Colbert Report writers to receive NAMBLA service award

2008-06-01 23:52:58 -

PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY (PRINSIDE.COM) - June 2, 2008 - The executive board of the American branch of NAMBLA announced today that it would give its prestigious 2008 Annual Special Service Award/East Coast Division to the writing staff of Comedy Central's Emmy-winning 'The Colbert Report' for its 'Caring Hands' support group at its upcoming annual convention and banquet to be held this July 4th through 7th in Princeton, New Jersey.

That award, which is for the East Coast Division only, is given each year to the individual or group of individuals deemed to have given the most to help NAMBLA achieve its goals of bringing fairness, dignity and equality into the American lifestyle equation. Dignitaries and groups honored in the past by the group include such individuals as Barbra Streisand, Tom of Finland, Cong. Mark Foley, Adam Sandler, Oprah Winfrey, Clay Aiken, Abercrombie and Fitch, Dairy Queen, Adam Sandler, the Body Shoppe, and the Dixie Chicks.

'With its ‘Caring Hands' support group, the Colbert Report writing staff has really brought its own ‘Algebra of Fairness' into the NAMBLA fair-play equation of eliminating age-related bias in relational interactions (ARBRI),' said NAMBLA spokesman Glenn L. Feinman. 'We applaud their efforts and those of every other American who has spoken out against ARBRI through our annual ASSA achievement awards program.'

Among their many contributions to the group, the winning Colbert Report writers and their 'Caring Hands' support group provided volunteer daycare services to the NAMBLA children, demonstrating, in the words of the award certificate, 'a steadfast and unswerving devotion to servicing today's youth.'

'We basically just took them on camping trips, provided them with applesauce and yogurt, passed out animal balloons that we would blow up by hand and hilariously twist into comic artisanal shapes to the outraged delight of the entire group, rolling papers, and once we even gave a special demonstration on proper nail and cuticle hygiene, bringing in a guest beautician who services numerous celebrities on both the East and the West Coast and who provided free lotion samples from Body Drench,' said Matt Lappin, a Colbert Report producer who will be accepting the award on behalf of the group. 'We love to bring smiles to the faces of young Americans.' Among his other affiliations, Mr. Lappin is a member of the Writers Guild of America and recently became a member of the West Side Club of New York.

Among the other writers being honored by the American branch of NAMBLA are Frank Lesser, Bryan Adams, Rob Dubbin, Eric Drysdale, Peter Gwinn, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Michael Brumm, Peter Groscz, and Glenn Eichler.

The Colbert Report itself -- which is not receiving the award this year -- airs Monday through Thursday nights on Comedy Central, which has 80 million satellite and cable subscribers. According to the show's website: 'What The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is to evening news, The Colbert Report is to personality-driven pundit shows. Colbert brings his sarcastic charm to a half-hour report, tackling the important issues of the day and telling his guests why their opinions are just plain wrong.'