Jon Stewart Breaks Rick Sanchez Silence, Responds

Jon Stewart broke his silence over Rick Sanchez's comments about him and Sanchez's firing from CNN Saturday night.

After remaining quiet Friday as Sanchez's controversial comments from a radio show — in which he called Stewart a "bigot" and suggested that the media is run by Jewish people — became major news, Stewart addressed the issue at Comedy Central's "Night of Too Many Stars" at New York's Beacon Theater.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stewart made at least two references to the situation while hosting the event, which was a fundraiser for autism research.

"If you went on radio and said the Jews control the media...you may want to hold on to your money," he said, according to THR's Georg Szalai. Later, he joked, "All he has to do is apologize to us, and we'll hire him back."

Later in the show, David Letterman made a surprise appearance and joked that he was late because he was "helping Rick Sanchez clean out his office," according to GossipCop.

Sanchez has been a particular target of Stewart's, which led the Cuban-American CNN anchor to call the "Daily Show" host a "bigot" and complain that Stewart looks at the world with a bias against "anybody who's different than [he is]." He also complained that Stewart only targeted him to create a sense of fake balance after making fun of Fox News, and said:

If I did just sit there and read the teleprompter every day, Jon Stewart would never say a word about me. He'd say I'm a good Hispanic anchor, "Way to go, you've done a good job, stay right there." ... I am a complex human being, I'm not some moron to be..."

Sanchez was fired for his comments Friday.

Stewart will, presumably, address the issue on "The Daily Show" Monday.

Comments

[yonoton]

10:14 AM on 10/07/2010

Any of this might actually matter if Rick Sanchez didn't suck to begin with. He radiates a hollow sense of confidence and cluelessness, often materialized in his insipid interviews of half-baked experts and uniformed commentary.

[truthisneeded]

06:43 AM on 10/07/2010

CNN censored Sanchez and terminated him what s wrong with that?

[CLSayles]

06:34 AM on 10/07/2010

Hold on a second, Ric Sanchez is Hispanic?? LOL!!

[CatherineCoy]

02:30 AM on 10/07/2010

I can't believe no one sees the obvious: Sanchez was relentlessly bullied by Stewart. Who is Stewart to mock and repeatedly make Sanchez the butt of jokes? Who in Sanchez' shoes wouldn't be angry and take the first opportunity to call Stewart a name on national radio? How long will media feel entitled to pinch, punch and poke anyone they don't like before an audience of millions?

Bullying is in the news. Children are killing themselves as a result of the behavior exhibited by Stewart and retaliated against by Sanchez. People wonder how children become skilled bullies. Well, it's because they see it modeled, day after day, on programs like South Park and "comedy" programs like The Daily Show. If Stewart were 14 years old, he'd be taken to the principal's office and reprimanded for bullying. But he's an adult and a comedian, so that gives him license to make Sanchez the butt of jokes--not once or twice, but over 20 times? Sanchez became a target of Stewart's bullying masquerading as biting wit. I personally don't care for Sanchez but I cannot stand Stewart. He has no compassion, no subtlety and there's no indication whatsoever that he has ever put himself in the shoes of another. He says whatever gets him a laugh and there are many comedians like him.

Wake up, America. What children learn comes straight from the boob tube and the loudest, most obnoxious boobs seem to be turning America into a very cruel place.

[John Kuckowicz]

12:46 PM on 10/07/2010

Your responding emotionally and discounting the role that parents should be taking in raising their children. Yes, the media does have an influence, but my Mom, bless her soul, taught me early on that television is generally entertainment and should be taken with a grain of salt. And seriously, if Sanchez can't handle some heat, he should hardly be a news anchor! Most of us with level heads are entirely aware that Stewart is a comedian and not one of the ten most important philosophers of the 21st century. I vote for personal responsibility; Sanchez should act like an adult, stand up, admit he was wrong. Now that would be a much better use of his time and a great lesson for our children.

