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Stephen Colbert’s 'NFT Heist' parody movie shows why people are so skeptical of them

via The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert introduces his "NFT Heist" trailer.

The recent NFT boom has raised a lot of questions about the intersection of art, commerce and private ownership, and most people aren’t convinced of their value. A recent poll published in PCMag found that 60% of people think NFTs are a scam, while just 10% see them as a serious financial investment.

NFT enthusiasts will pay an arm and a leg for the digital files because they have a certificate of digital ownership on the blockchain that cannot be replicated. So, even though someone may be able to copy and paste a jpeg of the rare piece of art, they will never be the official owner.

Last year, the NFT of a CryptoPunk character fetched $11.8 million and a Bored Ape went for $3.4 million at auction.

Stephen Colbert compared NFTs to tangible art in a heist movie trailer spoof in last Friday's episode that makes the case that it’s ridiculous to compare the two.

“For a while now, one of the hottest tech trends has been NFTs. It’s hard to believe that in just one year, we’ve gone from having no idea what they are to having no idea why they are,” Colbert said while introducing the trailer.

In the trailer, a master criminal attempts an NFT heist similar to one you’d see in the “Ocean's” films by hiring a master forger, safe-cracker, demolitions expert, "lady who sneaks under lasers” and a K-Pop star. But given the volatility of these digital assets will they be able to pull off the heist before the bubble bursts?

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Heroes

Mitch McConnell mocked Jon Stewart's work on behalf of 9/11 victims. Big mistake.

Mitch slapped.


Jon Stewart Won't Let Mitch McConnell Off That Easywww.youtube.com


Jon Stewart's work on behalf of the 9/11 Victims Fund has truly elevated him to hero status. His tireless efforts to raise awareness and restore funds to survivors and the families of victims have earned him much-deserved praise and literally helped push funding through a House committee last week.

But it shouldn't have to be like this.

There is room for almost any kind of political debate within the storied halls of Congress but providing basic healthcare for survivors of the worst terrorist attack on American soil in history should not be a place of neglect, or a talking point for one political party.

And yet, here we are.

Despite moving out of the House committee, the funding bill faces an uncertain future when it makes its way to the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, after expected passaged by the full House.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been non-committal in terms of when or even if the funding measure will get a full vote in the Senate and whether or not he will direct Republicans to support what should be just about the least controversial bill to come before lawmakers.

Yet, during an appearance on the Fox News Channel, McConnell was dismissive of Stewart's impassioned efforts, calling the former "Daily Show" host "bent out of shape" and insisting the Senate was too busy to rush its attention on the bill: "Many things in Congress have [come] at the last minute," McConnell said. "We have never failed to address this issue, and we will address it again."

His statements were not only insensitive but ironic after McConnell drew much ridicule in recently after tweeting support for the idea that the Senate shouldn't move forward with any meaningful legislation until Democrats submit to President Trump's legislative priorities, i.e. funding for a border wall with Mexico.

Well, McConnell should have known that Stewart wasn't going to take this lying down.

Instead, he stopped by to visit his old pal Stephen Colbert and delivered an epic 6-minute monologue on McConnell's comments. Some highlights below:


"No, Mitch McConnell, I am not bent out of shape," Stewart began.

"Listen, Senator — I know that your species isn't known for moving quickly," Stewart said in reference to a joke he started years ago about the Kentucky lawmaker resembling a turtle. "But damn senator. You're not good at this argument thing.

Basically, we're saying you love the 9/11 community when they serve your political purposes. But when they're in urgent need, you slow-walk, you dither, you use it as a political pawn to get other things you want."

"You know what, if you're busy, I get it," Stewart continued. "Just understand that the next time we have a war, or you're being robbed, or your house is on fire, and you make that desperate call for help, don't get bent out of shape if they show up at the last minute with fewer people than you thought."

"These are the first heroes, and veterans, and victims of the great trillions-of-dollars war on terror," Stewart said. "And they're currently still suffering and dying and in terrible need. You would think that would be enough to get Congress' attention, but apparently it's not."

Keep going Jon Stewart. It's a shame you're having to do the work our elected representatives are being paid to do. But until they do their jobs, please keep doing yours. America needs you, the 9/11 Victims Fund needs you, and we could all use a little more of the common sense decency you're casting an illuminating light upon.

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Stephen Colbert didn’t hold back after his boss was accused of sexual assault.

During his show on July 30, Stephen Colbert delivered a powerful monologue about accountability in the #MeToo era.

“We know it’s wrong now,” he said of sexual assault and harassment. “And we knew it was wrong then.”

