Stephen Colbert vs The Hungarian Government 554
jefu writes "The Hungarian government is sponsoring an internet vote to name a new bridge. So far naming the bridge after acter Chuck Norris has been the most popular. However, last night Stephen Colbert (of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report") suggested that viewers vote to name the bridge after him. Remembering the effect that a Colbert segment had had on Wikipedia, I visited the voting page (in Hungarian when it works) soon after that and it was completely non-responsive. This morning (8:00 Thursday Pacific time) it is showing a "Horrible exception" and a Jetspeed/tomcat stack trace. " I believe Colbert's straight-talking sensibilities have earned him far more than just a bridge in whatever continent Hungaria is in.
Instead I think we should consider renaming one of our lesser used states as an honor more appropriate to his grippy contributions to America. We're not doing anything with Colorado these days anyway, but imagine the appeal of a new and improved state with a virile name like Colberado. Book your tickets today!
Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Funny)
Donald Rumsfeld briefed the President this morning. He told Bush that 3
Brazilian soldiers were killed in Iraq.
To everyone's amazement, all the color drained from Bush's face then he
collapsed onto his desk, head in hands, visibly shaken, almost in tears.
Finally, he composed himself and asked Rumsfeld, "Just exactly how many
is a brazilian?"
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Funny)
Let this thread Finnish, please!
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Funny)
No, you guys need some Polish.
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Funny)
Norway man, its fun!
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Funny)
Once I was Hungary, so Iran. I put the Turkey in the Greece and then laid it on the China, with some Chile.
Then I tripped on Iraq and the whole thing was just a big mess.
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:2)
Well they are a country that is civilized enough to include the name of the national wine (Tokaji Aszu) in thier national anthem.
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Informative)
Well, not exactly. The lines [note: ö will stand in here for a long ö, which doesn't seem to be showing up in preview] Tokaj szölövesszein / Nektárt csepegtettél ("you dripped nectar on the grapevines of Tokaj") do appear in the third stanza of the full Himnusz (not that anyone, ever, sings the whole thing). Tokaj is a wine-growing region, justly famous for the wines that are internationally known under the Tokay name (including the sweet dessert wine type called aszú, made with a proportion of moldy grapes
Kiscica
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:4, Informative)
(including the sweet dessert wine type called aszú, made with a proportion of moldy grapes :-)
For those of you who were wondering about the mold: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_rot [wikipedia.org]
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Funny)
I suggest we amend the Anthemn to include Attitude of Kick-ass, and a Ca-aaaan o' Whoo-ooooop Aaa-ass.
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:4, Insightful)
I say this as a Hungarian (magyar) who was born and lived in United States, but moved to Hungary for good.
Yes... I live a few kilometers from the said bridge.
But if the slashdoters wish to vote for a worthy name for the said bridge why not try this:
http://www.m0hid.gov.hu/ [m0hid.gov.hu]
The second or third menu on the left will give you a long list of radio buttons.
(try them all, until you see the long list)
Forget Chuck Norris. Why not vote for something from our history:
Vajk-Istvan Hid (my recomendation)
Vajk/Istvan was our first catholic king of Magyarorszag - 1006 years ago.
Vajk was his pagen name, Istvan his christian name,
he gave up the first and assumed the second.
The bridge is realy two bridges because it is so long.. so the name is fitting.
If the slashdotters feel up to it, lets push this bridge name up the list.
Give it a try (when the server is responding again - 1-3 days)
Ja..and did you know that Hungary is a nation wealthy in foodstuff.
Throughout history there has never been an extended period of hunger.
There was always plenty of food, and the weather was kind too.
Plus it was THE wealthiest nation in Europe several times in history.
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Insightful)
It is a sad state of affairs when the technical people of the most powerful and mega-nuclear-trigger happy country on Earth cannot tell the difference between "Hungry" and "Hungary" and haven't a clue to where it is.
