Why is Jon Stewart pandering to the MSM?

[saracat]

and the Bushies? Or is it irony? He supposedly is disgusted with the reporting in this country . That is what he said on "Crossfire" . Yet he treated Brian Williams, a known Bush shill and Ari Fleisher with more respect than Paul Begala or Carville! Why is he being so deferential to the media he allegedly despises? He was even nice to Williams about outing the judge and filing a false report. He has NEVER cut Rather any slack .What gives?

[iconoclastNYC]

1. My guess....

He wants guests both right and left?

If he blasts the right wing guest they won't come on at all, and i think it serves his show and the public at large to get these jokers on TV.

Rememember when the call went out from the RNC that Repubs should not go on Hardball?

I don't think he his pandering, I think he's being a good host.

The Daily Show's mission is not to speak truth to power, it's to entertain.

[FreedomAngel82]

2. He's had

some right-wingers on the show too. I remember during the election watching and he had McCain on and some campaign dude for the southeast.
I think he's just trying to be more fair and balanced then *ahem* some people.

[jdots]

38. just remember " The Love Boat "

a brilliant episodic tribute to the fascinating world of cruise ship
romance became so mundane when Biff and Muffy won all those Emmys.

[shadowknows69]

40. You people all upset about whether Stewart is too nice to the right.

need to spend your energy on more constructive rants. Jon is doing a comedy show. If he's the left's knight in shining armor against the dragon media then we're in trouble. You assign too much responsibility to someone who I'm sure doesn't want it.

[Bridget Burke]

3. It's officially a movement!

March 2nd: "How Jon Stewart is Hurting America"
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3243229

March 8th: "John Stewart Helps to Hurt America"
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3243229

* Third Thread deleted by Request. It wasn't REALLY bashing Jon...

[Melodybe]

10. Take my thread off that list!

I love the Daily Show, I love Jon Stewart, I know that Jon is doing the best he can, and some of their recent stories have been so good I almost cried.

My thread was not dissing the Daily Show, I was complaining b/c I HATE some of their guests. I especially hate Brian Williams, BTW Jon held his feet to the fire last night, and did a fucking good job. He also made a point to end the segment dissing on Washington politicians and their lies.

I am not about to start bitching about the one thing that has remained honest with me since 2000.

I am offended for Jon and think people here need to lighten up.

Some people are never happy, I guess. But if you wish to group me into a bunch of people that think Jon is hurting America, not only do I disagree, I am mad, that is not how I feel.

[qanda]

20. Add NBC to that list

They used Jon Stewart during their broadcast yesterday as an example of some of Bush's critics who are now changing their mind about Bush's mideast policy.

[Melodybe]

21. I do hate NBC

FUCK THOSE MOTHER FUCKERS!!!!!

[qanda]

24. BTW, both of those links go to the same thread

[Bridget Burke]

28. Correction! (Too late to edit)

"How Jon Stewart is Hurting America”
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=110061

"John Stewart helps to Hurt America?"
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3237415

Future Daily-Show-Bashing-threads should not omit "hurt America" from the title.

[Last Lemming]

4. You mean, why does Jon Stewart hate Freedom?

Jon Stewart is a COMEDIAN--his only obligation is to be funny. Jon Stewart was, and remains, at least the last time I checked, funny.

[spunky]

5. Honestly? I think its because his ego is getting just a wee bit too big.

Ever since the infamous Crossfire appearance (which I saw, and though I agree with him in principle, he acted like a complete asshole and failed miserably to get his point across, instead looking like some rude, moronic, whiner), and his name being floated (hopfully in jest) as a replacement for Rather. EDIT:and lets not forget the enormouse success of his book

Maybe he's beginning to see himself as some sort of legitimate journalist? Nah, surely not.


Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan and I watch TDS daily . . .

[Last Lemming]

6. Infamous Crossfire episode????

. . .that people are still chuckling about. . .the one that made his point well enough to get the show pulled off the air, and still manage to include a joke about a bow tie. "I'm not going to be your monkey. . ." That episode will go down in history as being one of the great moments of television

[spunky]

14. Eh, I just disagree. He was trying to make a really good point,

but he just looked like a babbling moron. I kept thinking to myself, "Why doesn't he sound as intelligent as he does on his own show?" Because he really was trying to make a good point, and while he did get the point across, there were so many better ways to do it. As for getting Crossfire cancelled, its still on the air, (or at least it was the last time I had a weekday off) I'm not sure I believe they really will cancel it. May have just been a really bizarre ploy to try to boost ratings.

