The Colbert Report

No matter what your politics are, Colbert's "character" is someone you wouldn't want your kids to emulate. He 's arrogant and narrow-minded -- which is, of course, why he's funny in the first place. That said, the real Colbert shines through when the show does segments that support the troops, earn money for important causes, or call attention to worthwhile topics.

Witty banter sometimes vamps into sexual innuendo, and Colbert often hawks a made-up product, Formula 401, which consists of his own "DNA" (for those looking for sperm donors). Topical subjects, such as abortion and gay marriage, are often part of the discussion.

The show plugs its own website at least once during each episode. Other products are shown if they've made the headlines. Colbert has made on-air pleas to companies like Apple to send him free goods (like a new iPad) and then praised them later; he's also had different segments of his show sponsored (like when Doritos sponsored his run for the presidency in 2008) -- although it's ostensibly meant to mock product placement, it results in some pretty nice plugs for the companies involved.