Exclusive Interview with Sharilyn Johnson and Remy Maisel Authors of ‘Bears & Balls: The Colbert Report A-Z’

Writers and self-proclaimed comedy nerds Sharilyn Johnson and Remy Maisel have teamed up to co-author ‘Bears & Balls: The Colbert Report A-Z’, an unofficial fan guide covering the past nine years of ‘The Colbert Report’.

The book serves as the ultimate viewer handbook, combining behind-the-insights and technical details into over two hundred encyclopedic entries, taking fans through some of the most memorable moments from the show, and uncovering some forgotten gems along the way.

Sharilyn Johnson is a veteran comedy journalist and founder of the popular comedy news site Third Beat Magazine which features comedy related news, events, reviews, and interviews. In addition to studying ‘Writing for The Colbert Report’ with Tom Purcell (Writer, Exec Producer) at the People’s Improv Theatre, Sharilyn has attended thirteen ‘Colbert Report’ tapings, and written and performed in her one women show ‘Fake News Fangirl’, ‘the completely true story of one women’s adventures in the world of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert fandom,’ which recently played at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

A current media studies undergraduate at Penn State University, Remy Maisel has extensive experience in the media industry, and aspires to work in the television and film industry in London. During her time as a student at Penn State University, Remy accepted the challenge issued by Stephen Colbert on March 29th, 2012 to college students to start their own collegiate chapter of his SuperPAC: Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow and founded Penn State SuperPAC: Penn Staters For A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow to which she recruited over two hundred students, staff and faculty. Most recently, Remy has co-authored, “Is Satire Saving Our Nation?: Mockery and American Politics” with Penn State professor Sophia A. McClennen, in which they examine the critical potential for satire in America, and how satire exercises a remarkable influence on public opinion and its role in shaping a new verison of US democracy in post-9/11 society.

On April 10th, 2014 CBS announced that Stephen Colbert would replace David Letterman as the host of the “Late Show”. Talk us through the process of researching and writing a book in such a short amount of time.

SJ: Thankfully, we’d been researching it for years. But our initial decisions about scope and format had to be made swiftly. Within the first few days, we knew it would be an encyclopedia-style guide, we listed out all the topics we’d cover, and had a good idea of what the tone would be. Choices were quick, but they had to be executed carefully. We were determined to write a book that we’d be proud of for years to come, regardless of the inhumane schedule.

RM: Yes, watching the show every night for the last several years has been all the preparation we needed. Finally, justification for watching so much TV! It’s research, mom.

You set yourselves an incredible task to accomplish in just a few months. In your view, what makes “The Colbert Report” deserving of a fan guide such as this?

SJ: I suspect we’re preaching to the choir here! Because the show is topical, it does have a sense of being disposable on some level. We liked the idea of commemorating it as a body of work, independent of a timeline.

RM: The cultural significance of The Colbert Report is already well-documented, and, I suspect, will be debated for years to come. But the show deserves more than a few breathless Huffington Post recaps — it deserves something more solid.

Over the past decade, many articles and books have been written about Stephen Colbert and “The Colbert Report”. What do you think Stephen Colbert would make of this book in particular?

SJ: I’m confident “Stephen” would be very offended. We say we’re huge fans, but it took two of us to write the book. Doesn’t that mean we’re each only half as big a fan as we claim to be? And it’s awfully suspect that a Canadian writer like me would team up with an American. Am I trying to take advantage of some future immigration loophole by birthing an anchor book with her? Not to mention that we chose to sell through Amazon prior to them reaching an agreement with Hachette, which surely warrants a spot on the Dead to Me board.

RM: As for the real Stephen, he’s aware of the book, and has been provided with a copy. We hope he’s as pleased with it as we are.

The cover art perfectly encapsulates the show and some of its most recognisable recurring segments. Who designed the cover art, and how did you settle on a final cover design? Was this what you envisioned when you first set out to write the book, or did you have something else in mind?

SJ: There was only one designer I wanted to work on the cover, Kurt Firla. He’s well known in Toronto for designing comedy and theatre posters, including for my solo show, “Fake News Fangirl“. I provided him with a list of ideas and screenshots to base his illustration on, and he turned around that masterpiece. We’re thrilled with it.

