Daily Show confusion

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How come Jon Stewart always gives air time to the scummiest reactionaries? It seems to me the equivalent of the ACLU defending the KKK.

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't watched it lately, who did he have on?

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)

some fool who wrote a book defending Bush. But the guy didn't come across well at all.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

But the guy didn't come across well at all.
That's why.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Do you really think the show would be better if he only had on bland milquetoasty types everyone can agree with? Controversy makes good TV. Controversy and Stephen Colbert.

― yossarian, Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:25 (twenty-two years ago)

let's see...John Podhoretz was just on, talking about how the "war on terror" was Bush's greatest accomplishment. can't think of who else...just a general feeling of wrongness re: two or three recent guests

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

mmmmmmm.....Stephen Colbert

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I lurve Stephen Colbert.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Stewart goes out of his way to be polite to these people, staying above board all the time, and I guess it just doesn't seem fair especially when were the situation reversed (a liberal on a conservative show) he'd be reamed up one side and down the other.

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:31 (twenty-two years ago)

But that's because conservatives are assholes, Donna. Duh.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Duh indeed

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

seek out the show where one of the Daily Show correspondents came to my town to do a profile on the biggest loser ever!

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.christiangallery.com/whatcottparade.htm

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

If anything, I'd rather see Jon go up against incongruous right-wingers (whom he ultimately differs from) as opposed to, say, Dennis Miller's show, which is basically just an excercise in sychophantic, press-release logrolling.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

"why don't people constantly reinforce ideas that make me comfortable?"

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 20:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, what happened to Dennis Miller? Aside from turning into a right-winger, was he always such a kiss-ass? And every time he has a black guest, he gets all "righteaous threads, m'man - stay cool, mah bruthuh."

I hate that guy now.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 20:12 (twenty-two years ago)

dennis miller is one of god's cruelest mistakes

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 20:14 (twenty-two years ago)

On the Dennis Miller thing, I can't even let myself watch that smug asshole anymore. I was on of Denny's biggest fans, but his head has gone so far up his on ass, he put a window in his navel. On his old Fox show, in the early '90's, he was so one of us, and now he is so one of them.

― Speedy (Speedy Gonzalas), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

(xpost)

― Speedy (Speedy Gonzalas), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I think there was some freak accident on the set of MNF where DM and Hank Williams Jr switched brains.

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 20:16 (twenty-two years ago)

it's not buggery if it's in the Regina

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 20:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Dennis Miller was always sort of a kiss ass. On his talk show (which I actually sort of enjoyed) he'd always have Henry Rollins as a guest, and Miller treated him like some sort of tattooed Demi-God.

― subgenius (subgenius), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

But that's because conservatives are assholes, Donna. Duh.

Stewart is usually fairly polite to the right wingers he has on the show, but last night he sounded like he was one straw away from snapping at his guest. And for the sake of balance, has he had anyone on the show who was further to the left than Michael Moore?

Right now I think I only have cable so I can get Comedy Central and MTV2 (which is killing off nearly everything I used to like about it).

― j.lu (j.lu), Thursday, 26 February 2004 02:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I loved the episode where Ann Coulter was on, and he told her he liked watching her show, as, for him, it was like watching National Geographic, a glimpse into some alien world he had never known before. The audience booed her too. It was pretty swell.

― Prude (Prude), Thursday, 26 February 2004 02:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Who's further to the left than michael moore?

― Stuart (Stuart), Thursday, 26 February 2004 02:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Do you think John Podhoretz is further right than Moore is left? What Dem did Podhoretz erroneously call a deserter?

― Stuart (Stuart), Thursday, 26 February 2004 02:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Lenin?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 26 February 2004 02:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Now that's television.

― Stuart (Stuart), Thursday, 26 February 2004 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm probably further to the left than Michael Moore. If I'm honest.

― cybele (cybele), Thursday, 26 February 2004 02:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I wouldn't say that Michael Moore is terribly leftwing. I mean, he likes McDonalds, he enjoys the trappings of capitalist society. He's not necessarily out to bring the system down or anything.

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

loved the episode where Ann Coulter was on, and he told her he liked watching her show, as, for him, it was like watching National Geographic, a glimpse into some alien world he had never known before. The audience booed her too. It was pretty swell.

Wow. I'm actually really sorry I missed that. How was she? Was she wildly uncomfortable? How was her banter with Jon?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 26 February 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I loved the episode where Ann Coulter was on, and he told her he liked watching her show

Ann Coulter has her own show? Jeebus...

The message board on anncoulter.org is one of the scariest places on the internet. Hate and stupidity galore (from the chorus of approval over comments like "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to christianity" to posturing about going to anti-war rallies to try out new hunting rifles on them anti-American liberal types).

― mmmmsalt (Graeme), Thursday, 26 February 2004 17:01 (twenty-two years ago)

How was she? Was she wildly uncomfortable? How was her banter with Jon?

At one point, she said there were some bad Republicans, but there weren't any good Democrats, at which the audience booed. She then lamely added, "Except for this audience...?" Jon seemed mostly bemused. He made that National Geographic comment at the end, and I don't think she had any response.

