4/18/2007

Colbert in Budapest?

I have a request for any Stephen Colbert fans out there (you know who you are). One of my students told me yesterday that he's planning a visit to Hungary. Needless to say, I'm intrigued. However, my initial search has turned up no information. I'm guessing it has something to do with the Megyeri Bridge, so perhaps I should explain this a bit. (Or you can read about it on Wikipedia.)

Last fall this same student asked me maybe the best question I've ever gotten in class: "Excuse, Mr. Ackerman, do you know who Stephen Coal-burt is?" "Do you mean Stephen Colbert?" "Ummm, maybe." The student went on to tell me that they were going to name the new M Zero bridge over the Danube after Colbert, and he thought the guy must be a jerk. It turns out the Hungarian government decided to choose the name for the new bridge by internet poll. Colbert made a plug on his show for the "Stephen Colbert Bridge" and his supporters soon swamped the voting. The Hungarian Ambassador made an appearance on the show and explained Colbert would have the bridge named after him on two conditions: he had to demonstrate Hungarian fluency and had to be dead. I tried to explain to my students that this was a joke, not another example of American imperialism. They seemed skeptical.

Anyway, the latest rumor is that Colbert is coming to Budapest. If anybody knows anything, please fill me in. This is something I do not want to miss!

1 comment:

Mary said...

Hi Matt,

The Hungarian ambassador was on TCR just last week and gave SC a new guitar (which the ambassador ROCKED on!). When SC was at Harvard in Dec 06, he said the ambassador invited him to come, but didn't say if he was going. They are, according to that interview, going to name an overpass after him. SC thought that was incredibly kind.

Here's the link to that Harvard conversation:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5550134133036374310

Yes, I am a proud member of the Colbert Nation!