Colbert Fires Back!

True to his word, Stephen Colbert put a flame to his fame -- holding a cigarette lighter to the honorary doctorate he received in 2006 from Knox College, in the June 11 "Assault on Reason" segment of his Comedy Central program.

Colbert, the political satirist and star of The Colbert Report who gave the commencement address at Knox in 2006, had threatened to burn his diploma, after learning that former United States President Bill Clinton would give the commencement address this year. Clinton spoke to the Knox Class of 2007 on Saturday, June 2.

"Last year about this time, I gave the commencement address at Knox College, and I thought, well, Knox is set for life. The sensible thing would be to replay a tape of my speech to all future graduating classes... But last January, I found out that Knox wasn't satisfied with perfection. They asked coat-tail-rider Bill Clinton to speak this year."

"So I laid down the law!" Colbert said. "I made myself very clear, but apparently Knox College didn't get the message."

After expressing grudging admiration for Clinton's personal charisma, Colbert continued, "Now as for you Knox College, I am so disappointed in you. I didn't want to do this, but you forced me." Flicking a cigarette lighter at the edge of the diploma, Colbert exclaimed, "Flame on!"

But as the diploma failed to catch fire, Colbert said, "That is a ***** fireproof diploma. It's metal. They gave me a metal diploma. It's almost as if I had threatened to burn it, and it was replaced. You win this round, Knox College!"