Jon Stewart Roasts Megyn Kelly For Flip-Flopping On Maternity Leave (VIDEO)

On Thursday's "Daily Show," Jon Stewart accused Megyn Kelly of hypocrisy for seeming to flip flop on the benefits of maternity leave.

Kelly's gleeful, merciless takedown of Mike Gallagher -- a radio host who criticized her for going on maternity leave after giving birth to her new daughter -- became an instant cable news classic. Of course, where others merely watch, "The Daily Show" turns to its voluminous archives, and Stewart found a few differences between what Kelly said recently and what she said in the past.

He started by marveling at the seemingly pro-government benefits stance Kelly took in her defense of maternity leave (she said the U.S. is "in the dark ages" because it does not require employers to grant paid maternity leave). Stewart's theory was that Kelly's spunky new hairdo has something to do with her view.

"When you cut your hair, it saps your conservative strength," he said. "That means Rachel Maddow is ten scissorless weeks from a Fox News contract!" Then came...the flashback clips. It seems that Kelly had previously talked about entitlement programs in a more negative fashion, and even said it made sense for women to get more time off after pregnancy than men did.

"Here's the thing about entitlements," Stewart said afterwards. "They're really only entitlements when they're something other people want. When it's something you want, they're a hallmark of a civilized society, the foundation of a great people. I just had a baby and found out maternity leave strengthens society. But since I still have a job, unemployment benefits are clearly socialism."

His only conclusion was that Kelly is suffering from "post-partum compassion."

WATCH:

(Watching outside the US? Please click here.)

Comments

[ALittleClarity]

04:18 PM on 08/21/2011

Jon's splicing and dicing doesn't not add up to critical thinking on the subject. What is does is feed the appetitie of those who can't critically think.

[Sortaskibum]

11:03 AM on 08/18/2011

What did Carlin say? I couldn't understand the parts between all the bleeps.

[tnlcallen]

11:45 PM on 08/16/2011

Maternity leave is an entitlement? I wouldn't have classified it as that, especially your employer, and not the government gives it to you. In any case I did like his analogy that we like our own entitlements, and not others entitlements. It also applies to Liberals and their desire to raise taxes. They want to raise taxes on someone else, and not themselves.

[circlecitynews]

01:52 PM on 08/18/2011

I disagree with one point. Liberals are willing to raise taxes on themselves, Warren Buffet, President Barack Obama, Paul Krugman, Clintons, unless you believe they aren't referring to themselves when they say they want to raise taxes on people that make $250,000 a year. Or you believe they don't make $250.000 a year.

[Gregory Ynwa Abrahams]

04:14 AM on 08/26/2011

so true

[charlie smerlick]

09:24 PM on 08/16/2011

post partum compassion---that was the best ----stewart is my hero

[PhDcommonsense]

08:25 PM on 08/16/2011

It is good for Jon to point out what Air Heads some of the women are on Fox News. Most are blonde and attractive. I guess it works for the men they are able to attract to Fox News. After a while, I think most people would like to see actual intelligent discussion.

[Banghouse]

08:13 PM on 08/16/2011

This guy is awesome!

[Phyllis Kay]

06:55 PM on 08/16/2011

I never miss Jon, he is super super super and also the best!!!!!!!!

[goodog]

06:45 PM on 08/16/2011

Before this election's over, the TeaOP will be yelling for taxes on tea. They have no philosophy.

[Herm]

06:15 PM on 08/16/2011

Right wingers are scared to death of Jon Stewart. They have recently awakened to the fact that Stewart has a crack team of researchers dedicated to unearthing everything Faux News talking heads, 'blonde' or not, have said.

Now that silly season (campaigning) has started, most, if not all, of them are on pins and needles as they wait for Jon Stewart to cause them to have a very bad day. The campaigners won't fare any better.

Go, Jon !!!!!!!

[rcampbell]

04:30 PM on 08/16/2011

It's sooo typical of conservatives to be against something that helps people until it affects them or their family members. Jesse Helms and Orrin Hatch both famously vehemetly opposed federally funded stem cell research until each had family with diabetes or other diseases that might be helped by the research. Suddenly they were advocates.

How many dozens of closeted gay Republican law makers have consistantly voted against any and all manner of same sex related legislation or supported anti-gay legislation only to be outed by themselves or extenuating circumstances?

The list of hypocritical Teapublicans is long, it simply HAS to be part of their party's platform, no?

[DemsNRepubRtheSame]

02:54 PM on 08/16/2011

"Their Stuff is $h!t and Your $h!t is Stuff" Classic!!! That's what Fox is all about!

[thinchliff]

02:41 PM on 08/16/2011

Jon does it again! I just love it when he points out the hypocrisy inherent in the right-wing hate machine.

[x 2day]

02:39 PM on 08/16/2011

"[. . .] found a few differences between what Kelly said recently and what she said in the past."
What a shocker!

[Phyllis Kay]

06:54 PM on 08/16/2011

you are kidding, right????????

[Banghouse]

08:15 PM on 08/16/2011

huh?

[x 2day]

10:06 AM on 08/18/2011

meaning there are almost never consistencies among what these folks said, vs. what they're saying, vs. what they're gonna say. Utter hypocrisy is no longer a surprise.

[andrc657]

11:46 AM on 08/16/2011

Roger Ailes obviously has that Alfred Hitchcock thing going on for blondes and both men are or were of ample girth and harbor(ed) some very strange ideas.

[andrc657]

11:40 AM on 08/16/2011

Megyn Kelly is a true republican conservative who believes in cutting entitlements and all government programs that don't directly affect her.

[msles59130]

07:21 PM on 08/16/2011

I think they have to sign that pledge too :)