Jon Stewart Eviscerates Media's Pope Coverage

Last night on "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart mocked the media's breathless coverage of the Pope's uneventful arrival. "I thought the media was controlled by Jews!" Stewart said.

Watch:

Comments

[rlspear3]

The Pope's every move in the US is not newsworthy. Put it on the Catholic channel. 24 hour news networks completely ignore or prematurely cut away from major economic and security speeches from presidential candidates. ABC aired a Presidential debate interrupted by numerous commercial and tape delayed on the West Coast. Other religious leaders and heads of state come and go from our country without mention. The Pope pays a visit to the US to try to shore up the ranks within his organization, and every media outlet falls all over itself to cover his every move, however trivial, with limited commercial interruptions and wiz bang graphics made special for the occasion. With all that is going on in the world, what justifies all the news channels broadcasting live religious sermons to their larger audience, only 25% of whom are Catholic? If it could be shown that 25% of the news audience played golf, would that justify CNN broadcasting the US Open in it's entirety?

Report the news, and stop shoving this shit down my throat!

[drblack]

The pope has a very big hat. How about that.

[LeonBNJ]

Here in the NY City area, all the local stations are giving extensive and live coverage of the Pope's visit, even showing it over national programs. Unfortuntally they are practically ignoring Iraq and other important stories as well as ignoring the Jewish Passover (which has just started). I would suggest that while some of the coverage may be justified as about 1/4 of Americans are Roman Catholic and want to see the Pope, at times it is a bit over the top.
I would note that generally the media is noting the conterversaries the Pope engenders among belivers and non-believers, the victims of priest sexual abuse and dealing with it and other faith belief issues. At least it's a lot better than the excessive attention the media gives to so called 'celeberties' and their bad beheivors.

[forpeace]

*

Pope at the Pump

http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/20080416_pope_at_the_pump/

*

[mediamarv]

I find it odd and amusing, that only headline writers use the term eviscerate.
Hardly a day goes by with me (or anyone I know) using that term.

So what does it really mean? And why is it considered such a strong description of something that Stewart does every single night???

Inquiring minds want to know.

[gun]

The man and his staff are not Gods but Genius!

Consider the alternative, the Real News Network -- Could we really handle the truth?

Announcer: "¦.Here he comes¦.The Pope, a the world's most famous front man for child molesters and overpopulation, now trying to maneuver an antiquated bureaucracy that once infallibly ruled that counterpoint in music was a sin... oh, and failed to mention what it knew about the Nazi concentration camps, thereby resulting, according to historians, in 8 million additional deaths.

And our President, America's most pious ever and yet also the worst; who has lied, cheated, killed, enriched his friends and impoverished the nation, as you might expect from a morally-bankrupt, spoiled rich kid, and former booze and drug addict who has never accomplished anything positive in his entire life -- nor apparently worried about it.

Sincerely,

An Ex-Catholic
We are the World's Largest Alumni Group in the World

[JohnFromCensornati]

huffnpuffn said:

"Making up stories and name-calling now? Where are we? Kindergarten?

Seriously, you're a smart guy, John. You can can handle this. If you want to criticize, at least make an effort to understand what you're talking about. What the Catholic Church believes is freely available at your local bookstore. EDUCATE YOURSELF."

I'm clear on what catholics believe in.
Invisible sky gods, rising from the dead, virgin births, immaculate conceptions, infallible popes, water into wine, walking on water, etc.
Whenever I decide to educate myself on a subject, it usually involves non-fiction.

[nykid9]

I find it funny that Bush-haters like Jon Stewart act so "embarrassed" by how stupid they perceive the president to be. Take this professed embarrassment over Bush's "awesome speech" comment to Pope B, for example. The clip itself is funny because the word "awesome" brings to mind popular slang, sounding like something Sean Penn in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" would say. Seemingly, it makes Bush sound immature and stupid.
But Pope B didn't grow up watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He studied english as a foreigner and theological academic - to him the word "awesome" would carry the formal meaning "awe-inspiring" without that informal surfer-dude connotation (as Obama used it when he referred to an "awesome God" in his keynote address). So while it makes for a funny clip knowing Bush's flair for "Yo, Blair!"-type diplomacy, its likely that Bush used the right word - not only is "awe-inspiring" an appropriate term for Pope B's words, but its the best word out there.
Of course, the significance of such context is a subtelty I would expect an intelligent world leader to get but an unfunny comedian to have trouble with. But its another example of how obnoxious it is when the ignorant guy tries to make fun of the thinking guy (often the case w/Bush-haters). And anyway, Stewart's "Bush is dumb" jokes have been tired since about 2001. Looking forward to four years of "McCain is old" jokes though - its gonna be AWESOME!

[speakyourmind]

New York Child:

We don't "perceive" Georgie to be stupid. We are just commenting on the only face he has ever shown the American public. STRATEEGERY!

[callit]

Mmm-hmm, that's what Bush meant . . .

You don't even believe he meant that -- that's why you focused on the meaning the Pope might have perceived rather than what Bush intended.

[nykid9]

I do believe that's what he meant. The point of my post is that Bush is smart enough to get how the Pope would understand the words when he was choosing them. Not that you have to be that smart to do this - everyone modifies their language based on who they are conversing with.

If Barack Obama used "awesome" this to way the pope, there would definitely be no joke on the Daily Show - everyone would get what he meant. When it comes to a Bush, his haters turn their brains off and loose the ability to consider the probable meaning of words in their context.

[indypete]

It seems you don't watch the Daily Show much... Jon blasts the snot out of all-comers, even those he likes and agrees with. Think of it as "fair and balanced satire". (Not to be confused with the fox news definition of fair and balanced). Now, take twenty dollars to the mall and buy yourself a clue.

