Jon Stewart Slams Fox News, Sean Hannity For Hypocritical 'Common' Outrage (VIDEO)

The subject of Wednesday night's "Daily Show" brought out an interesting new talent in Jon Stewart, aside from his already impeccable talent for finding hypocrisy on Fox News. The network's outrage (particularly Sean Hannity's) over Chicago rapper Common visiting the White House to read poetry Tuesday got Stewart so fired up, he ended his segment with a freestyle rap about it.

To back up, Hannity and company on Fox News expressed their extreme displeasure this week with vegetarian, Grammy-winning Common going to the event because of his "misogynist" and "violent" lyrics. Too bad they didn't read all the lyrics to the songs they were criticizing, or they would have seen how he talks about those things as a way of calling for peace. For this Stewart also became outraged, but for all the right reasons:

"Are we really doing this again? For this guy, Common? The guy from the Gap ads? The guy from the Queen Latifah rom-coms? Elmo's friend?"

Stewart then got down to business, finding all the right clips to display Fox News' utter hypocrisy in many forms. First, a clip of FoxNews.com having a pleasant interview with the same "dangerous" rapper they don't want in the White House. Next, a clip of Hannity saying Common's lyrics sound like they're about cop-killing followed by a Fox News on-air birthday wish to "Cop Killer" lyricist Ice-T.

Now what about Sarah Palin's "Don't retreat, reload" comment? If you remember, Fox had few negative things to say about that. And if the Right is really only outraged by violent song lyrics, Stewart wants to know why George W. Bush honored Johnny Cash, whose lyrics talk about murder and misogyny in a much more clear-cut fashion than Common.

"Seriously Hannity, what's the difference?" Stewart asked, wondering if it was just because Common rapped about violence toward George W. Bush in one of his songs that he didn't want him around. "Would you feel that way about people using violent rhetoric about President Obama?"

Naturally, Stewart produced a clip of just that: singer Ted Nugent cursing out Obama and Hillary Clinton during the election, followed by Hannity saying he had no qualms about the hateful speech.

"This isn't even fun anymore," Stewart admitted. "It took longer to play that clip than it did to find it."

What follows in the second part below is an epic moment in "Daily Show" history. Finding it impossible to express how ridiculous Fox News' "Common" outrage really is, Stewart decided to express himself in the same medium that was being discriminated against. You have to see Stewart's "freestyle" rap to truly believe it. Tell us what you think in the comments.

WATCH: Part one

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Tone Def Poetry Jam
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

WATCH: Part two

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Tone Def Poetry Jam - Lyrics Controversy
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Comments

[hollyd310]

10:01 AM on 06/21/2011

Saw the interview and found the Jon was just stating the facts about Fox news. He also has more talent than any news person. He has to create material that is entertaining and makes a point. On Fox, all we get are the personal opinion rantings by newscasters who are selected by the station.

[landskroon]

03:34 PM on 06/19/2011

Can he be multiplyed ? made younger so my greatgrandchildren can enjoy him too?

[Jeff Fallert]

05:51 PM on 05/26/2011

Jon Stewart is an American classic, 'nuff said.

[hecatr]

10:15 PM on 05/20/2011

What a genius, this moral category-eschewing Katla McGlynn. The Right is hypocritical because it criticizes Common yet is silent on Johnny Cash and Sarah Palin. Why didn’t I think of that?

Because Cash sang harmless ballads, not poetic commentaries endorsing black uprising. And Palin was exhorting Laura Schlesinger not to be intimidated by people who blew out of proportion her use of the N-word on the radio, not urging her Twitter followers to shoot Democrats. To my knowledge, neither named their daughter after convicted cop killer Assata Shakur, nor gave the Black Power salute before reciting “A Letter to the Law.” Those are things Common did.

[QRUSDVL]

11:13 PM on 05/23/2011

Do your homework racist pig.

[hecatr]

01:17 PM on 06/07/2011

Furthermore, what does Common being a vegetarian have to do with anything? Because vegetarians are more moral than people who eat meat? This belies a broken moral compass on the part of the writer of this article.

[Madmiddle]

06:30 PM on 06/19/2011

Cash said "Early one morning while making the rounds, I took a shot of cocaine and I shot my woman down. I went right home and I went to bed. I stuck that lovin' 44 beneath my head." Cash sang bad stuff. Read the lyrics from begining to end. You're probably less law abiding the common. Go back to your right wing phony sight.

[M Jackie Daniels Emanuel]

01:01 PM on 05/17/2011

John strikes Again!!!! lol

[isb782]

07:38 PM on 05/15/2011

LOL...that was to funny for words....John is the best.

Thanks......John

[stopspending]

08:03 AM on 05/15/2011

As Fox stated, Common has the right to rap and say anything he wants but is this the model we want to hold up to our kids? He supported cop killing and cop killers because HE thought it was justified???? He degrades women in his "poems" and "songs". He supports violence in his raps> Can the whitehouse not find a better role model for our country and kids? The WH talks a good line about civility and respect but they certainly show in their actions that it is all talk and no action. This is the same as so many of the administrations talk but no action - ie: close gitmo, allow energy exploration and development, grow the jobs and the economy. Talk, talk, talk but no action in the right direction.