[jstyle]

01:43 PM on 10/07/2010

I can't believe you don't see the obvious! This rant of yours is a clear instance of psychological projection. Do you take every opportunity to call people names or just Stewart. Have you no compassion, no subtlety, no ability to put yourself in another's shoes (empathy is a bad word for conservatives nowadays so I'll use your phrasing). Or do you just write whatever you think will stir up popular anger and get a response?
Stewart does say whatever will get a laugh. That's his job and there are indeed many comedians like him..., if they have jobs. Otherwise they will just be left writing hateful blogs proclaiming their moral superiority to their intellectual superiors.
"I sure hope John Stewart doesn't turn america cruel. Everything used to be so nice before the media existed. So much harder to ignore the truth now!"- character playing you
The fact remains that Sanchez was a joke and probably on his way out anyway. To use this event to rant against Stewart is more juvenile than any of the Daily Show's pranks.

[Jesterband]

05:36 PM on 10/24/2010

Welcome to both jstyle and John Kukowitz. I don't know how posts you two have so far, but these are lucid and well thought out. Keep up the good work F&F for both of you.

[fiverer]

09:51 PM on 10/06/2010

Rick Sanchez was a terrible, rambling anchor...good riddance.

[RJ Jolay]

05:48 PM on 10/06/2010

Rick Sanchez dared to speak the truth

[Bill Keeshen]

05:42 PM on 10/06/2010

Jon Stewart is Anthony Fremont, the Twilight Zone boy whose powers are so immense, that everyone starts quaking in their boots when he starts to turn his attention on them. Sanchez has a right to be an idiot. It is fascist to think otherwise. George Carlin said it best... The real fascists are going to come in wearing smiley faced t-shirts. CNN's move was just as bad as the hasty removal of Sherrod or the defunding of Acorn... Smiley Smiley!

[schooner]

04:52 PM on 10/06/2010

what 's so dumb about telling the truth, maybe you better do some homework and find out who runs CNN,CBS,NBC

[airmikee99]

03:33 PM on 10/07/2010

Time Warner runs CNN. Time Warner is a publicly traded company, so you could own stock in it if you wanted. Looking at the list of the board of directors and senior executives, not too many names stand out as being Jewish, in fact, the CEO is Dutch.

Yeah, that's some truth all right, if you spend the majority of your day smoking crack in a dark closet.

[Thad]

04:40 PM on 10/06/2010

"Broke his silence"? Really? All that silence he had for roughly 36 hours after it happened, during which time his show did not air because it was the weekend?

[tice]

01:19 PM on 10/06/2010

After reading the transcripts I can't help but think that his firing had nothing to do with what he said about Jon Stewart and everything to do with:

"I had a guy who works here at CNN who's a top brass come to me and
say, ‘You know what, I don't want you to --

PD- ‘Will you wash this dish for me, Sanchez?’

RS- No no, see that’s the thing; it’s more subtle. White folks usually don't see it. But we do - those of us who are minorities and women see it sometimes too from men in authority. Here, I’ll give you my example its this 'You know what, I don't want you anchoring anymore, I really don't see you as an anchor, I see you more as a reporter, I see you more as a John Quinones - you know the guy on ABC. That’s what he told me. He told me he saw me as John Quinones. Now, did he not realize that he was telling me, ‘When I see you I think of Hispanic reporters’? Cause in his mind I can’t be an anchor. An anchor is what you give the high-profile white guys, you know. So he knocks me down to that and compares me to that and it happens all the time i think."

Does CNN care about him calling Stew Beef a bigot? Probably not. Do they care about him saying top CNN brass is bigotted? Uhhh...yea!

[AlexheartsWilliamShatner]

06:19 AM on 10/06/2010

I'm sad to see everyone fighting the good fight for the poor corporations. When will they ever get a break?? lol YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT! It shouldnt just apply to the goverment! Corporations are still part of our society and they should be forced to abide by it's fundamental rights that are given to it's citizens. You should not be fired for saying a simple truth. No matter how meatheaded you stated it. A fact is a fact weather it comes from Bush or Ghandi. Corporations should have NO RIGHT to silence ANYONE because they are stating a fact outside of their work. This isnt about Sanchez anymore, this about free speech that no bloated corporation should be able to touch. If you dont get that then you should become a republican. They're always fighting for the rights of corporations at the expense of the people. Imagine you got fired for saying Bush was dumb or that the corporation you worked for was evil for supporting republican causes. It's the exact same principle.

