O’Reilly vs. Colbert: More fizzle than sizzle

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On his own show, O'Reilly spent a considerable amount of time kidding around as well, focusing on the pronunciation of Colbert's last name (which is pronounced "coal-bear"). He even joked, presumably, that O'Reilly had "talked to your third-grade teacher" about the subject. "Who are you? Are you Coal-bert or Coal-bear?" O'Reilly yelled, barely containing his amusement beneath his faux outrage.

O'Reilly resumed being O'Reilly in the next segment, when he asked his panelists, "Why do you think the press loves them?" Those eight words are indicative of what O'Reilly does so well that Colbert mocks so well.

First, O'Reilly suddenly lumped "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" together, even though they're distinct, different programs. (There are elements of satire in "The Daily Show," but Stewart always plays it straight, while Colbert's entire show is an often exhausting satirical act.) Second, O'Reilly made a point by simply asking a question; he suggested that it is only the demonic, liberal media who likes Colbert, even if that notion of a hive-minded "press" is a built out of straw.

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Ironically, Colbert's interview was the slightly more issue-oriented one, as he asked questions about political issues that allowed O'Reilly to respond with real, if brief, answers. "What is the culture war, and why's it so important?" Colbert asked. "The culture war is between secular progressives like yourself..." O'Reilly began, but Colbert interrupted, "I'm not a secular progressive." O'Reilly threw back, "You're not?"

‘I'm not a tough guy’
That was the most substantive exchange they had on either show. O'Reilly was clearly addressing Colbert the actor and comedian with that response, but Colbert broke character only once, during a moment when O'Reilly broke character, too.

"I'm not a tough guy. This is all an act. I'm sensitive," the FOX News host said on Comedy Central.

"If you're an act, than what am I?" Colbert replied.

That fascinating, quasi-philosophical question was the closest either interview came to approaching a discussion about the relationship between the two men. Does Colbert believe what he satirizes, or is O'Reilly just an easy, convenient target to help him draw a sympathetic audience? Is O'Reilly actually outraged, or just using convenient targets to help him draw a sympathetic audience?

Of course the interview concluded right after Colbert asked that question, and it was never answered. That's unfortunate, as it would have been even more interesting than watching the two discuss actual issues, which, of course, they avoided.

These appearances, it seemed, were not designed for the two men to engage each other, but instead to play off of one another. That was entertaining, but rather familiar. Both Bill O'Reilly and Stephen Colbert demonstrate on a nightly basis that they know how to play their respective games quite well.

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