[Robt Christian]

09:39 AM on 05/15/2011

uhhh...you may want to actually WATCH the clips before you make replies

[myprerogative]

11:06 AM on 05/15/2011

You are totally wrong about Common. His songs are far from what you've described. Common is a positive role model and I would allow my kids to listen to him. I bet you've never listened to any of his songs. You are just repeating talking points from Fox.

As far as the President actions, the economy is growing. Obama is creaming Bush when it comes to job creation. As far as Gitmo, you may want to check with Congress.

[sammyscout]

05:21 AM on 05/15/2011

You need to do more of these Faux Lies kinda segments, Jon.

Also, as much as I enjoy and find entertainment in them, sadly, the youth may not get the point, they have a very limited vocabulary, so try and spell out Faux Snooze's hypocrisy sometimes, for their sake.

Thank you Jon, for bringing sanity and clarity. Love the Daily Show and Colbert Report!!!

[ECBA88]

02:12 AM on 05/16/2011

If teenagers don't know these words, this is a great place and time for them to learn. I started watching John when I was 14, and it was great for my intellectual development. It is fun to watch him break it down a little more sometimes, though. His dissection of Megyn Kelly's claim that nobody on Fox News ever called anyone a Nazi was one of my favorites. "okay, now a clip of someone on Fox News calling someone a Nazi within 24 hours of that statement. Okay, now a clip of someone getting away with calling someone a Nazi on Megyn Kelly's own show!"

[sarah kate]

08:57 PM on 06/04/2011

Or how about the "Glenn Beck has Nazi Tourette's" segment? Priceless.

[pacigentri15]

02:54 AM on 05/15/2011

Republicans and their Fox news propaganda machine have NOTHING and I repeat NOTHING to offer to help this country that's why they can only come up with this petty stuff to make the president look bad. that's all they have -- to make Obama look bad and to fail. Thank you Jon for more expose of this propaganda machine.

[Itsbeenalongday]

10:29 PM on 05/14/2011

Jon asks what is the difference between Cash and Common, one is black.

[lc1]

10:45 AM on 05/20/2011

In the context of the dialog, i dont think race was the question. statements like that un-necessarily fan the flames racism.

[George Garros]

08:50 PM on 05/14/2011

Jon Stewart for president.

His insight into the debauchery that is the Fox news network, keeps this country sane.

[92102]

06:19 PM on 05/14/2011

Tonight on FAUX: Sean Hannity exposes Jimmy "JJ" Walker's terrorist inclination.

DYNO-MITE!

[MJinCanada]

04:52 PM on 06/21/2011

LOL

[dbrett480]

04:36 PM on 05/14/2011

The only valid criticism of Common is that he named his daughter after Assata Shakur, a murderer and escaped convict. To name your daughter after somebody who was a member of a terrorist group and murdered a police officer shows an extreme lack of judgement. I don't think anyone from Fox News brought this up, but if they had, Stewart really couldn't counter it.

[sammyscout]

05:28 AM on 05/15/2011

No, you should apply for a job there. She was an activist and most charges were dismissed against her.

Since you conservatards love to focus on anything that muddies the actual issue at hand, how about W. and all the murders he's responsible for. Like to hear you counter that. Haliburton and Blackwater.

Selective Amnesia?

[stopspending]

08:07 AM on 05/15/2011

"Most of the charges were dismissed"? That is your logic for supporting a cop killer. Are you kidding me? Activist?? The only charges that were not dismissed were the cop killing charges. Did you forget she was in prison and now is hiding out in Cuba after escaping. Are you serious that he named his daughter after a cop killer? There is no justification for killing a cop!!! and certainly no justification for glorifying that killing.

[dbrett480]

11:51 AM on 05/15/2011

If you know about the case you would know that the charges were dismissed (after conviction) because the judge thought it "took too long" to bring her to trial. It actually took too long because Shakur had so many charges against her in two different states, that it took time to figure out.

Look at the evidence and you will see that there is no controversy that the Assata Shakur is a murderer. As an African-American law enforcement officer I find it incredibly insulting to label her as an "activist" and not the criminal that she really is.

Honestly, I don't really have a problem with Common going to the White House. My issue really is with Obama not appearing at ANY Police Week memorial event as prior presidents have done.

[Madmiddle]

06:37 PM on 06/19/2011

How about nobody name their kid Charles, because someone might think you named your kid after Charles Manson...

[hecatr]

03:40 PM on 05/14/2011

It takes a deep thinker to compare Johnny Cash lyrics to Common's. One sang about black supremacy and violently overthrowing "white authority," the other sang ballads about life. That's deep, man, real deep.

[Try the truth]

04:44 PM on 05/14/2011

In other words you didn't watch the video! You don't know what Common sings about, and you advocate the murder of women! ok

[Liberalgirlandproud2]

05:58 PM on 05/14/2011

Snort! lol

[Artanis71]

12:59 PM on 05/14/2011

"Hold a musician to a higher standard then a presidential candidate", how brilliantly spot on.