― Prude (Prude), Thursday, 26 February 2004 17:13 (twenty-two years ago)

He should have asked her what it was like to be part preying mantis.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 26 February 2004 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Locust!
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/zorak.jpg

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Thursday, 26 February 2004 18:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Praying Mantis
http://www.uwm.edu/People/mickels2/zorak.gif

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Thursday, 26 February 2004 18:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Batmantis!
http://www.c4vct.com/kym/sg/snaps/batmnts1.jpg

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Thursday, 26 February 2004 18:02 (twenty-two years ago)

sorry

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Thursday, 26 February 2004 18:02 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.lifelibertyetc.com/images/Products/ptsf_brook_01.jpg

― The Second Drummer Drowned (Atila the Honeybun), Thursday, 26 February 2004 18:02 (twenty-two years ago)

(that's an ann coulter affiliate)

― The Second Drummer Drowned (Atila the Honeybun), Thursday, 26 February 2004 18:03 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

Dennis Miller was on Jon Stewart last night, and the appearance fits nicely onto this thread. Firstly, it was an obvious attempt to win back a piece of his old audience; he mentioned not once but twice that he has "not turned into a right-wing nut." But then he spent the rest of the interview doing these massively uninformed and unfunny rants about global warming. "1.8 degrees in the last hundred years? So what?" was the gist of it. Yeah, very funny, moron. At least he didn't do any of his high-larious material about Arabs.

But the thing is, Stewart ate it up as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever freakin' heard. He seemed a little to eager to accomodate Miller as some kind of grand old man of comedy. I can get with a certain willingness to accomodate all points of view, but Stewart seems to be taking the stance that comedy is still funny even if you don't agree with it, and that seems shaky to me. If it's based on opinions that are wrong and thin and stupid, how can it still be funny?

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

"If it's based on opinions that are wrong and thin and stupid, how can it still be funny?"

See: Archie Bunker?

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

see: south park

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

On the flip side, there was a Liz Winstead (sic?) stand-up performance on CC a while ago where a line between "comedy routine" and "political rally" was crossed (and I never knew that line existed!) - she called out Bush for this & that, and the crowd would APPLAUD, not LAUGH, after every other line. It was like watching the side of Congress that supports the Preznit do their whack-a-mole thing during the State of the Union. I agreed w/ her for the most part, but I would've gotten more laughs seeing some assbackwards slur-tossing bigot talk about carpet bombing the Ayrabbs & the rest of the Third World back to the Big Bang.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I disagree.
I think stand-up especially, and comedy in general has gone too far into this weird agreement/approval=funny paradigm that divisive and boring and very rarely actually funny.
I think that there are plenty of funny things that you don't have to agree with to find funny, like Don Rickles or Rodney Dangerfield (but maybe that's more of an irony thing? No, I don't think so. Certainly, the irony of their ill-conceived ideologies enhances my enjoyment of their routines, but it's not an essential part of it.).

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:43 (twenty-one years ago)

xxpost

Yeah, but neither South Park nor Archie Bunker are a stand-up act with an "Am I right, people?" attitude.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:44 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost back to hfb, obviously I agree with Dr. Diva.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Andrew Dice Clay

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:47 (twenty-one years ago)

What about him? That he's funny, or that he's probably the single worst stand-up comedian EVER?

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

sam kinison!

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

"If it's based on opinions that are wrong and thin and stupid, how can it still be funny?"

That's precisely what makes many things funny!

― ()ops (()()ps), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

All that said, Dennis MIller is an ass-kissing prick, and he's not funny (anymore.)

― driede mousedropping (Dave225), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:50 (twenty-one years ago)

But that's irony. Archie Bunker is irony. You're laughing at him, not with. We used to laugh WITH Dennis Miller, but now we wonder if McEnroe's show is still on.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:51 (twenty-one years ago)

That's precisely what makes many things funny!

Yeah, but who watches stand-up to laugh *at* the comedian? Who ever says, "Hey that guy has a new HBO special -- he's a right-wing shill and a total ass clown. Let's tune in!"

xpost Huk OTM.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't possibly see how you can justify the argument that comedy is only funny if you "agree" with it (I'm not even sure what you mean by "agree"). Chris Rock routinely gallops into beyond-the-pale territory with his stand-up routines (see pretty much every comment he makes about the battle of the sexes, particularly with respect to the way that men are cheat machines) yet he's still outrageously funny a good 98% of the time.

xpost: OMG there absoultely ARE comedians I laugh at rather than with! See Diceman, for example.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought it was really sad that Dennis Miller came on and immediately launched into a string of jokes that were exclusively 80s pop culture references (Cheers, Footloose, etc.) Pathetic. Fuck that guy.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Dangerfield and Rickles >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Dennis Miller, Chris Rock, and pretty much any other stand-up comedian currently living and performing. They're comedy is rooted in humiliation (of the self and others, respectively) and is deliberately designed to make people uncomfortable.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:56 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost Chris Rock has a totally different attitude. Next to Dennis Miller he's a paragon of humility. Miller is so full of himself that the only possible way to laugh at such arrogant material is if you agree with it at least somewhat.

Pathetic. Fuck that guy.

And that's the other problem. It's just not witty anymore.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:56 (twenty-one years ago)

They're = their.
geez

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

[Their] comedy is rooted in humiliation (of the self and others, respectively) and is deliberately designed to make people uncomfortable.

Um, whose comedy are you referring to, Shakey?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Dangerfield and Rickles, I think.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"anymore"

― ()ops (()()ps), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

And you can see how Dice comes out of Rickles, but it's also evident within 10 seconds that ADC hasn't got anything close to the grace/charm/sadistic glee of Rickles.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

(xpost) I really don't see how that statement doesn't also apply to Chris Rock and Dennis Miller (race/sex baiting and referential intimidation, respectively).

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Rickles is a great example of "comedy being funny even if you don't agree with it" because his mean-spirited, racist, bitter put-downs are juxtaposed against his all-in-good-fun "I'm a NICE GUY!" signature line. Rickles whole routine was pointing up what you could get away with as long as you sold it as a joke, and what a bizarre and ridiculous social dynamic that is.

(x-post - yes, Dangerfield and Rickles. Dangerfield = I'm such a loser, laugh at me; Rickles = you're all a bunch of fucking losers, JUST KIDDING! or AM I?)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

haha has anyone heard the diceman's online bookie radio ads?

