I just wanted to state, for the record, that I really like Jon Stewart. I don't necessarily love his entire political agenda, but I like him. My affection for him has increased after his appearance on Crossfire recently. I saw it and am still all kinds of confused. If I understood the guy in the bowtie (Tucker I-can-never-remember-his-name), Jon Stewart is to be held to the same standards while hosting Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" as the journalists of CNN. This is just a mini-rant related to something I read on another site. Here's the link and you can watch the clip as well: One Good Thing. And thanks to Betsy to leaking the news about One Good Thing -- it's very good reading.
Be warned, I was unprepared for the discomfort I felt while watching it. I know Jon Stewart hates George Bush. I was prepared for that to come up (which it didn't, actually). But hearing Stewart give some great arguements for why the media has failed the American public and his blantant plea for them to stop... all to be totally ignored by Tucker whats-his-face as he spat out totally ridiculous come-backs that mostly started with "Oh, yeah?! Well you blah blah blah..." while missing the point... that was unsettling. Appalling. How can CNN not fire him? Or at least put him in time out until he understands that he just told a comedian that he, as a journalist for CNN, has no more responsibilty to the American public than Comedy Central? What?! Have you seen the commercials for Reno 911?
The oddest part? As bowtie-guy is telling Jon Stewart that he's a partisan hack as well, he's also telling him he's "not funny". He asks Stewart if he's like this with dinner guests, what a drag he is, etc. So. Let me get this straight. Stewart is supposed to ask "real" news questions and is held to the same level of civil responsibility in "reporting the news" as Crossfire is. But he's also supposed to be funny? What the crap? I'm confused in the worst way. From the back and forth applause from the audience, they were confused as well. But they apparently thought Stewart was funny. Lots of laughing, which I guess is a good sign. If the media is too ridiculous to be honest, at least the audience knows when they're being played. The Crossfire boys were being laughed at, not with. And Stewart started out calmly. Maybe not "nice" by some people's standards, but calm. I know, I saw it. I guess the summary is that I felt like Jon Stewart was being honest. And I liked that.
p.s. For anyone that wants to get all moral about it.. Yes. Stewart did call Bowtie Boy a "dick". But only after BB called Stewart Kerry's "Butt boy" (twice, in fact). Fair reponse if you ask me.
CNN Crossfire Transcript with Jon Stewart - October 15, 2004
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3 comments:
I love Jon also. Many people on TV who are funny make me feel sort of...weirdly afraid, like they'd make fun of me if they met me in person. I'm often glad they're inside the little box instead of sitting across the dinner table from me. Jon, despite his rapier wit (and the fact that he called Tucker Carlson a dick, which sounds well-deserved)...I'd like to have dinner with him.
Man I hate politics! My brother called telling me I needed to watch Farenheit 911, I'm like what? Naw! All propoganda if you asked me, he's like it's a great movie. Yeah that'll confuse me I am sure, I'll stick to what my grandma always told me just vote republican, it'll keep me out of trouble. I hate for the big issues that the democrats stand for, abortions, stem cell stuff, and all the other crazy immoral stuff they stand for. Kerry will probably legalize abortions, legalize gay marriages (ewww....sorry), and legalize cloning, which is not a bad idea since I'd rather be home scrapping. The clone would come to work everyday.
I wouldn't consider myself a "Democrat" (or anything else for that matter). But I truly don't believe they stand for all that is immoral. There are quite a few issues for which I tend to lean more in their direction.
I won't dog on Republicans, Independents or Democrats as a group overall (though Tucker Carlson deserves a kick in the ass).
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