Some lowly social media intern learned an important lesson yesterday when the difference between Steven Colbert’s fans and everyone else on Twitter become abundantly clear. Out of context, the ‘racist’ comment may have made anyone familiar with its previous use laugh, but to everyone else it seemed pretty insensitive.

Stephen ColbertStephen Colbert - much to the dismay of some Twitter smartarses - wasn't involved in the Tweet

In fact it was deemed so insensitive, a campaign to cancel Stephen Colbert’s show, The Colbert Report was initiated via the hashtag: #cancelcolbert. The offending Tweet?  “I am willing to show #Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever,” posted from the official Colbert Report account. 

The inevitable storm followed; you know the types. Before you could utter the word overreaction, an online campaign had already been signed, sealed and delivered to the doorstep of Colbert, who, utterly bemused, informed the self righteous Twittersphere that he had nothing to do with the posting of said Tweet.

Do you want to know where it came from?

“Folks, this move by Dan Snyder inspires me, because my show has frequently come under attack for having a so-called offensive mascot: My beloved character Ching Chong Ding Dong,” Colbert said on Wednesday’s show, showing a 2005 clip of him acting out the character. “Offensive or not (not), Ching Chong is part of the unique heritge of the Colbert Nation that cannot change. But I am willing to show the Asian community that I care — by introducing the Ching Chong Ding Dong Foundation for Sensitive to Orientals or Whatever…and I owe all this sensitivity to Redskins owner Dan Snyder.”

So once more, for anyone that wasn’t paying attention. Non-PC comedy character on the Colbert Report = fine; no sweat. Post a Tweet that could be misconstrued as racist = issues.

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