Posted on 11/21/2014 9:58:15 AM PST by Kaslin
The liberal myth surrounding the hypercompetent Barack Obama faded long ago, but the liberal myth of "cultural icon" Jon Stewart is only getting stronger. Stewart's tour of interviews for the new movie he directed, "Rosewater," has created a parade of flatterers, sycophants, and every other synonym in the thesaurus for obsequious.
Roy Sekoff at The Huffington Post stands out by insisting the movie only polishes this walking statue: "In finding this format, in this form, you have become obviously a cultural icon, maybe one of the dominant figures in the political discourse."
But Sekoff was surpassed in syrup by NPR host Terry Gross, who, we remind at every pass, is forcibly bankrolled by the American taxpayer, who has no counterpoint, and whose ardor for Stewart has been long established. Her nationally broadcast "Fresh Air" show devoted two segments over two days adding up to 65 minutes of air time. One part of the interview was aired in both shows: Gross telling Stewart how much she loves him and his snarky conservative-trashing show.
Will he leave "The Daily Show" when his contract ends next year? (She didn't mention he makes a shocking $25 million-plus a year.) Gross cooed, "You're so darn good at doing 'The Daily Show.' ... And it's like people like me, I mean, I feel so conflicted. I want you to be happy. ... I want you to do whatever -- wherever your heart takes you, Jon Stewart, I want you to go. ... But at the same time I really -- I like, really don't want you to leave."
Close your eyes and imagine her -- or anyone at NPR or anywhere else in the established media -- saying something of a similar nature to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or Mark Levin.
This was, as is customary for Gross-Stewart summits, a defining moment in liberal-elite hypocrisy. They think of themselves as the champions of "sanity," civility and sophistication. All that goes out the window when conservatives are discussed. Anger, incivility, and hubris explode from their mouths -- and they see no contradiction.
Gross asked Stewart to explain a recent bit mocking conservatives for objecting to Obama's "latte salute," when he couldn't put his coffee in a separate hand while saluting as he disembarked from his helicopter. This was not a deeply meaningful event, but it was worth mocking, as it was on Fox News. But Stewart grew enraged at the mockery of Obama's patriotism.
"They don't care about the reality of it. They care about symbolism. They care about wearing a flag pin as opposed to coming up with actual strategies that don't put soldiers in unnecessary danger for poor planning. So as long as they want to attack symbolism, we'll try to attack the reality that surrounds it." So the millions of military veterans who were shocked that their commander-in-chief would show such disrespect are out of line.
Gross asked how the "false patriotism" upsets him. "They wield it like a cudgel. ... they've spent years talking about how this president or anybody on the progressive side is somehow not really American. They love America. They just hate about 50 percent of the people who live there. And it's infuriating."
This is when Gross surpassed even herself, asking if this makes him angry after shooting a film about a political prisoner in an authoritarian regime in Iran. No, he answered, "I think I'm angrier about it because I view the media as such a great tool against that type of cudgel -- against that type of authoritarian mentality -- against that type of dogma, and to see it utilized in service for that is what I think is so angering about it."
Let's sum up. To mock the president shows an "authoritarian mentality." To pick on him displays "dogma." But to pick on Republicans relentlessly is employing a "great tool" of satire against dogma. The idea that Gross and Stewart and Co. are anti-authoritarian rebels, not a leftist establishment marching on a party line, is ludicrous.
Stewart is the liberal Limbaugh in that he is as successful.
But adoration of success and capability from the MSM is filtered.
In other words look for the ranking of Stewart vs. Limbaugh on various most influential lists.
Stewart is nothing but a pantload.
I’ve tried watching his program, and he’s as dishonest at the day is long.
He skews the truth to be funny, and in so doing misleads a lot of airheads who already believed exactly what he winds up presenting.
Limbaugh presents the truth. The Left may not like it, but he doesn’t skew things or fabricated to attract a following.
Comparing Steward to Limbaugh is like comparing Obama to Ronald Reagan.
What I will admit to, is that Stewart is the closest they could come to Limbaugh. Gosh they’re desperate, and still flailing.
Stewart is a lazy hack. His singular talent is making faces at the camera and reading jokes other people have written for him. The thought of this empty suit filling three hours of radio with his own brain power is preposterous. The millisecond that anyone actually DARES to challenge him he runs like a scared little girl to the defense that he’s “just a comedian.” He is one of those that I refer to as a “bully with a camera.”
"Ha ha, Muffy. Aren't we so much smarter than those traditional proles in flyover country?"
Screw him and his butt-kissing audience... AND the idiots at Yahoo! who insist on posting everything this snide dwarf burbles.
And you can still have leftists tell you right to your face that that show is totally not left-leaning at all.
or...he's funny to skew the truth. I think both are equally true.
Laz? Would you hit it?
I tuned in the other night for about ten minutes. It was a particularly bad day for Obama. Despite this he railed on Republicans for about 9/10ths of his rant twisting truths to the extreme. Then he lightly touched on Obama for a few moments acting as if none of Obama’s problems were anything near meriting the beating he’d just dished out for Conservatives.
One it wasn’t funny. Two, I don’t think the guy is capable of being funny. His popularity is related to him trashing the Right and shoring up the Left.
There are plenty of things to address about the Right that could be funny. He evidently couldn’t find any of them that night.
Kimmel did pretty much the same last night...
Even Laz has his limits.
You know, we exist in the company of like minded people. At least we can fall back on truth to back up our beliefs.
I don’t know how you do that as a Leftist. Their beliefs defy logic.
Believing what they do, it’s like dropping a rock and expecting it to go up. Then when it drops to the ground, they look at you and say, “See?” They think it just proved their belief system.
Looniest people on the planet.
Rush came from a family of accomplishment, but he was the RUNT:
He was fired six times, divorced three times, and driving from Mo. to Pittsburg he had to pull over 20 times to splash de-icing fluid on his windshield —cuz he couldn’t afford to fix his wipers.
He was so poor getting to Sacramento that he couldn’t afford to live in the city itself —he had to live in a dump outside town.
Even after he started to make it a little, on a drive up to Tahoe in his land-barge vehicle he had to repeatedly pull over so his car wouldn’t overheat.
KEEPIN’ IT REAL...?? Rush has BEEN THERE x 100.
You know what a rebel John Stewart is?
He’s such a gritty, REAL, down-for-the-struggle mensch that his brother is...
THE HEAD OF THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.
Oh sure, that’s Sooooooo rebel, right? It’s so REAL and GRITTY.
hahahahahahah...!! It’s killing me..!
And did you know that for his “spontaneous” quips Stewart has a paid stable of something like THIRTY-FIVE writers..??
How many work in Rush’s op, huh? Like 6 people..?
Other than that they’re both witty and get paid a lot I SEE NO COMPARISON BETWEEN RUSH AND STEWART.
Rush is the consummate army of one, original creator —he was conservative in media at a time when that had never been heard of.
Almost EVERYONE in Sacramento media dumped on Rush, and still, he faithfully soldiered on, totally undeterred.
There is no comparison between those two men.
Gross!
LOL! -- I see what you did there...
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