Sharilyn, you have been covering comedy for the past 16 years in print and radio, and have spent a large part of that time as a fan of Stephen Colbert. Did you ever see your passion for comedy expanding into writing a book?

SJ: I did, just not this book. I think every journalist has at least one book idea rattling around in their brain, and I’m no exception. None of those ideas were about the Report, though, at least not directly. I may or may not tackle one of those in the future. I pull myself in two directions writing comedy and writing about comedy, and right now I’m ready to throw myself into the former before revisiting the latter.

Sharilyn, as a comedy writer yourself, do you feel that you have learned anything about the process of creating satire — or on writing for Colbert — as you researched the book?

SJ: Most of what I learned about writing in the style of the show came directly from taking Tom Purcell’s Writing for the Colbert Report course back in 2008. It’s one thing to know that this stuff is hard to write, but it’s entirely different to understand why it’s hard. I basically experienced the process, without the pressure of a same-day deadline, and could see right in front of me what was working and what wasn’t. That said, I gravitate towards satire as a viewer, but it’s not usually the type of comedy I write. Plus, the Report’s style is so specific to that show. Writing jokes and writing to a character voice are transferrable skills, but I can’t imagine ever needing to write a piece of satire in a format that mirrors The Wørd or a Threatdown.

Remy, as a writer also, did you feel that writing about satire and comedy has influenced your more analytical and research based style of writing? Did the process of writing this book influence your decision to pursue creative writing at graduate school?

RM: Part of why I’m so interested in television is because I’d like to make it myself one day. So, writing this book, as well as co-writing “Is Satire Saving Our Nation“, is part of my attempt to discover what my own style will be. The Colbert Report will undoubtedly always be one of my greatest influences. The highest compliment I have ever received, for a satirical news article I wrote on the Huffington Post blogs, was that it was “Colbert-esque.” This book is probably not the reason I decided to pursue creative writing at graduate school, but it is one of the reasons I am being granted that opportunity. I’ll just add it to the list of reasons I’m grateful to Stephen Colbert.

Sharilyn, you have been a loyal viewer of “The Colbert Report” since the show premiered in October 2005. What was it like working with Remy who came into the fandom at a much later stage?

SJ: We each brought complementary skills to the table, including our differing reference points. We had a system of assigning “entries” to each other, and we’d swap as necessary. If I claimed a subject but just wasn’t feeling it when it came time to write it up, Remy would trade with me. Likewise, if she ended up with something she wasn’t as familiar with, I’d grab it from her. It worked well.

How did you balance your fangirl enthusiasm with writing a book that can both serve as a text for fans, but can also be used as a more serious reference piece for researchers?

SJ: It’s certainly designed for fans first and foremost. The enthusiasm helped us chug along. If it had been a subject we didn’t care about, it would have been an impossible seven months. We had a specific goal for this book that worked in tandem with, but also overrode, our personal feelings about the show. We want people to sense that we’re passionate about the subject, without overtly fawning.

RM: Sharilyn is an accomplished journalist, and my training thus far has been in nonfiction writing as well. So we both understand how to write about things we love without editorializing. Working together was also a great benefit to us in this regard, because we could tell each other to cut back whenever we had gone on too long about something that we particularly loved. This didn’t really happen as often as I thought it would, but I’m sure the Dressage entry would have been several pages longer without Sharilyn to remind me that not all of the Report’s fans are as horse-crazy as I am.

Sharilyn you live in Toronto, and Remy you split your time between university in Pennsylvania and home in New York, what were the challenges of putting a book together when you were both so far apart from one another? Were there any advantages?

SJ: All hail Google Docs! On top of it all, I spent time in Winnipeg remounting my one-woman show, and Remy was working overseas for most of the summer. I also have a full-time writing job to balance. We didn’t see each other in person throughout the entire process. Didn’t see much sunlight, either.

RM: My other coauthor and I actually live together, so the experience definitely contrasted for me. I’d say, like with most arrangements, there are benefits and disadvantages to every method. But, as Sharilyn said, working remotely made it possible for her to participate in the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, and for me to work in London, even though our schedule was tight. It worked out.

Obviously after nine years on the air, so much has happened on and been said and written about “The Colbert Report”. How did you decide what to include, and what to leave out? How did you determine what fans might find interesting, useful and note worthy enough to include?

