Jon Stewart's "Moderate" Humor - (humorous analysis reveals emptiness of liberalism)

OPINION EDITORIALS.COM ^ | MAY 9, 1005 | TONY SIRIANO

[John Valentine]

Sorry, but I don't find Jon Stewart one bit funny, and this guy has explained exactly why. What he doesn't exxplain so well is why HE finds Stewart funny in the face of Stewart's continuous left-wing bias and unabashed distortions and lies.

[Duke Nukum]

I like watching the Daily Show every so often. This guy is right, Stewart pretty much relies on misunderstanding reality in order to make his points, but Steven Cobert, Samantha Bee, and that bald guy are pretty funny.

[pogo101]

I sometimes like Stewart, but the writer (to use one of his metaphors) hits the nail on the head when he says that, afterwards, you are left irritated at Stewart's wholly unconvincing "I'm a moderate -- no, really, I AM" garbage.

What I wish is that he'd drop the "I'm so neutral" act. It's like how the LA Times pretends it's not liberal. Please.

Very few comedians who do hundreds of hours of shtick a year can successfully fake being politically "equal opportunity" (neutral) jesters. Jay Leno comes to mind: he's actually a huge liberal on most issues, but I only know that from some interviews he gave in '04 to an advertiser paper here called the LA Weekly.

[Paleo Conservative]

He hasn't been funny in 15 years. He's lame.

[Echo Talon]

Stewart is not funny, running a little piece of video then laughing about it isnt funny or creative.

[CHARLITE]

"What he doesn't exxplain so well is why HE finds Stewart funny in the face of Stewart's continuous left-wing bias and unabashed distortions and lies."

I agree. I had a "conversion" against George Carlin, whom I used to think was always terrific (20 years ago). I can still laugh at some of Carlin's older skits, but once I realized how deeply, insanely liberal George Carlin really is, it just didn't seem the same anymore, and I stopped laughing.

[fat city]

Very well written review- once you get past the fact that he thinks Stewart's humor is derivative, trite, mean spirited, based on falsehoods and memorized, I guess you could say he likes him. I think you'd be wrong.

[OldPossum]

This is nothing but a string of contradictions.

[Max Flatow]

I don't think I have ever watched a full episode of Daily Show. Glad I haven't wasted my time, huh?

[CHARLITE]

"This is nothing but a string of contradictions."

Actually, you're right. I felt like I was in a house of mirrors while reading it. One of the reasons for which I posted it was to see what other FReepers felt about it. Tony, who is one of my friends, and a fellow member of "Right Writers of America," appears to be truthful when he says that he finds Stewart funny. Then, he takes him apart, issue by issue.

Intriguing. I suppose it's possible to find what someone says offensive or shallow, yet find the style of delivery amusing at the same time........as I said about George Carlin. There are still some anti-establishment, liberal themes that Carlin projects which I loathe as content, but still laugh at because of his comedic talent. It is a complex topic - disliking the "what," while laughing at the "how."

[Dick Vomer]

I remember him with a little whiny voice after the 9-11 attacks almost in tears...... well he's such a frickin' pussy that he won't even try to destroy the terrorists that killed his friends and fellow New Yorkers.

Liberals are so afraid of dying that they'd rather live in chains, squirming under a rock and put down brave men that are willing to go to a foreign soil and do battle with our enemies in order to prevent further attacks.

He's got the same little "know it all" smirk that all liberals have when talking about honor, sacrifice for country and dedication to a cause bigger than yourself. They think it's a joke. He's the same "good German" that wouldn't fight to stay alive but appeased Hitler all the way to the gas chambers or jogged willingly to stand in front of a ditch so the soldiers could gun them down.

Isn't it ironic that the party most libs support advocate gun control, governmental control of population through abortion and euthanasia of "useless eaters" (Shiavo, brain damaged others), government control of private property, control over the media through regulation of content and the "Fairness Doctrine".

[torchthemummy]

"I agree. I had a "conversion" against George Carlin, whom I used to think was always terrific (20 years ago). I can still laugh at some of Carlin's older skits, but once I realized how deeply, insanely liberal George Carlin really is, it just didn't seem the same anymore, and I stopped laughing.

In regards to Stewart, it was my impression that once the USSC ruled against Gore I couldn't take the show anymore.

In regards to Carlin - boy where do I start? I was raised on Carlin and have and still feel that he helped develop my intellect by his impressive ability of taking any issue and having made it pliable for a variety of view points. He also didn't need to swear except when actually talking about the swear word itself. At the time I didn't know enough enough about some of the political issues to be annoyed and even in retrospect, the albums he did under the Little David label still hold because he made his point, right or wrong, by a quiet, silly manner while not resorting to outright insults

Then George did a complete 180. He looked around at the current brethern crop and came to the conclusion that loud, obscenity-laced humor was the way to go. He now uses profanity for literally every ten words. That's alot. He broaches subjects such as abortion with such utter vile that he would make Richard Pryor blush.

The bottomline is that George has completely sold his old, reasonable, quiet but penetrating ways for an expedient loudmouth persona. As with so many liberals he has become everything he used to say he was against. He sold out to the establishment and is a long way from ever rediscovering his soul.

[CHARLITE]

"He sold out to the establishment and is a long way from ever rediscovering his soul."

To the liberal establishment. . . . and I agree with you that he changed - probably 20 years ago. Right?

[torchthemummy]

Exactly - let's call it the "secular entertainment establishment". As to when I can't say exactly when but I believe it started with either "Jamming In NY" or "What The Hell Am I Doing In NJ." Both were in the mid-eighties if I recall correctly.

[CHARLITE]

"Jamming In NY"

Right. I don't know if that one was an HBO special, but his next big one - "Carlin, Back in Town" was on HBO and was in 1998.

[Max Flatow]

Ouch. That is bad.

There are a lot of shows I don't watch because of who hosts the show or who is the guest. And there are shows I simply don't watch because I know I won't like it.

I also don't spend my money on certain forms of entertainment from actors like Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, BS, among others. I guess that makes me pro-choice. I can abort those unwanted television shows from my home if I so choose.