[ian22]

09:10 AM on 10/06/2010

It's exactly the same principle - only a lot different.

[namdlogd]

11:44 AM on 10/06/2010

You are confused about the difference between constitutionally protected speech, and employers rights. You should do two things immediately: Pick up a copy of the Constitution (plus the Bill of Rights, mustn't forget those now) and actually read them, secondly go the U.S. Department of Labors web site, click the sections under Compliance, now read that too. Come back when you have a better understanding of the principles involved in both being employed and being an employer in this society. Now listen to the recording again, it wasn't what he said about anyone of anything else which got Sanchez sitcanned, when the words CNN left his lips, he had brought his corporate brand into the discussion, and as a Broadcast corporation, employing a Broadcaster, who is disparaging you and your brand identity live and in color on a radio Broadcast, he simply gave them enough cause to sever their employee/employer relationship. He's lucky they didn't sue him for slander and simply terminated his employment.

[RJ Jolay]

05:51 PM on 10/06/2010

Rick Sanchez spoke the truth

[bioniccupcake]

03:29 AM on 10/06/2010

Holy cow, people....calm down. If you think Jon Stewart has some magical ability to get an anchor on CNN fired you need to switch your meds. He's a comedian. He gets paid as a pundit and comic. Sanchez lost his mind and said dumb things in a public forum and got himself canned...all because he was upset that a comedian had made fun of him. Grow up. Do your job. Oh...you can't now because you're fired.

[figneutron]

02:14 AM on 10/06/2010

Why should we insist that the media not be infested with social discrimination? The Other will always be used as a scapegoat or doormat by individuals who have no better way to cope with grief, fear, or anger. The best social policy is not to ban it but to confront, expose, and educate wherever and whenever it appears.

[afgail]

03:37 AM on 10/06/2010

Firing Sanchez was in fact a teachable moment. It taught news casters to keep their racism under wraps and treat everyone with dignity.

[philoTruth]

02:07 AM on 10/06/2010

according to the young turks at youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWfl1NIsy14&feature=fvsr

Rick Sanchez did some good reporting, I cant help wondering if that was really why he was picked on but I must admit I dont get to watch stewart although Im a fan of his, Sanchez may have ruffled some feathers by his honest reporting?? maybe? quite possible. he bought attention to this website for example, http://www.opensecrets.org/ can you imagine orielly or the clowns at fox doing that? My impression after watching youtube videos of sanchez is that he was a good reporter, one gaft ought not do him in, otherwise you'd have to get rid of them all.

[FHP]

04:47 AM on 10/06/2010

Whenever Stewart did make fun of Sanchez, it was rightfully so, but Stewart never poke fun at him without reason, out of spite or with vitriol.
Sanchez does not seem to be the sharpest tool in the drawer, not necessarily unlikeable, but sometimes he seemed like this caricature of this the vain and dumb news anchor celebrity type we know and laugh at from so many movies, cartoons and TV series.

[SDB2]

07:28 PM on 10/05/2010

How come Rick Sanchez can get fired for off the job comments but the gay hating assistant attorney general of Michigan can't

[candcje]

08:44 PM on 10/05/2010

They may have been off his regular job (not during his own show) but they were absolutely on the job in that they were during a formal radio interview. If he'd said them to a friend at dinner in a public restaurant, that would be different because even though he was in public, he was there privately. But that's not what happened. He was doing a paid radio interview as a news anchor from CNN, which means that he was there as a reflection of CNN and so CNN had a right to react.

[Display Name]

12:55 AM on 10/06/2010

I have never felt so pained as when I read your Racist rant.