Why didn't Jon Stewart cover Al Gore's speech? nt

[Eric J in MN]

nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Maybe he didn't think it was funny.

And that's a good thing, because it wasn't.

[Eric J in MN]

7. Then he could have made fun of the Republican reaction,

but he didn't do that, either.

[Zookeeper]

2. And why the heck did he go so easy on Paul Bremer?!?

Jon Stewart is great except that he seems to wimp out when he has one of the actual BushCo cronies on his show.

[EstimatedProphet]

3. I disagree. He pointed out what an idiot Bremer is.

[Zookeeper]

5. Maybe I missed something, because it all seemed...

entirely too cordial to me. Or it could just be that I'd like to see Bremer totally humiliated, if not slapped silly.

[Maat]

18. For him and his neocon friends causing Binka's son to ..

to be injured like he was ... and 2,218 Americans and 100,000 Iraqis killed ... after their parents loved them day by day, second by second, I'd like to see him .... ummm .. what you said (I'd better not articulate what I'd like to see ... I meant 'slapped silly').

I had my hubby watch him ... I didn't want to throw up.

Thanks, DUers for watching and reporting; I just couldn't.

[Eric J in MN]

6. Jon Stewart praised Paul Bremer for rolling up his sleeves in Iraq.

Very flattering to Bremer.

[EstimatedProphet]

8. I agree with Stella on this

I don't think he was complacent at all. I think he was cordial, but he did make the point that Bremer was full of it.

[Eric J in MN]

11. When did he make the point that Bremer is full of it?

I didn't get that.

[EstimatedProphet]

13. Frankly, I need to watch it again

I don't remember the specifics. What I do remember was coming away with a feeling that Jon had really tagged him good at one point.

I'll hold off on this until I see it again.

[EstimatedProphet]

16. Watching it again

Stewart is implying that plans were incompetent "Weird to call Bremer afterwards", also the remark about plans changing.

Got it: Stewart asked Bremer about why the administration says "trust us", and then comes back with shut up when we question when they fail. Compares the admin to Nicholson in A Few Good Men.

So, no, he didn't nail him to the wall. He did make some good points however, some that stuck.

[StellaBlue]

4. I thought he scored some good points while remaining dignified.

It was, as usual, better TV journalism than the actual news. Paul Bremer must be a vampire, though - he didn't look 65! Whoah! I was also surprised that he seemed affable... I figured he would be a dark prince type like Cheney or Rumsfeld.

[Dave Reynolds]

9. I'm sure Cheney and Rummy seem affable, too.

At least until they have a clean shot at your jugular vein.

[StellaBlue]

14. no, you know what I mean

He didn't seem the embodiment of evil. Just watching Cheney gives me the shivers. At least old Paul has the muscles necessary for smiling.

[Eric J in MN]

10. What is so great about being dignified?

I'd have preferred an interview in which the host pointed out that Paul Bremer didn't put into place due process for law for prisoners in Iraq, and now some murderous morons are threatening to kill a Chistian Science Monitor journalist, Jill Carroll, unless all the female Iraqi prisoners are freed.

[StellaBlue]

15. I would've preferred that, too

But the answer you will get from most people to your desire for that is 'But, basically, it's a COMEDY show'. Whether that's a fair cop-out or not. :shrug:

Thing is, it's much like how women have to be EXTRA dignified when angry or demanding something to avoid being written off as 'hysterical'. We lefties have to outclass the elitos to gain cred. Either that or straight out, in the street, placard-waving, group chanting, MASSIVE revolution. Either is fine by me.

[sasquatch]

12. Because Al is no longer an elected democrat

That's my theory.

[jpgray]

17. What's your issue with Stewart?

He's a comic, not a socio-political messiah. Aren't you expecting a little much from the guy? His job #1 is to be funny, and he succeeds more often than not.

[Zookeeper]

19. Well, his interview with Bremer wasn't particularly funny either.

Honestly, I think Stewart is great, but part of his wimping out with BushCo cronies is that he suddenly drops the satire and acts like he is a real talk show host and therefore obligated to be "fair."

Steven Colbert manages to be much more pointed and subversive by pretending that he agrees with his right-wing guests.

[Maat]

20. I agree with you about Colbert being more effective. (n/t)

[jpgray]

21. I do think Stewart is too worried about getting more big-ticket names

If he had treated Colin Powell nastily (as the guy deserved and deserves), you can bet someone like Bremer wouldn't have come on the show. It's a shame, but that's the way it goes--the best Stewart can do to keep that caliber of guest coming is with very subtle attacks, and asking a few frank questions normal press people wouldn't ask. That alone is worth it for me.

[crispini]

24. I ADORE Colbert.

I honestly think it's funnier than The Daily Show now. I get many really good belly laughs out of that show every night. It never ceases to amaze me how far he will go. BRILLIANT!

[EstimatedProphet]

22. Face it, He's doing it for the comedy

He couldn't destroy Bremer like he could O'Reilly or Goldberg or Carlson because they are such blowhards. Stewart just showed them for who they are. When he was talking about the administration acting like Nicholson in A Few Good Men last night, he was showing it for what it was, and Bremer by comparison.

He can't embarass people if they act normal. He's a comedian. The problem is, we need some investigative journalists in this country.

[LynzM]

23. Probably filmed to early in the day...

He doesn't usually cover the events of the current day, because they shoot early in the afternoon, IIRC. Did he cover it at all last night? I didn't watch.