SJ: The hardest part was knowing where to stop. We also didn’t want to “kitchen sink” the thing with details that nobody would find useful. Nobody needs to know what “SOT” means in a script. That said, we do have a penchant for obscure facts.

RM: We began this project without a clear idea of what it was, but with definite agreement about what it was not. This was not going to be a biography of Stephen Colbert. It would not include his personal life or any out-of-character details that were not directly relevant to the show. As both of us have a lot of knowledge, collectively, about how comedy and television is made, we did our best to provide information the average viewer wouldn’t know without getting too bogged down in the nuts and bolts. We relied on each other to weigh in when we weren’t sure if some obscure detail should stay or go.

Having both attended multiple live tapings of “The Colbert Report”, you no doubt have met and mingle with fans from all walks of life. From foreigners to first timers, and those who were there with friends, but had never actually seen the show before. Did hearing any of their comments and observations about the show help in the writing process? Did it help give you a sense of what other fans might be looking for in a fan guide?

SJ: After 13 tapings, I think I have a good understanding of what I’d call the “average active fan.” But there are always people who ask uninformed questions during the Q&A, and there are always megafans who’ve broken the bank to finally make their first pilgrimage to the studio. Eavesdropping in the holding room is a double-edged sword. It’s usually just an hour of me silently raging as I resist the urge to butt into a stranger’s conversation with “uhm, actually….” Really wish I was kidding.

RM: There certainly is a range. A lot of the conversations I heard were people speculating about or asking each other about certain props, or clips from the Best Of DVD they play in the holding room. I imagine our book solves the debates for, as Sharilyn calls them, the “average active fan.”

After reading this book, what do you hope the readers will come away with?

RM: We hope each reader will have three impressions as they read the book: “Wow, I didn’t know that,” “I completely forgot about that,” and “I’m so glad that’s in here!”

For those less familiar with the show, how did you approach writing about segments that were more physical than verbal in nature?

SJ: Describing a single joke is rarely worthwhile, whether it’s verbal or physical. The goal was to tell the story of each segment, and there are many ways to tell a story. Sometimes that means quoting a joke directly, sometimes that means describing something like wardrobe or a prop, sometimes it’s a bit more technical. We made a point of not being tied to a specific length based on a segment’s popularity or longevity, so we could keep an entry short and describe it in broader terms if that’s what served it best.

RM: We described those segments enough that people would understand the joke, and we relied on specific examples to explain how the segment worked. And we included an entry-by-entry viewing guide with links to every clip we cite, so that people can go ahead and watch them.

Was there anything you wanted to know about “The Colbert Report” but were unable to find out? Was there anything that surprised you while writing the book?

RM: It would have been very hard to surprise either of us. I think our biggest challenge was working around videos that had been removed, and trying to track down clips based on vague memories of a line or prop. Between us, though, we were able to track down all the information we wanted.

Every Report fan has their favourite moment(s) from the show. Take us through some of your favourite moments from the past nine years. Did you find that your favourite moments changed at all while writing the book? Did you get a greater or even lesser appreciation for some segments or guest interviews?

SJ: There were a lot of things I’d forgotten about completely, and segments that I have a different perspective on now. Guitarmageddon was epic at the time, but it feels almost quaint compared to things they’ve pulled off since. I’m even more impressed with the Iraq shows now, and same with all the WGA strike episodes. Overall faves? I loved the Steve ColberT Gorillaz interview. Every edition of Cheating Death. His response to #CancelColbert was breathtakingly brilliant. Wheat Thins. Every Jon Stewart cameo. Super PAC of course. And I’m of course a sucker for character breaks: Muffman, Munchma, Walgreens, lutefisk… and I was honored to be in the audience for the “alfredo-based life forms” and Vapshot breaks.

RM: If you have a favorite clip, I do not recommend watching it 11 times in a row so you can write about it in detail. That said, it was enjoyable to be reminded of things I’d enjoyed and forgotten about, and if we’re both a little sick of Stephen, at least we won’t be as sad on December 18th. And my love for The Wørd and all of the clips related to dressage being the Sport of the Summer lives on.

