Stephen Colbert reports: Rupert Murdoch angry enough to buy Colorado (VIDEO)

What's the scandal involving Rupert Murdoch's media empire got to do with Colorado? Plenty, according to none other than Stephen Colbert, whose report last night about the "five-time Illuminati Dark Lord of the Month" contained not one but two references to our fair state -- which, if Colbert's "sources" are...

By Michael Roberts

July 15, 2011

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What's the scandal involving Rupert Murdoch's media empire got to do with Colorado? Plenty, according to none other than Stephen Colbert, whose report last night about the "five-time Illuminati Dark Lord of the Month" contained not one but two references to our fair state -- which, if Colbert's "sources" are correct, may soon become part of Murdoch's portfolio.

The first nod came following a segment about the London tabloid News of the World shutting down after reports that staffers had hacked the cell phone of a murdered thirteen-year-old, among many others. "How big a scandal is this?" Colbert asked. "So big that a paper going out of business is news."

A beat later, logos of shuttered dailies popped up -- most prominently that of the late, lamented Rocky Mountain News.

But Colbert was just warming up. After airing a clip of a Murdoch intimate suggesting that such violations of privacy and propriety demonstrated journalists' quest for the truth, Colbert played what he said were hacked voicemails featuring Rupert himself. On the recording, juxtaposed with a likeness of the Aussie mogul done up as Crocodile Dundee, "Murdoch" declared, "Goddamn it, I had to close the paper! I'm angrier than a bloomin' onion! When I'm angry, I want to buy stuff. See if Colorado is available."

Well, that'd be one way to take care of Denver's budget deficit. See the complete video below:

The Colbert Report
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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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