted to commemorate:
That's why I am placing on my bookshelf tonight this microwave oven that I stole from the O'Reilly Factor green room when I was over there. Honest to God.
Though you technically can't steal something that you've been given the all-clear to take, the Fox Newsies had fun with it this morning, taping off the kitchen area of the green room with yellow police tape. And really, a microwave is a small price to pay for blockbuster content: The Colbert-O'Reilly exchange on The Factor has been the number-one video on FoxNews.com all day, and it was even highlighted this morning on "Fox & Friends," which reportedly showed off the police tape, too.
The real price to pay, however, is Colbert's: Not only did he mislead his flock with an untruth (for God's sake, even Hot Air was taken in!), but more importantly, he now must answer to his Maker for breaking one of His sacred Commandments. While it's true that he technically did not steal, leaving the eighth Commandment unbroken, he still took the Lord's name in vain in swearing by his white lie — in direct contravention of #3 (never mind that his naked adulation of O'Reilly may well have contravened #2). Even with the O'Reilly Advent-calendar tipping the scales in his favor, a few Hail Marys might be in order.
Related:
O'Reilly Factor: Stephen Colbert Enters The No-Spin Zone [Fox News]