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Most comedians (even South Park and the Daily Show) are able to separate their content from their comedy. The content is just what it's about, not why it's funny. It's funny because it's funny. Miller's thing is all about asking you to agree with him that people who disagree are stupid. It's hardly comedy at all, it's just assholery.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:05 (twenty-one years ago)

hmm, I hadn't considered Miller's uber-referentialism as being a confrontation or put-down of the audience. maybe it would be if he constantly was saying, "what, you didn't get that one? how stupid are you?" or something, but I don't think I've ever really heard him be that aggressive or confrontational. He tends to just let his references hang suspended in mid-air.

Rock definitely does some race-baiting and implicates himself in stupid male behavior, but I dunno if that's a central aspect of his routine, making himself look like an idiot (whereas w/Dangerfield, the self-denigration WAS his entire routine). I admit I am not as familiar w/Chris Rock and have yet to rent any of his stand-up stuff. The clips I have seen on Comedy Central didn't really impress me (to say nothing of his movie roles, which are uniformly execrable - excepting maybe his bit in Nurse Betty about God killing people)

x-post

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)

his stand up is very funny.

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Another thing with Miller: his jokes go right along party lines nowadays. He's turned into a mouthpiece for Bush. Last night he described himself as "libertarian" -- HA BLOODY HA.

You know, I don't always agree with George Carlin, either, because his attitude is that people suck and we should all just sit back and watch civilization slide into the mud. That's kind of a hard bandwagon to jump on. But damnit if it's not interesting.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Part of the in-built arrogance of Miller's routine is the fact that he never explains his references and instead reels off semi-arcane trivia punctuated with a supercilious stare that screams "the people with brain cells will get what I'm talking about here"; it's an aspect of his schtick that he's been honing since SNL.

The central theme to all of Chris Rock's standup specials is "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH HUMANITY????????" with extra race-baiting sauce.

No one would say this about Miller had he not gone the talking-point demagogue route; as he stands right now, he's essentially Bill Maher with extra smirks.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:16 (twenty-one years ago)

miller's schtick was (and still is sorta) 'angry hipster who sees thru the bullshit maan' which some people seem to think bill hicks invented or perfected or something but goes back far as hell, further back than lenny bruce even. only now the bullshit miller sees thru is liberal piety or something. thin line between hipster and reactionary to begin with so this hardly a surprising development, esp nowadays when there's big money to be made in reactionary.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Early on, and even into his 90s series, Miller references were at fascinatingly obscure and absurd. But he's just gotten lazy/schticky and perhaps thought that he was liked because of his views instead of how he expressed them.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I was thinking about posting about this as well.

Miller's formal schtick is still impressive, the speed and clarity with which he throws out his carefully randomized references (although, yes, sure, the areas of awareness that those references describe is perhaps stodgy and predictable at this point). But the purpose he uses this for, as others have accurately described, and the assumptions he brings... bah.

I mean, his complete misunderstanding of how much a 1.8 degree shift in temperature could affect the world (the butterfly effect and so on) was sad, but his comment about how could we trust temperature tables from 100 years ago was what really struck me as sad. That he has so little understanding or trust of science or, really, humanity in general, and has such a superficial understanding of history, I dunno, I mostly felt sorry for the guy.

Also it reminded me of how much I like Stewart's comedy, personality, and approach.

(many xposts)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:21 (twenty-one years ago)

"Part of the in-built arrogance of Miller's routine is the fact that he never explains his references and instead reels off semi-arcane trivia punctuated with a supercilious stare that screams "the people with brain cells will get what I'm talking about here";"

Which is precisely why I thought his string of incredibly obvious and out-dated 80s references were so sad - it was a complete deflation of everything he should be capable of. I can't remember much of them beyond the "Pope looks like Cliff from Cheers, what's next Pope Norm?" punchline but they were all equally vapid.

ugh - Bill Maher, I hate that guy. He's not a comedian, he's a news hack. The Mr. Show parody ("who's been reading the newspaper?!?someone's got to wear the SMARTY PANTS!") of his show was brutally perfect.

x-post

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I've never seen Stewart do stand-up, but as a news satirist, I can't think of anyone who can touch him. (altho my fave segment of the Daiy Show is and always will be "This Week in God" with Stephen Colbert, who is a goddamned genius)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:24 (twenty-one years ago)

has *anyone* really tried to do what Stewart does before? SNL's Weekend Update comes close (and came first) I guess, but I don't think they ever really scaled the heights the Daily Show does, w/such acute attention to detail.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I disagree with this a smidge. The reason he has to reel off that many references is because he needs to throw out three from totally different spheres to make sure that everyone in the audience gets at least one and thus feels like part of the "in" crowd. He wants to make the crowd feel like they're clever and with him without dumbing it down for them. And his references are almost always similes, and the content of what he is saying isn't lost to people who don't get the references. Often enough you can figure out the references from context.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't remember much of them beyond the "Pope looks like Cliff from Cheers, what's next Pope Norm?" punchline but they were all equally vapid.

Ratzenberger becomes Pope

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:28 (twenty-one years ago)

(If you haven't heard the Fresh Air interview with Colbert, it's worth tracking down. He's a very interesting guy, and says some interesting things about Stewart's approach to the show.)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

has *anyone* really tried to do what Stewart does before?

This Hour Has 22 Minutes was, at its peak, perhaps even better than the Daily Show. Only Canadian.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Hm. I haven't seen copies of it floating about the Net (and news comedy shows don't generally stay fresh, I suppose).

