Ken Burns the Comedian is Better Than Ken Burns the Documentarian

When you think of filmmaker Ken Burns, what comes to mind? Is it his eponymous effect? Is it his stirring, endurance testing documentary work focusing on adrenaline-spiking topics like Horatio’s Drive and The National Parks? Or do you conjure images of… someone dishing out sick burns?!

Becuase that, apparently, is what the name “Ken Burns” actually stands for. The legendary documentarian is most famous, according to him, for all the gnarly burns he’s issued to various Kens over the years, including Ken doll, Ken Griffey Jr. and Kenneth Cole. The man known as Ken Burns went on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to promote his new PBS special about Jackie Robinson (called, in very Ken Burns fashion, Jackie Robinson) but also to let America in on his best kept personal secret, that he’s a master of the “Oh, snap!” put down.

Becareful with this fire. It could leave a scar. And if you want to see the actual, very thoughtful interview between Burns and Colbert, you can watch that below. Seriously, this guy is great!