It is a sad state of affairs when the expatriate Americans living in the the world's most underfed nation can't tell the difference between a joke and reality.The Hungarian Food Supply (Score:5, Interesting)
Ja..and did you know that Hungary is a nation wealthy in foodstuff. Throughout history there has never been an extended period of hunger. There was always plenty of food, and the weather was kind too.
Well, there was that period in the 1200s after the Mongols tore through Hungary and killed off something like a third of the population. Starvation was pretty common because the peasants were either dead or hiding in the woods, so no food was being produced. That, however, is pretty much ancient history.
That said, Hungary is quite a productive agricultural country. I spent six weeks there one summer traveling around, seeing the sights (and practicing my rudimentary Hungarian), and I fondly remember the good food. The juicy, sweet peaches left a lasting impression on me, and I sure would like to go back to Eger for the great wine. Once on a train, a few elderly women shared their pogacsa (little bread roll type thingies) with me, and I absolutely loved them.
In my opinion, Hungarian wine is quite underrated.
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Why stop at a bridge? (Score:5, Funny)
If Hungary attacks Albania from the rear will Greece help?
Acter? (Score:4, Funny)
---
Q: Why do mountain climbers rope themselves together?
A: To prevent the sensible ones from going home.
Re:Acter? (Score:2)
Re:moren? (Score:5, Funny)
Audio pronunciation of "whoosh" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hwsh, wsh, hwsh, wsh) also woosh (wsh, wsh)
n.
1. A sibilant sound: the whoosh of the high-speed elevator.
2. A swift movement or flow; a rush or spurt.
3. The sound of a joke going right over your head
Re:moren? (Score:2)
Owned
v. owned, 0wned, pwned, 0wn3d, pwn3d, own3d.
v. tr.
To be made a fool of; To make a fool of; To confound or prove wrong; embarrasing someone: Being embarrased.
examples: I owned you in counter-strike. You were owned at the party yesterday.
Nice one.
Name places after talk show hosts? Why not! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Name places after talk show hosts? Why not! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Name places after talk show hosts? Why not! (Score:5, Funny)
Funny you should mention that. During the mid-90s, my father and I trained our dog to poop at the command "Gingrich!". Our neighbors musta thought we were some crazy neocons running around chanting, "Gingrich, Gingrich, Gingrich! ...Good dog!!!"
changes on top list (Score:3, Informative)
Re:changes on top list (Score:3, Funny)
May I also submit Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-d i gger-dingle-dangle- dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple- banger-horowitz- ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-gr umblemeyer- spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gute nabend-bitte-ein- nurnburger-bratwustle-gernspurten-mitz-weimache-lu ber-hundsfut- gumberaber-shonedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von
Re:changes on top list (Score:5, Informative)
Zenebutik-Zenehid -> Music boutique - Music bridge (I've never heard zenebutik stuck together like that, so it may mean something other than the literal translation)
Chuck Norris Hid -> Chuck Norris Bridge. Hid means bridge, I'm not going to keep translating that word.
Zrinyi Hid -> Zrinyi is a famous historical Hungarian family (http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/Z/Zrinyi.asp)
Vásárhelyi Boldizsár -> Not sure on this one. Vásárhelyi is an adjective that means "shopping place", so that's weird, and I don't know what Boldizsár means.
Bethlen Gábor -> Another hero of another failed rebellion. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Bethlen) Hungarian history is very sad for the last couple of hundred years, if you haven't gathered that.