I guess I'm a fan of ettiquette, and its just rude to go on someone else's show and behave the way he did. It was quite childish, I thought. Not that I'm a fan of Crossfire, mind you.

[DulceDecorum]

9. Since the infamous Cross fire episode

that idiotic Colin rightwingnut show that came after TDS has been cancelled and Tucker's contract is not going to be renewed.

Jon is in the big leagues, no more trying to get noticed by folks walking on the red carpet. With that comes additional responsibility Plus he now has a small child and does not want anything to adverse to happen, suicide or small plane-wise.

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. If he's up for any move, it would be to the Late Late Show --

the way the last host of TDS did.

I would love to see him take over the Tonite Show, or maybe Letterman is getting ready to step down.

[spunky]

12. Ugh, my biggest fear is that he will take one of the network

late night talk shows. I truly think such a setting would suck the life out of his humor.

[RaleighNCDUer]

29. Yeah. I remember once liking Letterman. n/t

[Melodybe]

36. Letterman wants Jon as his replacement

If you didn't know Jon is a protege of his.

[stanwyck]

17. disagree with you about the Crossfire show

he completely made his point. Tucker Carlson melted into a puddle of sweaty unease. We watched it online several times here at work (yes, we were slacking) and it was just wonderful.

[rinsd]

7. Oh the irony....

You do realize the whole Crossfire schtick started because Tucker was blasting him for asking "softball" questions of Democrats on the show.

He's a comedian. Just because he doesn't drip his comedy with venom doesn't mean he's taking it easy on the guests.

[Ian David]

8. You can't have a talkshow if you're mean to all your guests

Unless, of course, you're Bill O'Reilley.

[SmokingJacket]

13. Oh, leave him alone.

He's so much better than everyone else on television, that picking on him is just like stabbing yourself in the eye. Pointless.

[Swamp Rat]

15. I thought Jon Stewart really fucked with Brian Williams good last night.

I must be watching from a parallel universe or something because I thought he GRILLED Williams pretty good. Lots of uncomfortable moments for Williams as he squirmed in his seat, trying to exonerate himself. Jon openly mocked him too. :)

What happened by the end of the whole interview? Jon got him! Williams PUBLICLY, in front of millions, blamed the Bush admin for deception. BULLSEYE Jon! :)

Ari Fleicher, Brian Williams, et al aren't fooling anyone. Jon brings them on and lets them make asses of themselves. BY the end of the Ari interview, Jon compliments him for deflecting all his questions - in the context of who Ari is and what he did for a living, that says a LOT.

What I learned on the Daily Show the last two episodes:

Ari is a professional liar
Brian says the Bush administration lies to news organizations.

I hope folks here aren't forgetting that Jon had TWO stories over the last week or so about Gannon/Guckert. After such hard hitting bits, they "balance" that with a more subtle deconstruction of the "other side." On the surface it looks like Jon is being fair to those corporate bastards, but they never come away smelling like roses.

Kick ass Jon! :kick:

[saracat]

32. He isn't nearly as dogged in the pursuit of Williams ,

who committed a much worse offense than he was of Rather, who was trying to legitamately report the news. I don't like the double standard. Stewart said he wouldn't be a "monkey" for Carlson and was serious regarding the news issue, so why is he now treating the reporters with so called "evenhanded" comedy?

[htuttle]

33. Well, between those two -- Rather and Williams

Williams is actually a more entertaining guest than Rather.

I respect Dan Rather as a newsman, and have since I watched him while I was growing up during Vietnam. I don't fault him at all for the National Guard story issue, never did.

However, I noticed from the first time he was on the Daily Show that Brian Williams has a pretty good sense of comedic timing (for a news anchor). The segments where he is on are usually shallow, but often entertaining.

Rather gives great serious interviews, but he doesn't do so good on the talk shows. I still remember the interview he gave David Letterman after 9/11 where he swore his fealty to Bush on the air. That was just dumb, and wasn't fun to watch.

Most of the television news people that Stewart has on are really bad in the Daily Show context. They either tend to be relentlessly on message or overly sentimental or entirely vapid. Rarely 'funny'.

[calico1]

16. Jon is nice to all his guests.

If he ribs the Democrats more I think its because he is Liberal too and feels more comfortable with them. He won't get Conservatives to go on his show if he is nasty to them. By being nice they don't have any excuse to not be on.

[Generator]

18. I agree that he's not as bitingly sarcastic as he used to be

At least with some of these interviews. I thought the Ari Fleischer one was very softball. In fact, I was falling asleep through it.