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:33 (twenty-one years ago)

i remember some mtv thing awhile back where they had a bunch of comedians sitting around on a sofa 'watching' "bad" videos, hits that had fallen out of favor with what was in mtv's format that week, and adlib on them afterwards, basically a sloppier model of the vh1 talking head blurb shows come to think of it. it was janeane garofalo, denis leary, chris kattan, and john stewart and i remember that garofalo and leary and kattan were clearly working it, just tossing off jokes hoping something would land, just riffing, they were "ON", and every now and then john stewart would casually say something that would be ten times funnier than anything anyone else said.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:33 (twenty-one years ago)

denis leary, someone oughta put a bullet in that guy (preferably THE VENGEFUL GHOST OF BILL HICKS)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

sportscenter during the olbermann/patrick days, that's clearly somewhat what they were looking for when they conceived the daily show, what with them hiring craig kilborn and olbermann calling sportscenter 'the big show'.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:36 (twenty-one years ago)

accusing denis leary of ripping off bill hicks has always seemed to me like accusing nickelback of ripping off creed.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I dunno man, the whole "smoking" routine that made Leary famous.... it's a pretty direct rip.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

off topic, but I just have to mention: Rob Cordry had me howling last night. A monacle!

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

"ohp, there's a cheeto on the floor"

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

His "I think I like you" at the end of that report was both necessary and wonderful.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not a huge fan of Bill Maher as a comic but I've been enjoying his show a lot recently. He manages to get interesting panels of guests on.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

That was the show where Vanilla Ice went batshit & wrecked the set, wasn't it?

And sweet crap Shakey I see where you're coming from, but to bolster your point re: Rickels & Dangerfield by talking about MOVIE ROLES is kinda sketchy.

Also, doesn't most stand-up comedy function w/ the "Am I right, people?" question / request for approval implied in every bit?

[xpost]

God bless Rob Cordry (sic?) & Mr. Colbert.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

"That show" = the MTV talking-head video-destruction show Blount mentioned.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:44 (twenty-one years ago)

(Corrdry.)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:45 (twenty-one years ago)

(Corddry?)

― g e o f f (gcannon), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I Googled it because I couldn't remember, and came up with four different spellings.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Rob.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Daily Show website has it with 2 d's. So there you are.

I'm not a huge fan of Bill Maher as a comic but I've been enjoying his show a lot recently. He manages to get interesting panels of guests on.

Yeah, he's not always the sharpest tack, but as a moderator he does his job pretty well. And yeah, he gets great guests.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Note to Bill Maher: please don't make any more generalizations about women until you meet some outside the Playboy mansion, k' thnx.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:53 (twenty-one years ago)

"to bolster your point re: Rickels & Dangerfield by talking about MOVIE ROLES is kinda sketchy."

haha, yeah touche! altho they both had some really, really great roles among the stinkers (Back to School, Caddyshack - and Rickles in Casino amused me to no end, especially when he got beaten with a telephone)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

You're right, it's two Ds not two Rs. Duh.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, no one really likes Chris Rock for his movie roles! (Except maybe "Head Of State".)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

thing i remember most from Maher's show is seeing Ralph Nader do a surprise walk-in in august of last year, then to see maher and then-panel guest Michael Moore get on their knees to beg Nader to withdraw from the election.

― kingfish, Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)

There is a ad for an ISP (maybe AOL?) that has Dennis Miller on it. He starts of the whole thing with some line about how "I'm an educated guy, but even I wouldn't pay this much blah dee blah..." DUDE WE GET IT, YOU THINK YOU'RE SMARTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. Christ.

I miss the Daily Show. Don't have cable, and don't want it except for that show. :( Is there anywhere I can d/l recent episodes?

― sugarpants: new and improved! (sugarpants), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:06 (twenty-one years ago)

it's for netzero right? he's been reduced to stamos scraps!

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

You got it, babe!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

If I find out that Dennis Miller has started seeing Rebecca Romijn, I'm going to cry.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

What's the deal with Stamos, every show I've ever seen him on seems to be based on the fallacious premise that he's attractive.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, he kinda is attractive, that's the problem.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Says you!

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Says your mom!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)

You're my mom?

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)

& Rebecca Romijin, which is like, y'know, a pretty good litmus test (for his studliness, or her bad taste - you decide).

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Stamos is H-O-T HOT - I could eat him up with a spoon!

― Davey R. (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

"Krypto, lock me in this tanning booth! It is imperative that I spend the next 5 minutes ... AS HUK'S MOM!"

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I LUV the way he beats his bongos.

& he's darling in the video, too.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:21 (twenty-one years ago)

"Krypto, lock me in this tanning booth! It is imperative that I spend the next 5 minutes ... AS HUK'S MOM!"

OMG DAVER

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Hahah, beautiful.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:23 (twenty-one years ago)

haha "It is imperative I spend the next 5 minutes...IN HUK'S MOM!" - huk's dad, the other night

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Do straight men jack off about every woman except the women in their immediate families

― The Ghost of It Just Seemed Like A Good Idea (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

omg i think i'm gonna become a political comic only just tell mama jokes with politician's names thrown in like "tom delay's mama is so fat that when she went outside in a red dress the neighborhood hollered 'hey kool-aid'". kinda like ray stevens' "osama yo mama" but full-tilt, hardcore like the capital steps.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Sugarpants, yes, you can dl Dailly Shows via BT at tracker . s h u n t v . n e t.

If I could figure out the thing that was set up here I'd dl them and make them available for peeps for a few days.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Five minutes? Jesus.

― Curious George (1/6 Scale Model) (Rock Hardy), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

What? Too long?

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:47 (twenty-one years ago)

The impression that I got last night is that Jon Stewart is an old fan of Dennis Miller, and was just really happy to have him there. It's kinda like how you might laugh at the relatively unfunny jokes of someone you admire or someone you have a crush on.

