This is a poster made in honor of Stephen Colbert, made by artist Shepard Fairey (best known for his Obama “Hope” and “Change” pieces). As many know, Colbert is headed to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. It all started when the U.S. Speedskating team lost its biggest sponsor, and the team asked Colbert if he could step in. So he did – and he asked “The Colbert Nation” to step up with donations to fund the team’s stay in Vancouver, which they did to the tune of $300,000. So… that means the Speedskating team’s official logo is “The Colbert Nation”, and it will be branded on their suits during the games.

Unfortunately for Canadians, all of this goodwill and patriotism has done a number on Colbert’s anti-Canada smack-talk. Time and time again on The Colbert Report, Colbert has hilariously ridiculed Canada as a whole, Canadians in general, and Vancouver in particular. It’s all in good fun, really. But some Canadians are talking Colbert’s “act” seriously.

While “The Colbert Report” is in repeats next week, the comedian will be in Vancouver for the first week of the Olympics. He’ll be there recording a wealth of material for his show (to air beginning Feb. 22), attending events, conducting interviews and doing a kind of half-show from a stage set up outside the Olympic centre.

“We’ll bring snow because I don’t think Vancouver has any,” he said in an interview, taking a swipe at the city’s sometimes watery precipitation.

Many Canadians have been put off by Colbert’s frequent mockery. As a pseudo pundit, Colbert likes to elevate the U.S. above all other countries, making the Olympics – which he calls a combination “talent popularity-contest war” – prime fodder for parodic patriotism.

He has called Canadians “syrup-suckers,” “Saskatche-whiners,” and said Canadian history is a euphemism for a sex act so depraved, he can’t say it on TV.

Colbert still jokes that he’s going to Vancouver to find out “What is Canada? Or more importantly, why is Canada?”

But now that foreign athletes have received more ice time, Colbert says, “I’ve forgiven Canada. . . . I’m there to celebrate Canada at this point.”

As part of an arrangement made with NBC and NBC Universal Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol (who recently appeared on “The Report”), Colbert will be allowed to film inside the Richmond Olympic Oval. In exchange, he will join Bob Costas for commentary Feb. 17 on NBC.

But for all of his satire, it’s clear Colbert has a genuine love of the Olympics.

“It’s a festival,” he says. “What a great, rare honour it’s been to be helpful in any way to these beautiful athletes. I’m really in awe of what they do and I want to be there to support them.”

[From The Canadian Press]

Aw, that’s sweet at the end. What kills me is that the real Colbert sounds like a truly sweet man. It’s just his Colbert persona that is hilariously obscene, ridiculous and insane. Oh, and they mentioned “that depraved sex act”… Colbert really did that, and it’s a killer bit. Here’s more:

Canada’s history is being rewritten — online, at least — in terms so crude, it could make any Canuck blush with a patriotic tinge. On his late-night TV show this week, satirist Stephen Colbert took aim at Canadian magazine the Beaver, which announced last month it was changing its moniker after 90 years because some search engines were weeding it out, believing it was pornography due to its name.

The Winnipeg-based publication is rebranding itself as the less suggestive Canada’s History, starting in April. But what Canadians don’t know, the comedian joked Thursday on The Colbert Report, is in America “Canada’s history” is a euphemism “for a sex act so depraved,” it can’t be described on television.

The unspeakable act, apparently, “involves moose antlers, a jug of maple syrup and the Stanley Cup.”

The comedian then invited his audience — often referenced as the Colbert Nation for their willingness to help with his pranks — to “redefine Canada’s history in the most jaw-dropping terms imaginable,” on urbandictionary.com,a Wikipedia-like webpage that allows users to submit definitions for words and slang.

“Just put everything in there,” said Colbert, who mockingly portrays a conservative pundit on his show. “Putting everything in there, by the way, is the hardest part of performing Canada’s history.”

Thirty-six hours later, there were 521 listed entries — each with increasingly vulgar descriptions that use more Canadian cliches than a Kids in the Hall skit.

In June 2008, when CBC announced it wouldn’t renew the contract for the Hockey Night in Canada theme song, Colbert declared “Bad move, Canada!” saying he would licence the iconic “Dunt-da DUNT-da-dunt” to be played while doing very “American” things.

“I’m going to play it when doing things like punching beavers in the face,” he quipped.

[From The Vancouver Sun]

Colbert is a deranged genius. Jesus, I love him. “Punching beavers in the face” should be made into a t-shirt. TEAM COLBERT.

Fairey poster courtesy of Gawker.