The Legacy of Jon Stewart
Did you see Jon Stewart on the TV show Crossfire? I didn't but I read
the transcript:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/15/cf.01.html
(scroll down to where Jon Stewart first appears (Ctrl-F for find).
Wow! I wish I had guts like that. Actually this is very appropriate
coming from him. The people on Crossfire totally misinterpreted the
Daily Show on Comedy Central. They saw it as a comedy show making fun
of life, politics, you know, what's going on in the world. And so they
expect him to make fun of the politicians, Kerry and Bush, and try to
push him around about that.
But they missed the point altogether - the Daily Show is a satire of
NEWS SHOWS. So he is doing his job very well when he points out that
today's news shows are complete partisan crap. There is no place left
to get objective news anymore. Fox can't go a single day without
declaring all others "the liberal media". Sinclair is broadcasting an
anti-Kerry documentary as "news". And Farheinheit 9/11 is biased too,
according to its own author. (but at least no one's making me watch
that, and I haven't seen it, yet).
I think it all results from politicians doing whatever it takes to get
into and stay in power. Ideas are shortened to the tiniest soundbite,
reduced to the lowest common denominator and broadcast without regard to
their truth. I have another blog coming on this topic entitled "God,
Guns, Gays!!!" :)
In any case, thank the Lord for Jon Stewart. What cajones to go on
Crossfire and tell them on live TV they are failing their duty to America.
the transcript:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/15/cf.01.html
(scroll down to where Jon Stewart first appears (Ctrl-F for find).
Wow! I wish I had guts like that. Actually this is very appropriate
coming from him. The people on Crossfire totally misinterpreted the
Daily Show on Comedy Central. They saw it as a comedy show making fun
of life, politics, you know, what's going on in the world. And so they
expect him to make fun of the politicians, Kerry and Bush, and try to
push him around about that.
But they missed the point altogether - the Daily Show is a satire of
NEWS SHOWS. So he is doing his job very well when he points out that
today's news shows are complete partisan crap. There is no place left
to get objective news anymore. Fox can't go a single day without
declaring all others "the liberal media". Sinclair is broadcasting an
anti-Kerry documentary as "news". And Farheinheit 9/11 is biased too,
according to its own author. (but at least no one's making me watch
that, and I haven't seen it, yet).
I think it all results from politicians doing whatever it takes to get
into and stay in power. Ideas are shortened to the tiniest soundbite,
reduced to the lowest common denominator and broadcast without regard to
their truth. I have another blog coming on this topic entitled "God,
Guns, Gays!!!" :)
In any case, thank the Lord for Jon Stewart. What cajones to go on
Crossfire and tell them on live TV they are failing their duty to America.
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I (heart) Jon Stewart. I think he does have major cajones, and he makes people think, while also making them laugh, which is, I believe, a great gift. Did you happen to read/hear/ his commencement address for the College of William and Mary?
http://www.wm.edu/news/index.php?id=3650
The public fails to read and to realize that the media is controlled by a few select individuals who are also seeking and maintaining their power. The popularity of the Daily Show attests to the raising spirit of the public who are questioning the news that is spoon fed to them on a 24/7 basis.
Jon Stewart and his crew are causing us to, dare I say it, think critically and to use our brains. It's been done before, just read Dante and Shakespear they did the same thing.
That link to Jon Stewart's commencement address requires navigating to get there. If you use this one you will have less trouble finding his remarks:
http://www.wm.edu/news/?id=3649
Worth reading, too.