Liz Foster

Ben Henderson
CAS 137H
13 October 2014
Rhetorical Analysis of Colbert's Satire in Congressional Hearing
For many Americans, immigration reform is a complex, multifarious issue and many are
uniformed of some of its most basic layers. One such case, tragically, is the unspoken labor of
undocumented farm workers. According to Dan Zak from The Washington Post, illegal immigrants
make up 50 to 75 percent of the seasonal agriculture workforce. They lie at the heart of the issue yet
cannot openly share their plight or directly face a House subcommittee with their written testimony-- so
Stephen Colbert did so on their behalf. Through his satirical, TV-famous character, Colbert addressed
the subcommittee during a 2010 hearing on immigration, citizenship, and border control in a 5-minute
speech. Using his unique rhetorical style and his vast experience spending one day as a migrant farm
worker, Colbert talked about his experience working alongside crop workers in the brewing heat and
unforgiving working conditions. The experience derived from the Take Our Jobs campaign, which he
participated in for a TV segment on his show. The campaign, spearheaded by United Farm Workers,
was designed to show the average American what a day as the average migrant worker is like, inviting
them to take on the work other Americans won't and show the undocumented struggles of an
undocumented worker. The TV segment illuminated UFW's message and educated Colbert on the
unspoken struggles of these workers, and likewise, after premiering, educated the American public; the
2010 congressional hearing was a more formal, wide-spread sharing of his experience. Using satire, he
once more drew in a large audience and implored them to listen to the migrant worker's unheard
struggle.
The rhetorical situation at hand, however, was a complicated one. Colbert was directly
addressing a congressional board, but he had to also be mindful of the thousands upon millions civilian

viewers tuning into the broadcast. Knowing that the majority of his audience had not seen the segment
and remained unenlightened of the issue made a dramatic impact when he crafted his testimony.
Colbert also had to take the setting into consideration. The government hearing was a formal affair and
a far cry from his anything-goes Comedy Central show. However, by identifying these elements of the
rhetorical situation at hand, he was able to twist his obstacles into advantages and created an
appropriate, much-needed kairos. By using his satirical character, even in the face of this serious issue
and this far more serious setting, a daring decision even for the witty comedian, he drew mass media
attention and consequently drew the attention of the American public. By then weaving satire
throughout his speech, he convinced the public to stay and listen (while entertaining a senator or two),
and by opting to use lay testimony over complicated statistics, he was able to communicate with even
the most ignorant in his audience. Colbert addressed his complex audience and pleaded the
congressional board and American public alike to consider the often-looked-over toil of undocumented
workers in a way you wouldn't typically see on Capitol Hill. Colbert's trademark use of satire
effectively delivered his testimony, ensured that the message was delivered to the whole of his
audience, and created an appropriate kairos for the situation at hand.
Satire was the key in Colbert's speech and character, and it's a strong rhetorical device that's
been implemented on countless occasions in countless arguments. It's a unique form of rhetoric that can
be hard to implement, but have a startlingly impact when utilized efficiently. According to Jane Ogborn
and Peter Buckryde, scholars that have investigated satire's roots and manifestations, satire focuses on
mocking various aspects of society and current issues in order to convey social or cultural criticism
(The Rhetoric of Satire). It pokes fun at modern-day and timeless dilemmas, pointing out our flaws to
persuade an audience to view things in another light. This is the framework of Stephen Colbert's show
The Colbert Report, and in this case, his utilized character and the pivotal tool of his speech.
Colbert's use of satire was initially significant because his satirical character was able to frame
the situation as he pleased and he was able to draw in his desired audience from the get-go. After all,

