In the wake of the now-famous televised showdown between Jon Stewart and Chris Wallace Sunday morning there's lots of chatter from pundits on both the left and right that Stewart, as Wallace charged, is dodging his true role as a 'journalist.' To paraphrase Stewart from the interview, anyone who believes this ridiculous assertion is "insane."
I'm not exactly sure where all the confusion lies. Stewart was a stand-up comic for years and now has a comedy show. On "Comedy Central." And like many a legendary humorist before him -- Mark Twain, Will Rogers, Mort Sahl, George Carlin and Lenny Bruce to name a few -- his material consists of politics, politicians and American culture. You will never see anything on The Daily Show, Stewart's nightly program, that is delivered with a serious tone. You will never see Stewart himself analyze and comment on anything unless his set-ups have wickedly funny punchlines. He's a satirist. And probably the best there ever was. But that's all he is. To paraphrase the late Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen's famous smackdown of Sen. Dan Quayle in their 1988 vice presidential debate, "Mr. Stewart, I know journalism. I studied journalism for many years. I have a journalism degree. Mr. Stewart, you're no journalist."
It's pretty sad when, as Rogers said, "People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke." A society which considers Stewart and people like Bill O'Reilly "journalists" is a society that's in deep trouble. To label Stewart a journalist is offensive to journalists and non-journalists alike. I don't get my news from Stewart. I save that for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, MSNBC, The Huffington Post and other outlets. I watch Stewart for the same reason I watched/watch Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Carlin and a zillion other comics: to get a biting, funny take on the day's news. Because Stewart makes us laugh about the news doesn't make him a newsman. That he makes us laugh about politics doesn't make him a political activist. He's simply doing his job as a comedian.
Now on the other hand, as Stewart pointed out to Wallace, there are millions of very "misinformed" people who watch Fox News and actually think they're watching an objective news network. They listen to people like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck and think they're getting the truth. They're not. In an astounding admission of his network's true bias, Wallace, while discussing other networks with Stewart, said "I think we're the counterweight. I think that they have a liberal agenda, and I think we tell the other side of the story." Wow. So much for "fair and balanced."
Stewart is a true genius. But he's a comic genius. And without even being a true journalist he brilliantly managed to do what no one else has done: get Fox to admit that it's a politically biased television network. I bet Wallace didn't have that outcome in mind when he invited Stewart on his Fox "News" Sunday program.
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Fox News proves Jon Stewart right
Got what I came for. Central take-away hardly remains, until you think this through.
The current "fair and balanced" slogan invites criticism and/or satire. So we need a Jon Stewart to help journalism and journalists maintain the highest standards.
I should admit though, I don't watch Fox News. I see their clips, laugh my head off, and wait for the comedic talent to get to the punch line. When there is a punch line. Sometimes, just the clip will do.
Has anyone told those at Fox News that we're not laughing WITH them...?
One organization, I forget which, had the slogan, "We watch FOX news so you don't have to."
And that's kind of why I watch Stewart and Colbert et al.
We need humor and comedians in this day and age, especially with the advent of Fox.
f/f
MSNBC, on the other hand, Stewart depicted as having viewed FAUX news business model, and is trying to present news articles that are of interest to a progressive audience (rather than to absolutely slant the news beyond the truth to make it palatable). I also believe that Stewart more or less said that MSNBC hadn't attained the proficiency in hack-dom that FAUX news network had, but they were certainly attempting to follow the business model.
The slogan isn't the "thing" that Stewart has a problem with. It's one of many things Stewart has a problem with and it's not limited to FAUX. I think it's funny that Wallace is now trying to spin this whole thing when, anyone can view the unedited version and clearly see what FAUX was attempting to do.
In typical FOX News style just because YOU claim Jon Stewart uses I am a comedian to cover up his bias doesn't make it so. Especially when there is a mountain of evidence to the contrary.
Further, yes, Stewart's sketches and bits ultimate point is comedy and satire first, but his political interviews are, in my opinion, first rate (Obama interview, notwithstanding. Not one of my fav's.) His ability to have a civilized discussion with people with whom he disagrees, to be able to debate their points without shouting at one another, is not only better and and more dignified than the evening talking heads (Matthews, Hannity, etc) but is on par with the quality of the Sunday morning interviews (Scheiffer, Russert, etc).
It was the FIRST LIE FOX NEWS created and they used the "If you say a lie enough times it becomes the truth" method. It worked so good that they keep doing it.
And please, the "possibility" he meant Fox tells the unbiased story? If you believe that then I got some nice Florida oceanfront property for you.