That said, though Miller is a bit of a jerk and can be wildy misinformed, his delivery is still pretty amusing. I always got the impression that his shtick was designed so that it would be way funnier if you rarely got his references, cos his deliverary is more about intensity, momentum, and the sound of the words, and his rants always end on some oversimplified concept that anyone could grasp, and that's his money shot.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

i remember some other standup of stewart's generation being on the daily show and them shooting back and forth anecdotes about the old days, specifically dennis miller so clearly there's some history there.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:50 (twenty-one years ago)

You're thinking of Colin Quinn.

Oh lord, Colin Quinn can be so painful to watch.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

It's also worth nothing that Jon Stewart can't seem to get through any interview without laughing at *something* the guest says. He's just a laughing sort of guy.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:52 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah i used to root hard for the guy cuz he was on remote control, i remember when i saw crocodile dundee 2 in the theater i shouted out 'colin quinn!' with glee when he popped up on the screen, but time wasn't kind.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost

ts: comedians with bad ideas vs. comedians who are just bad at what they do

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

What with all the Miller-bashing going on, I was sitting here thinking "What about the Quinn Posse? Where's the hate for Rich Vos, Nick DiPaulo, Jim Norton, Patrice Gimmesomemoreham, Generic Tokenblackguywhoisn'tpatrice, etc?"

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, those guys all strike me as just being lousy human beings.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Are you sure you're not thinking of Crocodile Dundee 3?

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha, that's the second time this week that I've written out "it's worth NOTHING" when I meant to type "it's worth noting."

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

holy shit how much comedy central programming was inspired by sports programming??? cuz that fucking quinn show was obv a rip on the equally abominable best damn sports show ever.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Jim Norton at least has a truly reprehensible persona. The other guys are just jerks. But Norton, I don't know, I'm not exactly defending him, but he seems to reaching towards ACTUAL DARK SHIT rather than mooks who took the Fonz seriously.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Happy Fun Ball 100% OTM.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Greg Giraldo seems like a smart, funny guy, though. I can't imagine how he fell in with the likes of Nich DiPaulo

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

The only one who's ever funny is the dude from Harvard Law School! Well, sometimes Nick DiPaulo is funny in an "I can't believe this mouth-breather had the nerve to call someone else who is not Rich Vos stupid" way.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Mooks who took the Fonz seriously?

http://www.stereolaffs.com/images/smallcovers/sm_gorchtee.jpg

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

no i'm definitely thinking 2 huk! by the time 3 rolled around i would've either sighed or slit my throat when i realised my life had sunk to the point that i had actually decided to go see crocodile dundee 3 in the theater.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

The only one who's ever funny is the dude from Harvard Law School!

Yeah, that's him. Giraldo.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

i always liked some of the guys on Colin Quinn's show. jim norton, patrice oneal, but even Colin himself in an Onion interview said that a few of his guests were dumber than a bag of hammers.

plus i dug the show when they dispatched the topic at hand after about 45 seconds and spent the rest of the time busting on each other.

― kingfish, Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm impressed, Blount. Sorta. I didn't think Quinn was even on the radar that long ago.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

O'Neal! That's his last name.

The best episodes of Colin Quinn's CC show involved Ellen Cleghorne screeching at the other guests like a demented harpy.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I could barely make it though more than five or six minutes of that show at a time, the macho levels were always too toxic for me to handle. It made The Howard Stern show seem like Queer Eye For The Straight Guy.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe you were already a fan of his artful portrayal of Gift Shop Clerk from the year before in Three Men and a Baby.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

if you're the host of a talk show and you've got a comedian on you kinda HAVE to laugh just out of courtesy, no?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I wish I could remember the topics they were discussing when Ellen Cleghorne was on but it seemed like every round of discussion ended with her shouting "LET ME FINISH! LET ME FINISH! CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING??????" and when the others finally let her talk, she'd blurt out some tangentially-related "whitey" joke and cackle like a loon. Even the other black people started to edge away from her. It was so awesome.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)

-- happy fun ball (fluxion2...), April 21st, 2005.

At the risk of alienating the entirety of this board, this comment, (which is completely accurate) highlights why the Daily Show is, and always has been, exactly like Dennis Miller/Bill Maher and whoever else is swimming about in the great political snark pond.

There is no "content/assholery" dichotomy at play here. Dennis Miller's show has "content" that is "funny because its funny" it has it in equal portions to the Daily Show. Content on these shows consists of

stupid things said by a politician

stupid things said by a news personality

stupid things said by a celebrity

stupid things said by anyone else

The snark flinger du jour then dresses said stupid thing up with pop culture references, cute headlines, funny graphics and asks the audience to agree with him that said thing is in fact stupid and that those who disagree are, by necessity, idiots.

Is the Daily Show more artful then Miller or Maher? Unquestionably. But there is nothing resembling a real difference in format between any of these shows. There is no real difference between the blithe, world weary snark of Jon Stewart and his merry band and the hyperintellectual, trying too hard snark of Dennis Miller except for the fact that one is a Bush apologist and one thinks Bush is an idiot. We, as liberals, defend Stewart because we agree with him, but I'm starting to think that's a weak reason for doing so.

I think Bush is an idiot, so its hard for me to come out against Stewart and the Daily Show, but it really irks the hell out of me when people fawn all over Jon Stewart and eviscerate Dennis Miller, or random Fox News personality #37 or whoever, for doing the same fricking thing.

I love the Daily Show (This Week In God especially) but I'm starting to realize that I really dislike politico-snark as a substitute for helpful criticism or thoughtful discussions, and Jon Stewart is just as guilty as Coulter, Moore Miller and the rest for propagating it. Maybe more so.

― Ash (ashbyman), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

But the thing is, Stewart ate it up as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever freakin' heard. He seemed a little to eager to accomodate Miller as some kind of grand old man of comedy.