Batthyány Lajos -> Hero of the failed uprising of the Hungarians against the Austro-Hungarian empire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lajos_Batthy%C3%A1n
Szent Korona -> Holy Crown
Bocskai István -> Transylvanian Prince (that was part of Hungary) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Bocskay [wikipedia.org]
Hunyadi Mátyás -> Popular Hungarian king (http://www.iearn.hu/balkans/bpeople/matyas.htm)
Szent István -> Saint Steven (don't ask me how Istvan translates into Steven, let alone how the nickname for Istvan is Pisti, kind of richard and dick, but even more off). He was the first Christian king of Hungary, also known as "Istvan a Kiraly" (Stephen the King)
Re:changes on top list (Score:5, Informative)
Zenebutik-Zenehíd 260730 [13%] - Music shop - Music bridge (from some hungarian 20y old music programme)
Chuck Norris - híd 158656 [8%]
Zrínyi híd 156978 [8%] - named after Zrínyi, historical figure
Vásárhelyi Boldizsár - híd 155314 [8%] - historical figure
Bethlen Gábor - híd 152720 [8%] - historical figure
Batthyány Lajos híd 122877 [6%] - historical figure
Szent Korona - híd 122325 [6%] - Saint Crown bridge
Bocskai István - híd 121137 [6%] - historical figure
Hunyadi Mátyás - híd 120784 [6%] - historical figure
Szent István - híd 119985 [6%]- Saint Stephen, 1st king of Hungary
Híd = bridge
Btw, the bridge is part of the M0 beltway that goes 'round Budapest. It is supposed to be built "any year now" for the last twenty...
Righteous Indignation! (Score:5, Funny)
Tip of the hat to Lloyd Bentson for his single meaningful - and truly eternal - contribution to political discourse.
Re:changes on top list (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uNE_kb_eGA [youtube.com] background for the next clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmHm0rGns4I [youtube.com]
The clip in question
You need to remember that Colbert is satire of the 'right wing' politics in the US and was making a point about 'facts' being decided by majority...
Re:changes on top list (Score:3, Interesting)
It suprises me that The Daly Show and The Colbert Report can find guests anymore, you would think the popularity of these shows would "spoil the joke" at some point.
Re:changes on top list (Score:5, Insightful)
Of course, the segment pieces are designed to take people's words out of context and make them look stupid - I am prety sure that Stewart himself has said he can't believe people still take interviews with them.
Colbert's most amazing piece of work is that he got Congressmen and women to do interviews and those are sometimes very ridiculous. I can't imagine he will get to finish his 'better know a distric' segment.
Re:changes on top list (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:changes on top list (Score:5, Interesting)
anyone have a dictionary (Score:2, Funny)
Hungaria? (Score:4, Funny)
Check your facts! (Score:4, Funny)
And the country is in Eastern Europe.
Though, given the average American these days, we should feel luck he didn't think it was in the US.
Besides, Chuck Norris doesn't need a bridge. Chuck Norris walks to the river and the water gets out of his way. Sorry.
Re:Check your facts! (Score:5, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Check your facts! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Check your facts! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Check your facts! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Check your facts! (Score:4, Funny)
Slashdot effect? (Score:5, Funny)
There goes the Hungarian electric grid.
Enough with the food already! (Score:3, Funny)
I'm already starving just from reading the name "Hungary" over and over. Mmmmm fried by Colbert. mmmmm.
Re:Slashdot effect? (Score:2)
Yeah but I heard (Score:5, Funny)
Poor Hungary... (Score:2)
Colorado? (Score:2, Informative)
(here goes my karma down the tube)
Re:Colorado? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Colorado? (Score:2)
Re:Colorado? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Colorado? (Score:5, Funny)
New slashdot slogan (Score:4, Funny)
Re:New slashdot slogan (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, Stewart seems to be less prepared and more improvisionational on his show. Overdone is not the word I would use to describe it. I find him and Colbert entertaining - even so the words "politically slanted," and "obnoxiously sarcastic" may be a more apt way to negatively characterize the show. Stewart is under no illusion that his show actually counts as news, anyhow, so he has no real obligation to be either polite or objective.
Letterman and Leno give you the blunted, sanitized, and politically neutral jokes that Stewart tosses into the trash, and their sole purpose is to comfort you with harmless banter after the slew of bad news you just received at 11 o'clock and a hard day at work.
Re:New slashdot slogan (Score:3, Insightful)
I like Colbert's humor a bit better than Jon's, but Stewart really gives some fascinating interviews (best in the business) when it isn't some actor or hollywood person. OTOH, Leno/Letterman's interviews never have much
Re:New slashdot slogan (Score:3, Interesting)
Quite the contrary. The Daily Show and Colbert Report are the two most real news programs out there. They will talk about things most "conventional" (read - afraid of their sponsers) news shows would never go near, and call people out on things that should be called out... Fox News should be renamed "Conservative Propoganda"
"If you want talk about overdone shows, lets talk about reality tv, hospital drama, and crime investigation shows."
