First, marvel at incoming CBS “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert’s arm strength and levitation skills. Then, scroll down to learn more about what the comedian, and others, are up to:
Colbert, no stranger to acts of video lunacy for the benefit of service members, is the latest celebrity to participate in the #GiveThem20 Challenge, an attempt by the nonprofit American Corporate Partners to raise awareness of the challenges facing veterans as they return to civilian life. ACP mentors thousands of veterans making that transition and maintains various online resources that connect vets to support personnel and potential employers.
Learn more here, but don’t deprive yourself of the rest of the video madness. First came “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, whose program has its own entertainment-industry job-training program for veterans and who was one of the first people called out by ACP founder Sid Goodfriend:
Stewart called out former “Daily Show” correspondent John Oliver, now the host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight.” Oliver, whose wife is a former Army medic, was more than happy to oblige (with a minimal amount of editing):
Stewart also called out the New York Mets, who decided to skip the pushups in favor of jumping jacks. The Mets challenged ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who weighed in on that decision (“Anybody can do 20 jumping jacks”) before knocking out the challenge without bothering to remove his tie:
Kimmel called out actor Will Arnett (“Arrested Development,” “Blades of Glory”), who found a workaround, and NBC utility player Carson Daly, who switched to bicep curls using family members.
Oliver called out another former “Daily Show” correspondent, retired Marine Lt. Col. Rob Riggle, who fired off 21 pushups (“20 for the vets, and one for the Corps“), as well as The Rockettes, who … well, it’s The Rockettes:
You can follow the spread of the challenge at GiveThem20.org, but think before you join in: Troops were barred from participating in last year’s viral sensation — the Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — while in uniform, as the Defense Department ruled doing so could be construed as an official DoD endorsement of the nonprofit behind the campaign.
A DoD spokesman didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking the department’s stance on #GiveThem20.
