In a little museum in this nation's capital city, in a tiny, quaint place that some call the "National Portrait Gallery", there is a portrait more prominently positioned, more revered, and more photographed than the portraits of our nation's presidents. More guests ask how to find this portrait than any other in the collection. More visitors want to know the story, the origin, the myth behind this portrait. It is not of Washington, Lincoln, Kennedy, or Reagan.
It is the Colbert.
Local legend has sprung up around the portrait of the pundit. When I arrived to behold the Colbert for myself, to ponder the significance of its position amidst the water fountain and the bathroom - all necessary amenities of life, mind you - I witnessed a myth come to life before my very eyes. There stood a frumpy middle-aged woman and her frumpier teenage daughter, holding posters praising Colbert and supporting his historic race to the Smithsonian.
"We heard that the show is going to come here to film people admiring the portrait, taking pictures of it. We got here when the museum opened, but apparently they're not coming until 1 or 2 so we'll have to cycle back around then. We hope Steven Colbert comes. We're going to try to get him to speak my daughter's bat mitzvah."
Could I be witnessing national news in-the-making? I had to get down to the bottom of this, so I went to the docent's desk for answers.
"Ah, ohh, hmm, no. I have not heard anything about this. They have not said anything about any camera crews coming today. They would have to have a permit for this."
Steven Colbert's camera crew is flouting the rules of our nation's finest museum in order to make history??!
BRILLIANT!
Also brilliant:
For your post-museum hunger, check out the eco-friendly On The Fly vendor at Gallery Place, which sells organic teas and healthy tacos and empanadas.
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