There is a bit of that at the begining but as the interview progressed things turned out differently in my opinion; it was as if Stewart's pace for meaningful comebacks was just a little off, because Miller was like an excited bully for the attention or something, so the interview ended without Stewart having the chance to say next to anything. When I had the impression I was allowed to take a breathe as a spectator, I remember thinking ok now is Stewart's turn to say something clever that will salvage this thing but no, it was time to say good bye. didn't he pretended to zip his mouth shut and be helpless about it, in conclusion?

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:15 (twenty-one years ago)

The difference is that Miller comes from a position of knowing the answer about everything, whereas Stewart comes from a position of knowing some fundamentals but having tremendous questions about quite a lot. There have been a few Daily Show segments where they have made fun of something (either right or left or whatever) where they were being dumb for a cheap laugh, but they're far outnumbered by the times Stewart has had a guest on who he disagrees with but who he tries to actually engage with. And that makes all the difference!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I liked the lack of respectability and, in some cases, basic intelligence amongst the Tough Crowd regulars. There would usually be plenty of one-shot panelists who bombed hard (along with the host) and the "skits" they would do were just brutal but the insult humor meant it was packed with more laughs per week for me than just about any other show except except for the Daily Show and one or two others. Plus all different manner of comics would appear from time to time and it was interesting to see the clash of styles. So yeah, I thought it was unjustly cancelled.

― Chris L, Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

There is no "content/assholery" dichotomy at play here. Dennis Miller's show has "content" that is "funny because its funny" it has it in equal portions to the Daily Show.

That's not true. The Daily Show makes fun of hypocrisy. It leans left, undeniably, but making fun of hypocrisy is always funny. That Miller bit last night... "1.8 degrees" etc, was just painful. What is he making fun of? People who read?

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:25 (twenty-one years ago)

There have been a few Daily Show segments where they have made fun of something (either right or left or whatever) where they were being dumb for a cheap laugh, but they're far outnumbered by the times Stewart has had a guest on who he disagrees with but who he tries to actually engage with. And that makes all the difference!

-- Casuistry (chri...), April 21st, 2005.

If there are examples of this I'd love to see them, but the few times I've seen actual conservatives on the Daily Show they've been taken down quickly and efficiently. The difference between Stewart and Hannity is that Stewart is smart enough to slip the knife in with a smile on his face.

If we accept that biased pseudo-news shows are a fact of life, then I'm glad the liberal example is in every respect better than the conservative ones. What I'm saying is that I wish there no shows like that on either side, and for Stewart to criticize Hannity and the rest of the pundits while engaging in a cleverer brand of punditry on his own, is a little disingenuous. He tries to play it both ways with his "We're a comedy show! We're on after Crank Yankers!" schtick, but to me that isn't valid. He is every bit as much of a pundit as anyone on Fox News.

― Ash (ashbyman), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:25 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost to myself

I mean, that's unfair, but satire is impossible to pull off if you have your basic facts all wrong. Then it's just The Wrong Show.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)

-- happy fun ball (fluxion2...), April 21st, 2005.

Let me make absolutely clear, I do not think Dennis Miller is funny, and I am not defending him. I am just saying that Stewart gets a free pass from people like me because we agree with him, and I'm just not sure its fair.

― Ash (ashbyman), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I think that Ash is almost OTM; the gigantic caveat here is that Stewart has been turned into a pundit by the media but his entire raison d'etre has been to satirize modern news programs as opposed to explicitly furthering a particular political agenda.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Stewart is a great deal more civil and STRIDENT than all of the people he is being compared to here.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

less STRIDENT, ahem.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:30 (twenty-one years ago)

And I do think that makes a great deal of difference.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I think one of the biggest differences between Stewart and his conservative alter-egos (if they are that) is that he seems to believe in the fallibility of all people including himself, and they seem to believe in the fallibility of all people except themselves. That's a vast difference.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

also, over the last two years or more, the Daily Show has taken on a stripe of media criticism, too. their bits always seemed to attack the mechanics of current mass media than just "ain't this headline funny LOL"...

xpost

― kingfish, Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha Alex, I like the first version!

"Excuse me, PARDON ME, DO YOU MIND IF I INTERJECT SOMETHING?????? That's what those white bitches do when the get behind the wheel! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

(Jon Stewart channelling Ellen Cleghorne)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Hahaha

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:32 (twenty-one years ago)

what was the comeback of stewart to the second time miller said hi didn't "turned into a right-wing nut"? was he urging him to be funny?

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Dan: I think that may be correct, but it would be interesting to see what Stewart would do if the Democrats ever regained power (ha.) If you're right, he would be just as vicious to the Democratic elite. I don't think he would be. He's an avowed liberal and I think he'd go right on attacking the Republicans.

Alex: Unquestionably correct. Stewart is more intelligent, civil, eloquent and likable than anyone else I've compared him to. This just makes him more effective as an adovcate.

― Ash (ashbyman), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

What difference does it make if Jon Stewart is a pundit? I think the point is more that he's NOT like the other pundits, and is pretty positive force for a more humble, thoughtful yet mainstream/everyman sort of political discourse.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, but I think most of what he's advocating is some degree of sense and civility. I don't think of that as being particular leftist.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I think that one of Stewart's most valuable talents is his ability to speak about issues in layman's terms without sacrificing too much complexity.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't remember left-wing comedians having any trouble finding ammunition when Clinton was President.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

If you're right, he would be just as vicious to the Democratic elite. I don't think he would be.

TDS attacks hypocrisy and what they take to be stoopid statements from politicos. several people asked Jon & Stephen last year what they'd do if Kerry won and there was a party switch, would thye still continue to do what they did. the response was something like "it'd be hard for Kerry to top what the Preznit is doing now".

they tend to attack with a level commiserate with the outlandishness of the politico acting. making fun of kerry's lack of editing or damn near anything joe liebermann tends to fall on a different level than half the shit the delay/frist/ashcroft/rumsfeld collective has engendered.