His boss, CBS President Les Moonves, has been accused by at least half a dozen women of sexual harassment and assault stemming back to the 1980s. The day after Colbert’s monologue, the Los Angeles Police Department announced it would not seek to prosecute Moonves over the allegations, making Colbert’s comments even more powerful.

“Everybody believes in accountability until it’s their guy,” Colbert said. “Accountability is meaningless unless it’s for everybody — whether it’s the leader of a network, or the leader of the free world.”

Colbert loves his boss, but that doesn’t mean he gets a pass.

Colbert paid tribute to Moonves, whom he says not only personally brought him to “The Late Show,” but also stood by Colbert when his show struggled early on.

“Make no mistake — Les Moonves is my guy,” Colbert said. “I like working for him.” But he also made it clear he supports the “radical” change brought on by the movement in the wake of years of little to no accountability.

As Colbert said, the best way out of this crisis is consistency in how we as a culture and society respond to the women standing up to make allegations.

Colbert took a professional risk to stand for what's right.

At the top of his monologue Colbert jokingly asked if his show was still on the air. But make no mistake, Les Moonves is one of the most powerful people in media.

By addressing the allegations against Moonves head on, Colbert used it as a powerful teaching moment that accountability should trump power, prestige, or even personal positive experiences with the accused in order for real change to happen.

It may not get any laughs, but it’s a line that earned him plenty of applause.

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Watch DeRay Mckesson help Stephen Colbert understand white privilege.

'The Late Show' host had activist DeRay Mckesson on to talk about racism.

On Monday night, DeRay Mckesson stopped by "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

The activist and organizer best known for his work within the Black Lives Matter movement was on to discuss Campaign Zero, an anti-police brutality initiative started last year.


While there, Mckesson did a rundown of where we're at as a country on race and gave a quick primer on privilege.

Race can be a really tricky thing to discuss. It's one of those issues that immediately puts people on the defensive and can make some feel attacked. Still, it's important we have these discussions because, as Mckesson says...


And, yes, he's sitting in Colbert's seat, offering up a little bit of a power exchange. GIFs from "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

And he's absolutely right. It's not uncommon to hear the argument that if we only stopped talking about race, then racism would disappear. Now, of course, that makes about as much sense as a doctor treating cancer by pretending it doesn't exist. But it's still something a fair number of people seem to believe.

It's important we have these discussions so we can begin to address the ongoing impact of racism, Mckesson tells Colbert.

Anyone being honest with themselves should be able to admit this country has a not-so-pleasant history of racism. From slavery to Jim Crow laws to police profiling, it's impossible to ignore the harm that's been done and how those dark periods continue to affect us as a nation. (And to be clear, racism is alive and well, sadly).

So we need to have those tough talks about racism — past and present — if we ever hope to truly change it.


Which means we need to address the topic of privilege. And no, that's not some sort of accusation.

Step one is acknowledging that white privilege exists. Acknowledging that white privilege exists doesn't mean that white people haven't worked hard for everything they have in their lives; it's not an accusation that we've been handed everything we have. It's simply an acknowledgement that — in the case of white people and white privilege — our lives would be more challenging if we weren't white.

OK, OK, but what are some examples of privilege? White privilege is not having to worry about being racially profiled everywhere you go. White privilege is not having to live under the oppression of centuries of dangerous, harmful stereotypes. White privilege is having the luxury of not thinking about racism. There are so many examples out there.

The goal, Mckesson explains, is to use that privilege to help make the equal opportunities available for marginalized groups.

"What you can do is extend that privilege so you can dismantle it," Mckesson tells Colbert. "You can create opportunity for people."

In Colbert's case, this could mean using his show to promote causes that support social justice; it could mean making sure he had a diverse writing staff; it could mean having guests like Mckesson or Killer Mike (as he recently did) on to have candid conversations on racial equality.

The goal isn't to bring white people down, but to raise marginalized groups up.

"We had an extended conversation," Mckesson said of his interview with Colbert, which was edited for time. "It was really good."

The takeaway from the interview, both as it aired and as Mckesson presented it, was to open up the floor for a nonconfrontational, guilt-free chat about how people of all racial backgrounds can push back on the power structures that uphold white privilege.

"We have to be able to talk about [privilege] in order for us to do anything about it."


Ask yourself what you can do today to help facilitate one of those conversations. If you're white, how can you use your privilege to help others? How can you help make the world a better place for all people?

It all starts with conversation.

You can check out Colbert and Mckesson's segment below.

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