Stephen Colbert expanded the constraints of reality with the following testimony in a house committee on immigration.

As important as it is, actual policy making seems like long, complicated, boring business. It’s like watching someone wireframe an application. The details make the design, but scouring for relevant details just makes for a day at work, not anything most people want to do in their off-time. So we all rely on news media to sum it up for us.

But news media has increasingly become its own entertainment, presenting clips and quotes from sources both official and self-scripted to fit it’s own narrative. It’s reality TV, only with extremely high stakes. Policy-makers then have 2 choices – to take the “high road” and be voted off or stir up drama to get a part on the show.

So it’s exciting when someone changes the game completely. Most celebrities try to use their fame for good, but not their talent. After getting a part on the political stage via other means, they often end up being the uncharismatic, self-righteous heels they are in their off-hours. Colbert instead offers up his talent and many more people start hearing about the complexities of the immigrant labor issue.

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