General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland, left) convinces The President (Stephen Colbert) that his monster attack plan is more workable than launching nuclear weapons in DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens." (MCT)
MCT
**FILE** In this Monday, March 5, 2007 file photo, Stephen Colbert poses in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, file)
AP
** FILE ** In this Nov. 20, 2008 file photo, Stephen Colbert arrives for a taping of "The Late Show with David Letterman" in New York. Colbert, whose mock presidential campaign could not get off the ground, is succeeding at a much higher altitude electoral pursuit: getting the new room of the international Space Station named "Colbert." (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, File)
AP
** FILE ** In this Sept. 21, 2008 file photo, Stephen Colbert from Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" is seen in Los Angeles. Colbert, whose mock presidential campaign could not get off the ground, is succeeding at a much higher altitude electoral pursuit: getting the new room of the international Space Station named "Colbert." (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, file)
AP
Actress Kristen Stewart visits "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater on November 20, 2008 in New York City.
Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage.com
Actress Kristen Stewart visits "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater on November 20, 2008 in New York City.
Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage.com
Actress Kristen Stewart visits "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater on November 20, 2008 in New York City.
Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage.com
Actress Kristen Stewart visits "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater on November 20, 2008 in New York City.
Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage.com
Kristen Stewart visits "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater on November 20, 2008 in New York City.
Soul Brother/FilmMagic.com
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 20: Actress Kristen Stewart visits the "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater November 20, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kristen Stewart
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"I was taught to be nice, so it's not in my nature to be ajerk," he told a crowd of fans over the weekend at the New YorkerFestival. "But I do enjoy it."
Colbert figures that's because he's embarrassment-proof."There's an essential embarrassment to being a jerk, and I justdon't get embarrassed about things," he explained.
The host of "The Colbert Report" spent 90 minutes out ofcharacter, regaling interviewer Ariel Levy about how his career waslaunched and deconstructing the process of playing the right-wingblowhard pundit named Stephen Colbert.
Before every interview, he said, he explains to his guestexactly what he's doing. "I tell people, 'He's an idiot,"'Colbert said, referring to his alter ego. "I say, 'Disabuse me ofmy ignorance."'
Still, there have been a few people who didn't quite get thejoke - or at least didn't laugh. Colbert says he knows he hasoffended Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and early in the show's run,Bob Kerrey, the former governor of Nebraska who is now president ofThe New School, a university in New York, didn't seem to get thathe was fake.
The comedian added that he does care about how people feelthey're treated on the show.
"I don't care what they think of ME, but I am worried abouttheir feelings," he said.
Colbert, who lives in New Jersey with his wife and kids, alsotouched upon one of his hobbies: teaching Sunday school. He's doneit in the past and hopes to again next year.
"The great thing about teaching Sunday school is that thesekids ask questions that even in college we thought were so deep,"he said. Examples: What's beyond time? What came before God?
Then again, he said, sometimes they're just asking to go to thebathroom.
"And I say no."
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