VIDEO: Stephen Colbert Tries to Save Turkish Man’s Life With His ‘Lord of the Rings’ Expertise

Staff / Truthdig Dec 9, 2015 A man faces jail time in Turkey over a Facebook post that compared a "Lord of the Rings" character with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, something the "Late Show" host couldn't just stand by and watch without intervening. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Profoundly Conservative’ Myths

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Dec 13, 2014 "Both 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings' turn on the 'return of the king' to his rightful throne," and in both stories " 'victory' means the reassertion of a feudal social structure which had been disrupted by 'evil,' " fiction author Damien Walter writes of some of the 20th century's most celebrated works of imagination. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Eye of Sauron

Nick Anderson / Truthdig Sep 7, 2013 Dig deeper

The Precious

Mr. Fish / Truthdig Jan 13, 2013 Dig deeper

‘Lord of the Rings’ Volcano Blows

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Aug 7, 2012 New Zealand’s Mount Tongariro, a backdrop for scenes in "The Lord of the Rings" movies, erupted for the first time in 115 years late Monday night, spreading a thick layer of ash for several miles and causing residents to leave their homes and airlines to cancel flights. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Corporations Have Hijacked Copyright Law, Too

Staff / Truthdig Aug 31, 2011 Copyright originated in early 1700s England as a contract between authors and society, “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times [28 years] to Authors … the exclusive right to their respective Writings.” (more) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

27 Miners Missing in New Zealand

Staff / Truthdig Nov 20, 2010 Twenty-seven miners have been declared missing after an explosion in New Zealand's South Island, jogging our collective memory of the Chilean miners who were trapped underneath the ground for 69 days. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Colbert Report’: This Is How We Do It

Staff / Truthdig Oct 7, 2010 Faced with the happy prospect of describing what one MSNBC reporter could not -- the 41 combinations of sex that Americans are having, according to a new survey -- Stephen Colbert breaks it down with the help of his articulated friends Not Barbie and Samwise Gamgee. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘You Shall Not Pass’ (Quickly Into Economic Recovery)

Staff / Truthdig Sep 10, 2010 Using the same terminology one might employ to describe the plot of “The Lord of the Rings,” President Obama has agreed that the country's economic recovery has been “painfully slow” and has indicated he understands the vitriol aimed toward Democrats as the 2010 midterm elections approach. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘You Shall Not Pass’

Staff / Truthdig Apr 23, 2010 It seems the GOP's "make sure nothing happens in government" approach is still going strong, with Senate Republicans blocking an effort by Democrats to begin debate on widely popular legislation to regulate the nation's financial system. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )