'The Daily Show' Takes On Occupy Wall Street's Own Class Warfare (VIDEO)

After eight weeks of Occupy Wall Street protesters filling Zuccotti park in downtown Manhattan, a police raid Tuesday left it nearly bare. But a few days before the protesters were evicted, "The Daily Show" got in one more eye-opening segment, this time highlighting the movement's inner class warfare.

Collectively dubbed the "Least Toileted Generation" by Jon Stewart, it might be a good thing that the Zuccotti park protesters cleared out when they did. According to the on-the-streets report from Samantha Bee above, the occupiers were actually in danger of emulating the very things they were fighting against: classism and elitism.

Watch as Sam Bee navigates her way from uptown Occupy Wall Street to downtown or "ghetto" Occupy Wall Street while talking to hipsters, "East-enders" and every sub-niche in between. Not only does it appear that all of the protesters were taking the same class in condescension, but their concept of "real" occupiers (vs. non-"real") sounds oddly familiar to something we've heard the Tea Party say.

click here to watch on "The Daily Show" website

 

 

Comments

[itiswhatitmaybe]

12:49 PM on 11/26/2011

Jon completely misses the actual message of the Occupy movement. In so doing he attempts to marginalize a powerful populist movement of our nation. No amount of ridicule will take away from the fact that our government is a plutocracy which doesn't represent the best interests of the middle class and poor.

While the Occupiers may be easy to make fun at due to our largely ignorant electorate, the Occupiers are doing us an incredible service. They are putting themselves out there where we are afraid to go so we can sit back and make fun of them while secretly praying for their success.

[pgpilot]

06:18 PM on 11/21/2011

Great segment. I understand that OWS has good intentions. But guys, if you can't laugh at yourselves - even if you don't think it is hypocritical - then you are stuck.

[meetnewbosssameasoldboss]

05:08 PM on 11/21/2011

"I'm more against private property not personal property." hahaha

I'm torn. I think this was a brilliant segment, but it's so easy to make fun of this movement it takes away from the brilliance of it...Either way, gotta love Samantha.

[Khawer Khan]

09:12 AM on 11/28/2011

Personal and private property are two different concepts in political economy. Naturally, TDS is a comedy show and they cut out the part where I explained the differences. For laughs.

[rcthomp]

01:57 PM on 11/21/2011

This was awesome. Daily show isnt afraid to point out how dumb anyone is being!

[O K Ali]

01:11 PM on 11/21/2011

That's what I like about the Daily Show. Hypocrisy is never safe.

[blueyesinbhead]

10:20 PM on 11/19/2011

Waiting for FauxNoise to run with this story on their nightly shows. Like that will ever happen. Then it would show that The Daily Show makes fun of EVERYONE.

[Captjashook]

08:19 PM on 11/19/2011

When did James O'Keffe start editing for the Daily Show?

[klwarner]

06:09 PM on 11/19/2011

This segment was pretty interesting and truly highlighted what a lot of people hesitant to start following this movement are feeling. Without some solidarity amongst entire groups, this method is not going to work. The movement is there, it's alive and it isn't going anywhere, but if the groups aren't working together they'll collapse sooner or later. Time to make some hard decisions, kids.

[Rubyfoo]

03:35 PM on 11/19/2011

Weak segment. Try harder next time, Daily Show.

[tbone32]

09:54 PM on 11/18/2011

I do see what the Daily Show is hinting at here. But in reality, this is exactly what something like Fox News would do to make a mockery of a justifiable situation: Seek out the easy targets to laugh at rather than find someone who can present the cause in a detailed, intelligent way. Very disappointing Daily Show. But oh yeah, you're just a comedy show full of comedians. Right....

[Dogwithoutaleash]

08:34 PM on 11/18/2011

"...a class in condescension..."

Samantha Bee would be validictorian of such a class.

[mamasilverhair]

04:09 PM on 11/18/2011

Takes all kinds of people... I could of moved in the "library" crowd, But would of felt more at home with the drums. Why? Because the drums would not of judged me. and the Library is where I grew up.

[Ted525]

12:50 PM on 11/18/2011

Interesting that Communalism/Communitarianism developed organically at the Giaccotti Park. Were meaningful lines of communication developed that led to a belief that a cohesive federation of diverse communities are now possible in our country? The Populist movement atrophied in part because the city dwellers saw those in rural communities is as bumpkins.
“But it depends upon themselves whether equality is to lead to servitude or freedom, knowledge or barbarism, prosperity or wretchedness.' Alexis de Tocqueville.

[uniwarp]

12:35 PM on 11/18/2011

grow a few pairs of brain cells stewart and his minions... money or education is not what determines class. your relationship to the capital does. i don't view rich athletes as a different class, even though they might drive expensive cars of live in luxury houses. this is just a stupid american reflex of equating wealth with class. for example, these athletes work like i do for someone else to make a profit off of them. like it or not, they are working class people... team owners and shareholders aren't because they are the ones investing the capital into the game to make a profit through other people's labor. they are the capitalist class, by definition. so this classism and elitism claim is just pure bogus because it actually conflates free association with like minded people with discriminatory practices.

[PercyHugo]

05:58 PM on 11/19/2011

Karl Marx would be quite proud of his disciple....

[Just My Thoughts 2011]

11:05 AM on 11/18/2011

ows doesn't even have a middle class----now THAT'S funny!