Once Again, Real Journalism From Comedy Central (VIDEO)

Leave it to Comedy Central -- this time Stephen Colbert -- to do the traditional media's job in exposing the fanatical charlatans like Glenn Beck, just as Jon Stewart masterfully dismantled CNBC last month:

Have you thought about how amazing it is that a great deal of the recent turnaround in America's political fortunes over the past five years, and leading up to Barack Obama's candidacy, can be traced to the exceptionally effective work of...two comedians (Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert), a former sportscaster (Keith Olbermann), a former right-wing journalist (David Brock), a former Republican activist and author (Arianna Huffington), a dedicated group of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans (Jon Soltz, Paul Reickhoff, Brandon Friedman), a number of former Republican White House officials (Richard Clarke, John Dean), a group of fearless bloggers (Markos Moulitsas, Josh Marshall), two unsuccessful presidential candidates (Howard Dean and Wes Clark), a number of very committed activist groups (CREW, Center for American Progress, MoveOn, Sunlight Foundation), and the man who should have been president (Al Gore)?

It was only through their efforts that we learned of, and then challenged, the true agenda (often illegal) of the Bush Administration, the feckless media who were too scared of challenging our government, and an uninspiring Democratic Party that was too nervous about pissing-off its big donors instead of looking out for rank-and-file Democrats. Only then were candidates like Barack Obama able to step onto the main stage, generate meaningful grassroots excitement and support, and hundreds of millions of dollars in small-dollar donations, and be able to win the presidency as well as electing an impressive group of Senators (like Jim Webb) and Representatives (too many to name) who have given us hope that we will get our country back on path sooner rather than later.

It's for this reason that I don't shed tears -- even though I really should -- when I see the implosion of the traditional media. Sadly, the number of lackluster reporters and editors and journalists are quickly overshadowing the truly fine ones while casting a pall over the whole field to the point where we no longer trust the media to be the relentless watchdog they once were. Sadly, instead of cultivating more journalists like Bill Moyers we're forced to accept the tabloid hackery of Politico, not to mention the propaganda outfits like Fox News, or those entities which happily promote its never-ending, self-serving conflicts of interest like CNBC.

Instead, I'm truly grateful that we've had this organic uprising of the most unlikely and unconnected people, who began their work outside the formal political and media establishments, who have provided the desperately needed leadership to stop our country's slide into damaging right-wing orthodoxy and hypocrisy, and allow us to begin the process of fixing the horrific damage they have caused -- domestically and internationally -- and restoring America's role as a moral leader of the world and a country that tries to lead by example.

We've got a long, long way to go, but I'm often reminded -- like with Colbert's incredible takedown of the clownish Glenn Beck and the election of Barack Obama -- that we're making real progress.

Mark Nickolas is the Managing Editor of Political Base, and this story was from his original post, "Once Again, Real Journalism From Comedy Central"

Comments

[Ciganka]

Patriotism and Scoundrels.

[AverageDrafter]

Colbert, Stewart, and I'll add Trey Parker are the Mark Twains and Johnathan Swifts of our day. Populist, scathing, and insightful.

[tiotom77]

Me thinks somebody is trying to start a fight. It's a shame Beck doesn't watch Colbert. This scuffle will never happen

[DRaymond]

I wouldn't describe the job that SC did on Beck as being journalism because I have more respect for the word. It was great satire, and did a fantastic job of parodying Beck's opportunistic pandering patriotism.

When Colbert jumped up with the gas mask and shotgun it was not only funny but it showed how Beck was rewriting history. The way the country felt on 9/12 was paranoid, ready to blame all muslims and willing to sit numbly by while the Patriot act was rubber-stamped through congress and anybody suggesting caution about our civil rights was accused of 'wanting the terrorists to win'.

[egaeus]

You forgot the single best news show around -- Democracy Now! (and Amy Goodman). Somehow they manage to choose stories to focus on that eventually envelope the mainstream news months or years later.

[jayburd]

You forgot to include the wonkish delight known as Rachel Maddow in your list of shoutouts...

[GGMarks]

Colbert is just the best. What a hoot.

And I'm speaking as a recovering Republican.

Beck has one less 9/11 family member to hate. She died in another of those mysterious plane crashes.

Beck should be teary eyed about "THEM".

[David Durham]

Letting comics 'set the agenda', as you rightly point out, is dumb. But it's fair to ask, "How did we get here?" There seems to be a breech, a disconnect, a breakdown between truth and propaganda that has been serving the monied and powerful quite well. Truth has been turned into bumpersticker phrases when it really requires careful examination and critical thought. You have to work to ferret it out. When someone like Sean Penn speaks truth to power it's easy to say, "There he goes again!" because he's so serious about it. The fact that he's right is simply overlooked. But get a laugh and suddenly truth is harder to ignore. Why is that funny? Because it's true. I think comedians should keep right on poking whatever fonts of stupidity are gushing. As long as it's funny.