You talk about the Colboards and other iterations of the fandom in the book. In your opinion, what makes Colbert fans unique among other fandoms?

SJ: I think it’s unusual for an entire fanbase to have essentially the same sense of humor and the same ideologies. That’s an expansive foundation to build relationships on. So we might be a bit more homogenous than some other television fandoms. That said, our reasons for liking Stephen can differ widely. Some of us are fans as the result of being comedy nerds, others are enamored with his point of view, and others are enamored with him in a whole other way. You know who you are.

What do you think it is about “The Colbert Report” and more specifically Stephen Colbert (the man) that has led to such passionate and dedicated fans? Do you think Stephen realises what an impact he has had with people on a personal level? Do you think this is something that will continue when he moves to the “Late Show”?

SJ: I’m sure he knows on some level, but in my own experience doing creative work, I know it doesn’t help to think too much about how people are consuming it. We all take something different from him, and while I’m sure he’d be pleased with every story, he’d probably take the most pride in the impact that aligns with his intent — which is comedy. He’s made how many millions of people laugh? I suspect that’s what would matter most to him, both in the creative achievement and in the knowledge that he’s given so many people so much pleasure.

RM: I hope he does. I think Stephen Colbert’s appeal is in his obvious joy in his work. That transcends networks.

Are you looking forward to the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert”? What do you hope “The Colbert Report” writers bring over to the “Late Show”, and what do you hope they change?

SJ: My wishlist is an easy one: I just want the sense of fun and silliness to remain. I think we’ll see recurring bits that are very much in the spirit of Cheating Death.

RM: I trust Colbert implicitly. I can’t wait to see what the Late Show becomes.

Both Stephen and many of his writers come from an improv background. How do you think this has impacted up the construction of Stephen Colbert the character, and the show as a whole?

SJ: I think an entire book could be written just on that. Don’t go giving us any ideas. The most obvious uses of improv are in his guest interviews, and in the existence of big “games” like the Super PAC and Green Screen Challenge. Improvisation is a great way to develop premises, and we’ve heard before that the writers’ process is to pair up and improvise as the character while they write. They aren’t heavily chained to the character bible, and I think that’s the direct result of Stephen’s flexibility. He respects the character he’s constructed, but he’s also willing to deviate slightly from what he’s said or felt in the past.

How do you see their improv skills translating to a more mainstream network talk show? Do you think they will use these skills to create something completely different, or could it be their short coming?

SJ: Improv skills are never a shortcoming. They’re all funny people. Their currency is, and will remain, jokes. If Stephen has a standard late night monologue, he may want to bring on a few writers specifically to handle that, which is what some other shows do. But sketch premises are often born out of improv. There are tons of great improvisers on other late night writing staffs. Standup and improv aren’t entirely different beasts in the context of a writers’ room.

RM: Interviews are essentially all improvisations, and those are a staple of network talk shows. I’m sure any new writers with different backgrounds will complement the skills of the writers with improv backgrounds.

The last ever episode of “The Colbert Report” will air on 18th December, 2014. After having spent the last few months writing the book and revisiting the show from the beginning, how would you personally like to see the show end?

SJ: I’m rarely critical of the show, but the ship has sailed on what I wanted to see. They could have made a big months-long game out of this in many different ways, but those options were eliminated when he made his “announcement” on The Daily Show. And it was followed up with virtually nothing. It’s also odd to me that his character is up and quitting without his ego playing into it at all. He isn’t demanding more recognition for “winning television,” or suggesting that people should beg him to stay. It’s a complete departure from how his character normally behaves, and I don’t understand that choice. But I’m certainly not dwelling on it, and am genuinely looking forward to seeing how they wrap things up. Ultimately I just don’t want the finale to feel melancholy. I want it to be big, and happy, and joyful, just like the last nine years have been.

RM: To quote Shakespeare’s famous stage direction: Exit, pursued by a bear.

What do you think the lasting legacy of “The Colbert Report” will be?

SJ: Time will tell. On some level, wouldn’t it be wonderful if he mastered The Late Show to the point where the Report becomes just a footnote?

RM: Political Science students will see it cited under campaign finance law for decades, and a whole generation of new comedy writers will be influenced by it. But I’m sure it will be just one entry in a long list of Stephen Colbert’s successes.