Amen bro
South DaColberta (Score:5, Funny)
Cobert to drivethrough speakerphone: Hi, I'd like a fifth of Tequilla and a box of
Nah, rename Oregon (Score:2)
It would be much more appropriate to rename Idaho's Portugal, a.k.a. California's Canada, a.k.a. Washington's Mexico, a.k.a. Oregon.
Stevegon? Orebert? Stevegonebert?
CmdrTaco Brigde (Score:2)
What happened to marketing? (Score:2)
And I'm still looking for a cool named all-you-can-eat chain to rename D.C.
Re:What happened to marketing? (Score:4, Funny)
This could be the next /. poll! (Score:5, Insightful)
-The Chuck Norris Bridge
-The Steven Colbert Bridge
-Geza Hofi's Bridge (an actual Hungarian)
-King Steve's Kickass Bridge
-The Bridge of Death [wikipedia.org]
-CmdrTaco's Bridge
Typo! (Score:2)
Colorado's just fine... (Score:2)
It's Oregon that needs the help. As it is now, we can't decide if it's California's Canada, Washington's Mexico, or Idaho's Portugal. (I always thought it was the North Pacific's Ecuador, but I'm a liberal. What do I know?)
Change it to Colbertegon, and you've got a destination! It's not anybody's anything! Of course, we'd have to move the capital to Colbervallis...
Waste of a Bridge (Score:5, Funny)
MOD PARENT UP (Score:2)
Re:Waste of a Bridge (Score:2)
Self Fullfilling Prophecy... (Score:2)
We are sort of taking the Colbert Report and one-upping them.
Good old straight-talking Colbert! (Score:5, Funny)
New word: "Colberted" (Score:2)
"Yes, one day my public site was discussing Hungarian Bridges, but then these monkeys flew out of the sky and started posting. Now we're discussing Icelandic ducks and Chinese lay-midwifery. Ouch! I think I just got Colberted".
Not to be confused with "Colbertism [wikipedia.org], a 16th Century French practice of mercantilist protectionism.
Spontaneous joke (Score:3, Informative)
Didn't they use to only name stuff... (Score:2)
Instructions on how to vote for Stephen (Score:5, Informative)
To accomplish your task:
To vote, go here- http://www.m0hid.gov.hu/szavaz [m0hid.gov.hu]
UPDATE!!! Walk-through of the voting process:
The site is still only partially accessible due to the overload in traffic I imagine (lots of "Cannot Find Server" errors). But I did submit the nomination and at least one of the members of the Colbert Nation got through enough to get him on the ballot. On the form for justification for the nomination, I submitted "Lép Colbert van a áthidal között Magyarország és Amerika" Which means (according to Translation-guide.com): "Stephen Colbert is the bridge between Hungary and America". (Actually, what I'm pretty sure has happened is that the internet translation tool has mangled the translation and it says something like "Stephen Colbert has complete apple frog feet for the Mopping of Americans" or something.)
So vote early, and vote often.
The Top Nominees: (as of 8/10/2006 11:15 AM CST) http://www.m0hid.gov.hu/toplista [m0hid.gov.hu]
Toplista
Az indoklás megtekintéséhez kattintson a névre!
Zenebutik-Zenehíd 260730 [13%]
Chuck Norris - híd 156741 [8%]
Zrínyi híd 156415 [8%]
Vásárhelyi Boldizsár - híd 155314 [8%]
Bethlen Gábor - híd 152669 [8%]
Batthyány Lajos híd 122824 [6%]
Szent Korona - híd 122266 [6%]
Bocskai István - híd 121083 [6%]
Hunyadi Mátyás - híd 120734 [6%]
Szent István - híd 119933 [6%]
Some Other Nominees: (as of 8/10/2006 12:15 PM CST)
Stephen Colbert - 168
Jack Sparrow - 37
Monty Python - 25
Bruce Lee - 29
Skywalker - 21
Jackie Chan - 20
Steven Colbert - 12
Abe Vigoda - 3
Gene Simmons - 3
Sponge Bob- 1
CmdrTaco needs to follow suit! (Score:3, Funny)
Rename the Earth! (Score:3, Funny)
While your proposal to upgrade the name of one the lesser American states, which is to say one of the states which does not produce oil, is certainly sound, in fact our entire American solar system could use an image upgrade [traipse.com].