[Mauiloa]

One more source of information that I think has helped in the past few years is the social aggregator site Digg.com. Each day dozens of articles covering myriad topics found on the Internet are presented. For news junkies like myself, the majority of articles covering current events possess a very healthy skepticism of the status quo and "The Establishment".

I long ago stopped reading newspapers because if one wants information about an issue, there are numerous places to find it on the Internet, rather than one news service like AP or one reporter's views from the New York Times.

I was glad to see Nickolas' list of the "movers and shakers" of the "new media" society. All people owe much to this small band of "information rebels" who compel us to move beyond the old politics and old issues based on hatred and intolerance.

Finally, Huffington Post should get credit for pulling together progressive and correct-thinking people in an entertaining and provocative way. I spend more time on this one site than if I ever did reading newspapers.

[Principe]

Or..... Stewart and Colbert are making a living telling us to be angry and afraid about silly cranks whom we should just be dismissing. The fact that this nonsense is playing in a lot of diners doesn't mean tens of millions of Americans actually believe it, it just means it's on. The feedback loop at work here is ridiculous - Comedy Central makes cranks seem significant, cranks say thankyou, then rant about Comedy Central, bloggers on HuffPo weigh in with thinkpiece­s....serio­usly, ask yourself, who benefits?

What's really happening is that, with no administration to oppose, the liberal-leaning media outlets are building up the conservative cranks as the threat to fear and the power in need of satirising. That's why Limbaugh has leapt up the agenda since the election, there's no Bush or Palin to write jokes about.

Letting comedians set your agenda is plain dumb. Ask the comedians, they'll agree.

[rjmiller]

You have the strategy mixed up. Instead of opposing actual conservative politicians with something legitimate to say (I assume they do still exist somewhere, though I could be wrong), the Democrats are propping up right-wing radio lunatics then knocking them down like bowling pins.

And it's working. There is no clear leadership of the Republican party, they don't even have a clear agenda that makes any sense. The Republican response seems to be a variety of press conferences where they can grandstand in opposition to Obama, bank on the economy's failure and then say "I told you so" in 2010 and 2012. They don't even need to offer a reasonable opposition, just scream enough about deficits and lower taxes to provide good soundbites for their next campaign commercials.

[JWheels]

The liberal media, really is a myth. As far as MSM is concerned at least.

[oregonbird]

'We' challenged nothing. We sat watching cable shows while the WH ran an illegal war and torture camps. 'We' still do nothing. Check out the actual 'something' that the Brits did, for the G20 summit. Civil unrest. Something the government has to actually acknowledge -- not just typing your flat, useless opinion on a website. Like I'm doing -- like you are doing. The Spanish government is doing more about the war crimes perpetrated by American citizens; we're... waiting for the administration to tell us that they really, really won't be doing anything. Oh, and by the way, Ted Stevens won't be going to prison, and there won't be another trial -- he's just... free to go back into government. That okay with everyone? Great.

[zola77]

Good point.

We have been talking about 'internet activism' for the past decade - but it's just BS! We need to get back to basics and challenge the government head on in the same way we did in the past, and in the same way other nations are still doing now. The internet isnt a substitute for masses of people getting out on the streets and showing solidarity with each other, and in opposition to government policies.

That type of action makes the powers-that-be sit up and listen more than an internet petition or blog site ever can.

[gregzink]

"Check out the actual 'something' that the Brits did, for the G20 summit"

Don't forget about the French. They garner amazing results from their general strikes and their tactic of holding CEO's hostage when the employees are wronged is unparallelled. Power structures take quick notice when their base disintergrates and this is demonstrated by Sarkozy's presence at the G20. He threatened to boycott if consecsions were not made and took an extremely proactive position before the leaders even met. Sarkozy is threatened because of the deteriorating situation at home and they do not even come close to the States in gun ownership.

[theone718]

A masterpeice, a true masterpiece of the Stewart tradition. These guys have to have a place in history.

[TongoRad]

Copy that. We haven't seen this kind of withering comedic assault since...I don't know when. This is great American comedy.

[grovecleve]

I think Bill Maher should be on your list too...he's been doing tremendous work on HBO.

[ZackShorty]

That was great! The scarey thing is that Glenn Beck has a following. They must be 'them'.

[Roxanna]

God I loved this. It is One of the Best.

KEEP IT UP.... "THEM AND US"