― kingfish, Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, but I think most of what he's advocating is some degree of sense and civility. I don't think of that as being particular leftist. Though, sadly, it is becoming more and more so. I remember Stewart making fun of Clinton et al. when they were in office. FWIW, I have never been able to stand Dennis Miller. Even when I first saw him back in the early 90's I thought he was a smug fucker badly in need of a dressing down. Now, if possible, he's even less funny.

Ash, the more that I think about it, the less trouble I have with Fox being avowedly 'conservative'. All media have a conscious or unconscious bias and they might as well find out what it is and own up to it. I have no problem w/ Stewart being as openly partisan as he is, especially since it is a comedy show.

Political satire has always been a powerful weapon which is why people are treating him like a pundit. The truly sad thing is the dearth of intelligent panels on politcal matters that actually strive to discover basic principles and coherent points of view rather than rapid fire polemics calculated to win through zingers or browbeating. We have laughter. We have heat. Can we get some more light here?

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Michael Fox News aren't upfront about it all. They lie about it (and basically lies) ALL THE TIME.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:52 (twenty-one years ago)

(and basically lie about anything they can) got cut off there.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I was simply saying that I don't mind that they have a politcal slant. Their journalistic ethics are for shite and they are as much of a degrading force for real public morality as a bus full of kiddie smut peddlars and I hope they all die slow, painful and shameful deaths but apart form that I think they're the bee's knees on the cat's pajamas.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 April 2005 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

"FAIR AND BALANCED"

When you think about it, that slogan is funnier than anything that has ever been on the Daily Show. The only Simpsons crack of recent vintage that stands with the golden age stuff is when they had Krusty debate his democratic congresional opponent on Fox news.

Fox drone (to Democratic candidate) "I see, that seems like a very...adulterous...response"

― Ash (ashbyman), Thursday, 21 April 2005 21:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Stewart is utterly not avowedly left-wing. He's probably only left-leaning because the country is currently torqued so far to the right.

And while he has taken down right-wingers, he generally indicates he disagrees with them while listening to what they have to say (and disagreeing with it where he can). Even when he has lefty people on his big question these days has been "What if Bush is right about bringing democracy to the Middle East? Maybe the ends justify the means?"

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 21:03 (twenty-one years ago)

and fwiw, I have *definitely* seen him soft-pedal w/right wingers on his show (Bush's campaign mgr springs to mind). I think Ash is making a little too much of Stewart's "leftiness"...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 April 2005 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

haha did anyone see the american spectator's big diss of the daily show (or more accurately the book) recently?

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 21:36 (twenty-one years ago)

No, what's the story?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 21 April 2005 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

oh and conservatives he's actually engaged and conversed with instead of 'shot down immediately (or at all)': bob dole, john mccain, richard viguerie, JONAH FUCKING GOLDBERG

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 21:40 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=7720

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 21:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Stewart loves Dole. I've seen Bob on his show at least three times.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 April 2005 21:51 (twenty-one years ago)

also, who was the goldwater-era conservative who wrote the book about how the conservative movement started in the '70s? he took great pains to correct jon by differentiating between "conservatives" and "Republicans"...

― kingfish, Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:02 (twenty-one years ago)

richard viguerie, the 'founding funder of the modern conservative movement', the left could definitely take some tips from that joker. one thing he said that stood out to me was that at first they focused purely on getting a conservative nominated president on a major party ticket. and they got that in 64. and then they focused on getting a conservative elected president. and they got that in 80. and then they focused on getting a conservative elected president who'll govern as a conservative, and they're hoping they'll get that now or soon.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Why not. Dole's actually a pretty good guest. I wouldn't vote for the guy, but he can be funny.

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:10 (twenty-one years ago)

one thing i do kinda wish he'd asked dole about the other night is was the 'nuclear option' debate cuz dole sure as hell didn't hesitate to deploy the filibuster that brief window clinton had a democratic congress.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I like Dole. I don't agree with him much but he's funny and comes across as being about as forthright as a politician can.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm watching the repeat telecast of Dennis Miller's appearance. It ain't great (haha, Pope Norm), but he's not terrible either. The Church blowing smoke, Germans greeting the throngs, and Sal Mineo's chalkline. C'mon, it wasn't that bad.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

stewart had as many good lines as dennis miller, and he only talked two or three times.

― Sym Sym (sym), Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:36 (twenty-one years ago)

denis leary, someone oughta put a bullet in that guy (preferably THE VENGEFUL GHOST OF BILL HICKS)

-- Shakey Mo Collier (audiobo...), April 21st, 2005.

OTFM!

― latebloomer: But when the monkey die, people gonna cry. (latebloomer), Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:40 (twenty-one years ago)

-- j blount (jamesbloun...), April 21st, 2005.

And then Vanilla Ice came on and LOST IT COMPLETELY. Dude is scary.

― latebloomer: But when the monkey die, people gonna cry. (latebloomer), Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:43 (twenty-one years ago)

oh how clever that Am Spectator review is! so very provocative were they when dumping on the throwaway jokes in the Daily Show book.

they didn't even mention the joke about Thurgood Marshall, or them printing the stats of "The Iceman."

or the obligatory maya angelou dick joke.

― kingfish, Thursday, 21 April 2005 23:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Everything has a political slant. Especially the things that say they don't. I think this is a pretty uncontroversial point, but I would love if someone could point out that this is wrong as it pertains to the Daily Show, seriously. I would be very interested in hearing the arguments.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 22 April 2005 00:28 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

Jon Stewart blew it big time last night during the interview with Colin Powell. Powell hit him with the usual Bush party line about WMDs, Iraq etc and Stewart DID NOT ONCE challenge him on any of it. His fawning demeanour, rambling questions and failure to follow up on any of Powell's non-answers showed him to be totally out of his league. I guess he is just a comedian after all. All in all, a huge disappointment.