I know I am not alone in my preference for a more masculine and aggressive stance regarding naming conventions, and I call on every American to support this fine idea.
Stephen being of French origins ... (Score:3, Insightful)
Renaming a State for Colbert (Score:5, Funny)
I suggest renaming one of the flat middle states that no one ever goes to.
Iowa (where I live) is out, because at least we grow corn and cows here, so it's good for something.
I would recommend Kansas, but at least they grow wheat, and we all like bread, right?
North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska are all good candidates. In fact, why not just lump them all together into one big, flat, useless state and rename it 'Colbert'? I'll bet we could get elementary schoolkids to promote this idea because, hey, two less state capitols to learn, right? We could name the new capitol 'Steve' so it would be easy to remember.
And we could go back to that keen 48-star flag we used to have, too.
Its a Virus! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Where's Hungaria? (Score:2, Funny)
(the joke only works if you follow the link... sorry)
Re:Where's Magyarország? (Score:5, Informative)
So heck... We can keep calling Hungary or Germany or Burma anything we want because they call themselves something else.
Re:Where's Magyarország? (Score:4, Informative)
Asia Minor is essentially Turkey, so you are only off by a few thousand miles.
Re:Hungaria? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Hungaria? (Score:3, Funny)
I keed, I keed! (But not really.
Re:The Report is NOT Colbert's best work! (Score:2)
Re:Hello, mod abuse? (Score:3, Informative)
You were either trolling, making a very unfunny joke, or an idiot. I think troll is the most respectable of those.
Re:Hello, mod abuse? (Score:3, Insightful)
This joke is directed at Americans, or at least a portion of them. Colbert's routine is to ironically typify the role of the stereotypical neocon talking head "news" commentator. Saying "Hungaria" like that with disdain is meant to parody when other people do the same type of
Re:News for Nerds? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Damn Yankee (Score:5, Interesting)
1) You mistake a joke for a real opinion.
2)You make a VERY prejudiced remark about ALL american citizens
3) You make an off-topic general insult about our TV (and I feel really sorry for you if you think that TV in anyway that matters?????)
4) You think that thoughtless attitude is a reason why people want to bomb us.
5) You think that americans actualy wonder why people want to bomb us.
Here, let me remove your head from that giant hole in your body:
1. Colbert is a sarcastic show, and the comments about him being straight-talking are supposed to be a joke.,
2. Americans are a varied lot, and any comment that starts off with "Americans think.." is almost certainly indicative of a foolish speaker, not americans.
3. Television, like most art forms, varies by culture, and by defition, deciding which is 'better' is pretty much impossible. At the very least one would need a nuetral third party to judge which is better (if you were moronic enough to care about such a thing), you CERTAINLY can not expect culture A to reasonably judge their own TV better than culture B in a fair manner
4. I am SURE that whatever reason people want to bomb the US, it is for far better reasons than the simple ones you put forth.
5. As an American, I can safely say that I have never wondered why people want to bomb us, I know people are varied and have different reasons, but frankly, I usually have better things to do than wonder about such foolish things. Many of them want revenge because an american soldier killed one of their friends/relatives (usually, but not all the time, in attempt to get them to stop killing innocent 3rd parties). Others are simply frustrated and angry that we don't do what they want us to do and are generally succesfull at what we do do. Finally, others are simply responding to religious and political leaders that need an enemey around which they can rally people to their cause.
Re:Colbert isn't funny (Score:3, Insightful)
You're an ass but I don't think you're funny. Don't feel bad though. He's an extraordinary ass.