[DrHemlock]

Hey, New Yawk Kid. Nice try. Whyncha go down by da shore git yassef a Coney. 'Cause Georgie Pie don't know da meanin' o' no woid like "awesome" except da one from "Fast Times." 'Cause he's a freakin' idiot, namean? Now siddown 'n' shaddap 'cause ya runnin' ya mout. Dinkins'd'be a bettah preznit den dis maroon.

[NelsonR]

NyKid, your attempt at intelligent discourse is lost by the wayside. Bow and pray before your moron called Bush. Now if you idolize this jerk you either are awaiting a reward from the public trough or you are a follower, which is it? I find your post the reason America is shoveling backward daily. Your type haven't a brain you have lips that suck up to the powers that are. Got you mad?

[rbspickles]

Ok Rove, you can go back to singing karaoke rap now.

[antoniosaucedo22aa]

Jon Stewart is a brilliant guy. He's a great interviewer but he's an even better interviewee. Truly funny and smart. And he was also an awesome soccer player, so he's got to be a genius.

[Dennim]

Thank you, Jon! We can't count on MSM.

The Pope is receiving red carpet treatment wherever he ventures during this visit -- yet he is the man who threatened excommunication of anyone who violated his edict of total secrecy relative to all sex-abuse cases transferred to the Vatican.

The Pope continues to maintain that pedophile priests are an American problem. MSM continues to perpetrate the lie. I'm disgusted and enraged.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11336777

[NelsonR]

There is pedophilia in all religions, in all ethnicity's and no borders separates religions into an illusion or pious state. Structured religion has been the cause of more wars and misery throughout history. Why, can't people worship without the necessity for besmirching other believers, the cause, structured religion. My religion is true, yours will be a road to Hell. Bottom line, that's why many agnostic's and atheist inundate all societies and thankfully so.

[rbspickles]

Hey world! NOT EVERYONE'S CATHOLIC! The Pope is just a man to us.

[JoeBlough]

Guess you could say he's the President of the Catholics.

[callit]

He may be "just a man," but he's a very powerful man with worldwide influence. What's shameful is the media's obsession with the ceremony surrounding his visit without any real analysis or critique.

[huffnpuffn]

The Pope is just a man to everybody. He never claimed divinity. He's got an important job. That doesn't necessarily make him a saint or even holy. He, you and I have to work at that.

[indypete]

He's only the second most important man in the catholic church. The most important is the coach of the Notre Dame football team.

[JohnFromCensornati]

So, the whole infallible thing is just a lie?

[bigjoe31]

Not a lie exactly - more like a sham ;-)

The infallability doctrine only dates to the late 1800s -
before then Popes lied.

[huffnpuffn]

By that comment I rather suspect the whole infallible thing is something you just don't understand.

Here's your homework: http://tinyurl.com/3k8ee5

[LeonFreilich]

NO POPE IN PARK SLOPE

The Popemobile is due to cruise
The streets of Manhattan and the Bronx;
No-show in Brooklyn, that's the news;
So what are we, a flock of skonx?

Some folks'll be sad not to be sharing
As holidayers and serenaders
The evening meals they've been preparing
For the Pope's Passover seders

[rascalov]

Definitely one of Jon's best bits ever!

[batgirlevi]

LMAO

[patrickjkiger]

Absolutely brilliant.

[Trill]

No disrespect intended, but I was absolutely getting tired of all the coverage on ALL THREE cable networks. The same thing...ad nauseum. I am a Christian, but not Catholic. However, I respect all religions, but I thought that it was a bit TOO MUCH to air the mass and all of that other stuff. I mean...explanations about why the incense was being blown around.....Cough Cough!!!

So, I left the room and hit my computer.

[ResidentChimp]

If Stewart had any real guts, he would try that stuff out on the Muslims. It's easy to be contemptuous when you know there are no consequences.

[Michellelover]

These punks in the Media are afraid of the muslims. The Church is an easy target especailly since catholics don't strap their children with bombs to blow up innocent people

[JohnFromCensornati]

He can leave that to you.

[laborgrunt]

Calm down monkey boy, I have heard Jon make pretty colorful remarks about Muslims.

[ResidentChimp]

He wasn't making remarks about Islam.

[strifeknot]

He has indeed. He was really harsh when with the Palestinians for using Mickey Mouse to teach kids anti-Israel civics lessons in school, but I've never seen him take Israelis to task for putting Palestine in the situation of dire hopelessness its in .

[ResidentChimp]

The only ones putting the Palestinians in the dire situation of hopelessness is the terrorists thugs that they have as leaders. The issue could have been solved decades ago if they had wanted to. But the Arab countries and the Palestinian leadrship would rather kill innocent Palestinians because anti-Zionists will blame Israel for it. Israel has a right to exist and to defend herself. From my point of view any territories she aquired because the Arabs attacked her should be hers, period. And finally, all the Arab oil Nations are raking in money in obscene proportions. But they can't give the Palestinians any to help them out? It's a travesty that America, private and public, gives more money than all the arab countries combined. Of course the Palestinian people don't see any of it because their thuggish leaders pocket it all for more terrorists actions. The Arab nations and the Palestinians only teach hate and then the World wonders how it is that they are still living in the seventh century.

[baabaan]

Stifeknot, you're so right.

[Thatcher]

Executive Producer Jon Stewart's other show (The Colbert Report) features Obama puting distractions "on notice". All the clips and analysis of The Colbert Report show from tonight at http://thedeadguy.com/2008/colbert-bumps-clinton-edwards-and-obama

[Gary47]

George Bush - taking embarrassment to a new low every single day.