it's one thing to address congress during a standard hearing, but how do you simultaneously raise the
attention on an unknowing public to a covert issue? How do you get the average citizen to tune into
political, C-Span humdrum, and more importantly, how do you ensure they stay long enough for the
take-home message? You take a different road from the norm. Colbert knew this and knew satire's
strength as a persuasion tool. While Colbert had some stardom power, Colbert remarking in his
opening, I'm happy to use my celebrity to draw attention to this important, complicated issue, his
eccentric political character is typically reserved for his show and by utilizing it in this rare serious
setting, he was able to grab the buzzing attention of the mass media ten fold. From there, he grabbed
the larger American audience. He was able to ensure he would be heard before he spoke.
True to his character, satire guided Colbert's testimony. Like many of his arguments, Colbert
started his speech by addressing his name and a key part to his patriotic identity: I am an Amerian
citizen. While this built his rapport with the American audience, on top his already-established
reputation, it also played a key role in this specific situation, as Colbert was an American citizen
testifying on behalf of illegal American workers. This is something he loved to play off of with satire
throughout his speech. Many of his satirical arguments persisted with but this is America or as an
American. When he began to lay out the issue at hand, saying that Americans are far too dependent on
migrant workers to pick our fruits and vegetables, he initially argued, the obvious answer is for all of
us to stop eating fruits and vegetables... and, if you look at the recent obesity statistics, you'll see many
Americans have already started. Wry smiles were cracked through the congressional board and no
doubt in front of television sets. Using this groundwork of an obviously ridiculous solution (the satire
poking fun at the American audience while utilizing wild resolutions as a punchline), Colbert
effectively captured his audience. It's only after he's established his satirical character and patriotic
rapport with the public that he dove into his experience, explaining this complicated issue required a
more complicated solution (yet one that's, luckily, more reasonable than abandoning all fruits and
veggies).

Colbert goes on to revisit his experience in the UFW campaign. While he explained the toils,
working conditions, and troubles that he saw in the field, he seasoned his argument with a handful of
basic statistics every viewer across the board could comprehend and digest. His satirical character
shone through every nook of the story too and ensured his experience translated into an entertaining
learning experience for the viewer as well. It's not until after he's laid out his testimony that the
comedian lead into his solution, growing serious toward the end and saying, Now I'm not a fan of the
government doing anything-- but I've got to ask, why isn't the government doing anything?. Once
more using satire to poke fun at Congress's reputation with the public, the witty one-liners he was
prone to fall back on throughout his speech pack a more powerful punch as he drew to a close.
Following this quote, he masterfully laid out his suggested solution, explaining that by giving these
workers visas and rights, it may improve their working conditions and therefore make the market more
appealing to Americans again. Throughout this explanation, he continued to incorporate wry humor and
to point out the simple truth in an elegant yet entertaining manner: this is an issue that needs to be
solved, and it's one the government needs to take on (Colbert tacking on, because I am not going
back). He then drew his testimony to a close by looping back to his political satirical character and
declaring, USA, number one. In this manner, satire successfully guided his speech through his
introduction, explanation, and conclusion, and although satire is associated with humorous situations, it
was used in Colbert's speech to ensure his message on a serious issue was successfully delivered to his
audience.
The necessity of well-implemented and well-planned kairos is clear in this example. Colbert
crafted a kairotic moment to tackle a difficult rhetorical situation. By using his satirical character, he
accomplished drawing attention and informing his intended audience, but more importantly, persuaded
the now-informed public to elicit change from the government. His notoriety put pressure on the
congressional board and through the kairotic moment, where he statistically informed and emotionally
rallied Americans, he drew light on the subject and persuaded the audience to work toward a higher

cause. He made it possible for an unspoken issue to not only be talked about, but changed for the better.
Stephen Colbert's speech was only a 5-minute presentation, but it packed a serious punch. Satire
was his weapon of choice and he expertly wielded the rhetorical tool in a complex rhetorical situation.
By relying on his satirical character, he accomplished what he set out to do: he got a broad audience to
tune in and was able to entertain and inform that audience on this serious issue. Even after taking him
out of his usual Colbert Report setting-- actually, to the benefit of this issue-- Stephen performed his
idolized political character flawlessly. To this day, his segments periodically highlight the silent migrant
worker's ever-evolving struggle. While immigration reform is an issue we still face today, Colbert's
2010 testimony made great strides in informing the mass American public and rallying for change as
only a true satirical figure can.

Works Cited
Colbert, Stephen. "C-SPAN: Stephen Colbert Opening Statement." YouTube. YouTube, 24 Sept. 2010.
Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1T75jBYeCs>.
Ogborn, Jane, and Peter Buckryde. "What Is Satire?" The Rhetoric of Satire. Ohio University, 14 Sept.
2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.ohio.edu/people/jh386909/satire/>.
Zak, Dan. "Stephen Colbert, in GOP Pundit Character, Testifies on Immigration in D.C." Washington
Post. The Washington Post, 25 Sept. 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/09/24/AR2010092402734.html>.