Posted on 10/15/2004 1:52:21 PM PDT by staytrue
For anyone watching Crossfire. Jon Stuart (spelling) host of the Daily Show is being deadly serious and is calling the show a lot of crap, that the show is hurting america, the show is bad, the hosts are political hackery, that the show is to debate as much as the WWF is to real wrestling.
Is that why he sucks ?
And you're apparently irony-impaired. Most of the naysayers in this thread seem unaware (probably because they've never seen the show) that The Daily Show is a parody of the MEDIA, not politics. Yes, they get after politicians (particularly in election season), but generally it's about shredding today's self-important, whorish media and their part in debasing our national political discourse.
If you had seen Stewart's appearance on Crossfire, you'd have seen how he laid into both guys for being a tool of both sides' spin machines, rather than what they should be doing - providing a forum for discussion of vitally important political ideas. Begala actually had the gall to call "Crossfire" a "debate" show, instead of the partisan shouting match it largely is.
SW
SW
What I've learned: One thing more irritating than a worthless political gotcha show (like Crossfire) is some dumb ass comedian who (inexplicably) thinks he's the smartest person on earth.
To each his own. I used to like TDS when Kilborn was the host and still prefer Kilborn's odd humor style. Meanwhile I have never found anything done by Jon Stewart to be remotely funny - his failed UPN talk show, his failed MTV talk show, early comedy appearances I remember seeing... the guy just doesn't do it for me. *shrug*
But what's *really* perplexing is that sometime between then and now he seems to have decided he's a GENIUS. What the heck?
I would probably agree with Stewart about that too if I or more than .1% of the country ever actually watched that show.
The problem here is that many more people watch The Daily Show than "Crossfire" and The Daily Show's treatment of... everything... is much, much worse. So for Stewart to go on some puny lesser more serious show and harangue them, that's called "irony". Stewart seems to be too dumb to understand that.
It's also a show from which a sizable fraction of 18-24 year olds get their news. This is not a defense. It's especially not a blank check giving Stewart a license to go around lecturing people. "It's a comedy show" means "I'm a joke"; but Stewart doesn't seem to know or acknowledge that he's a joke. He actually seems to take himself seriously.
As Stewart pointed out he is on the same network with a show that has puppets making prank phone calls. Crossfire on the other hand purports to be a legitimate debate show on a self-proclaimed "news" network. Those are entirely two different things.
Yes, and one of the big differences between them is that The Daily Show cleans up in the ratings while Crossfire - barely watched by anyone - does not. For Stewart to go and lecture *Crossfire* (again: watched by virtually no one) for "hurting America" is a little rich.
Bingo.
Frankly I found this appearance by Stewart more irritating and offensive than anything the bow-tie guy or Begala has ever done.
Somebody should explain this to Jon Stewart, who seems to think he's an important, respected, intelligent commentator.
Just wanted to say: Good post ;-)
Well that's a valid criticism. For example there's this dumb-ass show "The Daily Show", with an idiot host Jon Stewart, that enticies politicians like John Kerry to go on because they know they'll be thrown puffball questions such as "how are you holding up?" and "do all the lies get to you?", and if anyone raises an objection they run and hide behind the Mommy's-skirt excuse of "but we're just a comedy show".
Yes, I agree, that's terrible. It's about time someone pointed this out! ;-)
Which comedy program would that be? Surely not The Daily Show, whose "tough questions" to John Kerry included "How are you holding up?"
So, it's Stewart's job to ask serious questions of politicians? I thought that was the job of the citizenry and the media...
This really got to him, and he had to go back to his "we're just a comedy show" defence.
Your implication might have some basis if he hadn't been saying that pretty much forever, as opposed to just recently bringing it out. The show is a comedy show that spoofs our lovely news organizations, and has always been thus, back from when Craig Kilborn hosted it.
He IS "just a comedy show". Would you ask the cast of SNL to ask Kerry the "tough questions" if he came on? No.
Why does Stewart have to be the one to ask tough questions? Isn't that the job of REAL journalists? Yes, he can hide behind the skirt of being a comedy show because it's true. He has no resposibility to be unbiased or fair in the least.
Finally, you may consider his show to be dumbassed, but his demographic certainly isn't. People who watch his show have been shown to be far more educated about the issues than the average joe.
Stewart did not have Kerry on his show for the purpose of comedy. This is obvious, as this was one of the most unfunny and boring interviews he's ever done. The sole purpose of Kerry's appearance, as intended by both the DNC and Stewart, was to present Kerry in as favourable a light as possible, with zero criticism, to get VOTES for him. So when Stewart goes on another show whining and almost literally crying about the campaigns influencing the media, he deserves maximum scorn and ridicule for being such a hypocritical putz.
I would if the cast of SNL were going out there haranguing others for not helping "the country". Others with LESS POPULAR shows. The bow-tie guy also made a good point: Kerry won't come on the "Crossfire" show because he knows he wouldn't get softballs, so how is Bow-tie supposed to ask Kerry "tough questions" in the first place?
Meanwhile he *will* go to the friendly arena of TDS where he will be asked by comedian Jon Stewart if Bush's lies about him are getting to him. Now that's ok and all but for Stewart to then leave his studio and go to Crossfire and smarmily lecture them about "hurting America" is where I have to draw the line.
There is also an asymmetry here:
If someone he dislikes comes on Stewart can ask him tough questions and say "you afraid?"
If someone he likes (e.g. Kerry) comes on he can throw him softballs and say "whaddya expect, it's a comedy show?"
He wants to have it both ways and that ticks me off.
Why does Stewart have to be the one to ask tough questions?
He doesn't. He can stick to comedy for all I care. It's when he begins to fancy himself as an Important Commentator that the whole act becomes irritating. And offensive; did you see this exchange? "And come work for us, because we, as the people"... suddenly Jon Stewart has anointed himself spokesman of "the people". He also mentioned "mowing our lawns", when's the last time you think Jon Stewart mowed his lawn?
The guy is just full of himself.
He has no resposibility to be unbiased or fair in the least.
Nobody has a "responsibility" to be "unbiased". The bow-tie guy is biased and so is Begala. All people are biased, including Jon Stewart. Jon Stewart thinks his "comedian" status means he gets to criticize others for being exactly what he is. I disagree.
Finally, you may consider his show to be dumbassed, but his demographic certainly isn't.
His demographic? You mean 18-24 year olds? Of course not. I didn't even being to say anything remotely like this.
What I would say is that anyone who gets the bulk of their news exposure from TDS *is* a dumbass. And evidently there are a lot of such people.
People who watch his show have been shown to be far more educated about the issues than the average joe.
It's not the people who watch his show AND are educated who I worry about, it's the people who watch his show and don't get exposed to "the issues" any other way (except perhaps SNL - which is even worse).
"Folks who wear Bow Ties always add 45 points to their real I.Q."
I knew there was a reason why I've always subtracted 90 points from their
perceived IQs.
"Stewart: How old are you Tucker?
Tucker: 35.
Stewart: So why are you still wearing bowties?"
_____________
Regardless of whom Stewart is voting for, you've gotta love that.
As I said in my post, I couldn't watch the show, although I've seen both Crossfire and TDS. But thanks for the lecture just the same.
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