― everything, Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:10 (twenty years ago)

3/10?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:14 (twenty years ago)

he gave Gingrich a pass on stuff too earlier this week, although, to be fair, Gingrich wasn't acting like a shithead

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:14 (twenty years ago)

His fawning demeanour, rambling questions and failure to follow up on any of Powell's non-answers showed him to be totally out of his league.

OTM. Worse yet, he let Colin Powell be boring. Mike Wallace, he ain't.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:16 (twenty years ago)

i maintain my position that he's a terrible interviewer.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

People who expect a comedian to do hard-hitting, journalistic interviews: C/Insane?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:21 (twenty years ago)

exactamundo!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:22 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I've often thought the Daily Show takes a pretty hard fall halfway through once they reach the interview section.

― L'Histoire d'Eric H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:23 (twenty years ago)

totally! i cant even watch ANY of the interviews without cringing.

― latebloomer: Pain Don't Hurt (latebloomer), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:25 (twenty years ago)

People who expect a comedian to do an entertaining, funny interview: C/insane

― everything, Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:25 (twenty years ago)

xpost Yeah, but sometimes there's a book you might be sorry you didn't read.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

The Daily Show is a HUGE FORCE in the book market, ya know. I don't know why more publishers haven't figured this out yet.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:27 (twenty years ago)

Powell hit him with the usual Bush party line about WMDs, Iraq etc and Stewart DID NOT ONCE challenge him on any of it.

It seemed to me as though Stewart expected Powell to take a more moderate stance. For instance, on the question phrased something like this: "we went to war to find the WMD's and when we couldn't find them, we turned it into a war about spreading democracy -- do any of the admin's decisions seem rash or misguided to you in retrospect?" Stewart was clearly fishing for a sympathetic viewpoint. Instead, Powell reciprocated by spouting the strict Bush party-line, Stewart appeared a bit shcoked to hear it, and he had no follow-up.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:29 (twenty years ago)

You think Powell really has polite dinner with Bush? I don't.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:33 (twenty years ago)

He was obviously there, as per usual, as the moderate face of Bush's crew to try to kill a damning story. In this case the Downing Street memo. Stewart fell for it. I'm not an American, so maybe someone could explain why they expect Colin Powell to be anything other than a right wing, warmongering bible thumper.

― everything, Thursday, 9 June 2005 20:50 (twenty years ago)

Dammit, I want torrents available...

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:05 (twenty years ago)

You don't wanna waste your time. It was boring. And annoying. And pitiful seeing Jon Stewart grimacing and wriggling around as the show went down the toilet.

― everything, Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

why they expect Colin Powell to be anything other than a right wing, warmongering bible thumper

Because having hope is fun! (if futile)

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

I don't understand. It seems Powell has worked as a professional liar for what, four administrations now. Why does he continually get away with it?

― everything, Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:12 (twenty years ago)

maybe someone could explain why they expect Colin Powell to be anything other than a right wing, warmongering bible thumper.

because he's black

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:28 (twenty years ago)

Thought so.

― everything, Thursday, 9 June 2005 21:38 (twenty years ago)

why they expect Colin Powell to be anything other than a right wing, warmongering bible thumper

I think this is a bit harsh, but Stewart's line of questioning seemed directed toward getting Powell to say something like "remember that speech I gave at the UN? In retrospect, I guess I came off looking pretty silly, didn't I?". No matter how Powell feels about that UN speech today, he's not going to self-deprecate himself, and Stewart was a dumbass for thinking there was a chance that he would.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 9 June 2005 22:01 (twenty years ago)

It still was worth a try though.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 9 June 2005 22:32 (twenty years ago)

I don't want to come off as an asshole or anything but there are people dying out there every day and the best we can hope for is for one of the principal protagonists to admit he looked "pretty silly"? Stewart missed the best opportunity he has ever had to deal a couple of hard questions to these guys. Remember all that self-righteous rage on Crossfire. What a loser he looks now.

As for "right-wing, warmongering, biblethumper" being harsh. He's quite clearly all three. I'm sorry I omitted "fat" and "liar".

― everything, Thursday, 9 June 2005 22:37 (twenty years ago)

I've never seen him thump a bible.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 9 June 2005 22:45 (twenty years ago)

When not relishing his front row seat at Bush's prayer breakfasts, here's what else Colin gets up to:

"Colin Powell labels US Judeo-Christian -23/9/03

US Secretary of State Colin Powell called the United States a Judeo-Christian country on Monday but quickly amended that to "a country of many faiths."

The first amendment to the U.S. constitution prohibits the establishment of any state religion - a provision usually interpreted as requiring strict separation of church and state, though Christian activists dispute that.

Powell made the remark in an interview with the Charlie Rose Show on public television while talking about Washington's vision of what kind of government Iraq should have."

― everything, Thursday, 9 June 2005 22:51 (twenty years ago)

would you say that calling the U.S. a judeo-christian nation is unreasonable?

"a nation of many faiths", sure if you knock on everyone's door, i guess. but, really...

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Friday, 10 June 2005 00:18 (twenty years ago)

"would you say that calling the U.S. a judeo-christian nation is unreasonable?"

Hmmm now you mention it, let me check the latest stats. Let's see: 85% of you now believe in angels, 86% believe in Satan and more than 90% of you belive that right now, Saddam's sons are getting their asses jabbed with pitchforks in hell. Colin Powell: voice of the people.

― everything, Friday, 10 June 2005 01:41 (twenty years ago)

Powell could be very religious for all I know but that line you quoted doesn't prove it one way or the other. I remember him saying that and it seemed to me that it is was a statement of fact (in his mind at least). I didn't seem to me that he was necessarily delighted by that. Or bothered by it for that matter.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 10 June 2005 02:17 (twenty years ago)

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