The Daily Show's lost a little something for me-it was like the drumbeat to Kerry winning and now it's just another show in the continued unending nightmare. The Gannon coverage was top notch. But before I never missed a show and now-well as Jon would say 'eh not so much'.

If Bush ever goes down, though, it will be the only show worth watching.

[spunky]

26. I did fall asleep. lol.

And I changed the channel when the Williams one was on.

[stanwyck]

19. You must have missed Stewart skewering Wiliams

when Williams erroneously identified the judge who sentenced Saddam Hussein as being assassinated. Showing the guy's picture over and over. Only...Williams didn't realize it was a different judge who was assisinated! Oops! Now the world knows what the real judge looks like...The terrorists must love Williams; he makes their job that much easier. Stewart really skewered him with his schtick. Rightfully so.

[htuttle]

22. Well, Brian Williams sort of saved his butt that night

If you saw the very beginning of the show, Jon said that their original guest (I forget who) was snowed in at DC airport, and could not make it. So they got Brian Williams to show up at the very last moment.

That's actually a pretty big favor, so I wouldn't expect Jon to beat up on Williams too much in that case. Maybe the next time he's on when he's not saving the show for the night, so to speak.

Besides, he wasn't really that deferential. Jon was just knocking him around with a smile on his face.

[Hamlette]

23. Holy crap people, get over yourselves

being polite and having good manners is not an actionable offense.

You are starting to sound like them.

We are NOT Rush Limbaugh. We do not behave like Rush Limbaugh. We don't want to be like Rush Limbaugh.

He did not fawn over Ari or Brian, he allowed them to present their own positions. Just like we wish MSM would do when it has a liberal on.

[saracat]

31. Yeah. Rush is such a failure at convincing voters to take his position. We

wouldn't want to be like THAT, now would we? Being polite and mannerly and viwing elections as political discourse instead of "war" has served us so well. Right.Let us never learn from the opposition. We might win. GRRRR.

[Hamlette]

35. yeah, but Jon has a show and Carville (my example of a ranter) doesn't.

so maybe our side doesn't do the Rush lie/hate/cheat well.

The other side of the coin is not only does the right win do the lie/hate/cheat/propagandize well, they fall into lock step no matter how absurd.

So maybe being like them also entails supporting Jon no matter what.

[Lucid Code]

25. TDS is about comedy,

not activism. I actually think Jon has great instinct when it comes to knowing who to ask hard questions to so as not to scare too many guests away.

Most people aren't going to put up with getting grilled on a cable comedy show. The idea is to promote curiosity and to let people judge for themselves.

[Cleita]

27. I think a lot of people are erroneously thinking that Jon is taking

sides in politics. He isn't. His show is comedy and he will satirize what comes his way. Right now the present right wing masturbating by the MSM is a ripe garden for satire. It's too bad that the other comedians don't take advantage of it. I guess it's because they are too chicken to; too afraid to offend the * maybe.

Incidentally, I thought he got some good jabs in at Ari Fleischer. Jon can be very subtle. You have to really pay attention.

[rinsd]

30. I also think he got some good jabs at Ari

Especially at the end, you could see he was tiring of Ari contention that the press just wants to upstage the President.

[applegrove]

34. I don't think you can loose and election and then blame it on

Jon Stewart. He has to talk about what is going on in Washington. That is why I thought he was a little unfair to crossfire. Those people on Crossfire all have careers and such. So easier for them to give into the pressure, coercion to 'change their thinking' and hope to survive for another day. Crossfire is over, Bill Maher is over. Let us see how long Jon Stewart lasts (but he isn't actually about open dialog which the repukes hate - well they hate the truth & empathy). He doesn't pretend to be real & that may save him. But at some point we all have to move on from the Iraq war and hope democracy works there and screech anytime the USA supports another strongman (so as not to create another Iraq situation). There are other fish to fry. Pretty much everyone in the world agrees that Iraq needs its own army and some sort of democracy at this juncture. Jon covered it enough - and did a good job. Let it go and cover other stuff (the stuff the rovbots have gotten us to avoid looking at & voting on by starting a war).

[lonestarnot]

37. Because they're paying him? n/t

[rocktop15]

39. He's a COMEDIAN.

Comedy comes first. The show is made to make people laugh----it succeeds very well in that department. It's tongue in cheek irony is a very welcomed addition. People on this board who thinks the Democrats can do no wrong need to get their head out of their ass.