Posts Tagged ‘Jon Stewart’

A while back Time.com ran an online poll which asked: “Now that Walter Cronkite has passed on, who is America’s most trusted newscaster?” The very limited choices were Brian Williams of NBC, Katie Couric of CBS, Charile Rose of ABC and, for some reason, Jon Stewart of The Daily Show. The results, which really weren’t that big of a shock to anyone who watches TDS, clearly showed Jon Stewart was the man people felt they could trust the most. Jon, to his credit, has brought little attention to this poll and will always claim to be comedian above all else.

But what Jon must be aware of is that, regardless of his self-deprecating humor about his role in the media, he is looked upon with a considerable sense professional respect not only from his peers in the entertainment industry, but also his pseudo-peers in broadcast media. That’s why Fox tried (and failed miserably) to launch their own version of a political humor show. But I don’t think they understand exactly why it failed. They already have shows like The Daily Show for their base viewers — it’s their regular evening shows.

Let me explain, and then I’ll have Jon demonstrate it.

Fox News’ Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch know exactly how to appeal to folks when it comes to news. They’re very much aware of the simple fact that shock sells. And they saw a hole in the market that (apparently) needed to be filled: Right-Wing Television Broadcasting. But what one must remember when watching Fox News is that they are geared for entertainment first and news a distant second (if not third behind showcasing the latest right-wing darling). And they know that they have a niche to fill and a base to pander. So you’re not going to find a liberal talk show on Fox News at any point. It’s a small miracle that Shep Smith is still allowed to anchor there considering his repeat offenses against the GOP’s clear daily talking points, but I maintain that they keep him to maintain their fallacy of balanced coverage.

What really brings their formula into focus, and clearly demonstrates they have no need for a right-wing Daily Show, is their latest hit factory, Glenn Beck. Beck is the byproduct of Murdoch/Ailes and Rush Limbaugh: He reports the current events, parrots a clear right-wing agenda and borderline psychopathic partisanship, and misses not one step when he states that he is “a clown” or one that should be taken too seriously when he, you know, calls the President of the United States a racist. He’s the perfect right-wing machine. But remember: It’s all a show. It’s to be taken no more seriously than the sideshow at the carnival with the guy who sticks rods through his tongue.

The problem, and I think Jon would agree with me, is that when you have a multi-million-strong viewership, the lines of pure journalism get lost in the sensationalism. Or in Jon’s case, the humor. And that is by design. But what continually gets me, and it’s no doubt what gets most of his viewers, is that his humorous commentary is sometimes to caustic that one wonders where the hell the rest of the media is in reporting this nonsense.

The sad fact is that the vast majority of Americans know little about current events. And it’s this packaging of news into shiny, chryon-laden boxes, with little regard to accuracy, that most Americans have come to depend on. And when Fox News’ spokeman publicly blasts the Obama Administration for allegedly not knowing the difference between opinion shows and new shows, it’s more of a reflection that they’re very much aware that neither can 95% of their audience. And that’s why they thrive and why they’re never going to change it.

But now I present you with a clip from last night’s TDS, wherein Jon makes it clear that Fox is without question a highly biased news source.

It makes my stomach turn that I’d actually have to post on this subject, but it seems no matter where I go I can’t get away from these Birthers. What are “Birthers” you ask? Well the name comes from a derivative of the so-called “9/11 Truthers” who are conspiracy theorists about what happened on 9/11. Most folks basically write them off with the same folks who claim the moon landing 40 years ago was staged.

But these Birthers are a step above your run-of-the-mill whackjobs. Their main drive is to spread the lunacy that Barack Obama can’t be the President because they claim that he was born in Kenya. This is, of course, a complete fallacy that was debunked back during the Democratic Primaries, when most of these crazy stories are handled. But that has not stopped Orly Taitz and her merry band of nincompoops from filing legal papers and instilling clearly crazy people to accost their Republican Congressman at town hall meetings set up to talk about Obama’s Healthcare plans. (Way to waste your time, but I digress.)

Now I have been mulling over how to post about this. There is literally so much evidence that Obama is an American citizen that it’s staggering. I don’t have as much proof of my birth readily available as he does. They actually dug up the birth announcements from the local Hawaii newspapers for christssakes! But, as usual, Jon Stewart completely eviscerated the birther movement for me.

So, Birthers, now that your credibility is less than that of a serial baby killer, can you please find something constructive to do for this country?

After going through the last week trading barbs on various programs, including an inexplicable appearance by Jim Cramer on Martha Stewart’s program, Jon finally squared off against Cramer on his show and let him have it with both barrels. By all accounts, Jon totally embarrassed Cramer. To the point where his “Post-Daily Show Exclusive Interview” with Joe Scarborough was delayed because he did not bother to show up.

My hope is that Scarborough and the rest of the righties out there who saw fit to defend Cramer watch this interview and realize that Stewart is someone that cannot be written off simply as a comedian, that his opinions, no matter how they are presented, have considerable thought put into them. Of course Scarborough has a rather spotty history of admitting his own failings, and his cast today made not one mention of Cramer’s televised disembowelment this morning, so I’m not getting my hopes up.

Watch and enjoy.

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[Edit: Removed remote links as they're causing problems for some users.]

I had written very briefly about a rant of pure unabashed populism by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. Well Jon went on again last night and, in answer to a recent article of blatant lies by Jim Cramer, eviscerated him. (Hat tip as usual to Raw Story.)

Okay, so Jon jumped aboard the populism express and rode it all the way to Funnaytown. But the overlying point is still valid — Jim Cramer, and a good deal of the folks on numerous financial networks are quite often full of more shit than a septic tank the day after a chili cookoff at your cousin’s house in the boonies. What’s more interesting is that there are some awfully nasty rumors circulating out there about Cramer and a number of other media types who, allegedly, may be profiting by building up companies only to short sell them at enormous profit.

Of course I’m not accusing Cramer or anyone else of any wrong-doings. They’re just in the perfect position to do so. And it also worth noting, by Cramer’s own admission, he has found himself recommending the stock of companies run by CEOs he’s had on his program who end up being under federal investigation or indictment.

Just sayin’. Lots of smoke there. Republicans were ready to hang Clinton for less.

But it also needs to be said that I don’t buy his “I’m just looking out for people’s money out there” BS. He’s looking out for himself. Just like the rest of Wall Street. Say what you will about the cutthroat industry of movies or music — they hold not a candle to Wall Street. I think they actually invented the concept of being thrown under the bus.

Jon Stewart was on fire last night. (Hat tip to Raw Story)

I really enjoyed him throwing the latest conservative lie about Obama somehow being responsible for the falling stock market back in their collective faces. If I recall correctly, Obama has made it clear that we’re not out of the woods yet. Not by a long shot. But I guess they’ll say anything to rescue the GOP from its dying throes.

I’m left to wonder where the rest of the supposed liberal media is to bring some reality to these bullshit talking points I keep hearing.