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Saturday, June 25, 2011

Exclusive: Jon Stewart on 'Fox News Sunday'



'Daily Show' host talks politics, media bias in extended, unedited interview

 
 

Chris Wallace schools Jon Stewart.


You know, I think that I want Chris Wallace to be in charge of the 2012 debates. He deserves a reward for giving Jon Stewart the business in this one:
The fun really starts at about 5 minutes in: Stewart tried what Ace calls the “Clown Nose On / Clown Nose Off” (after stating, more or less, that conservatives are incapable of understanding liberals’ motivations) and Chris Wallace demonstrated that he was expecting precisely that answer. Because, really, nobody is as smart as they think that they are. As Jon Stewart demonstrates, over and over and over again; his repeated insisting that he wasn’t being ruled by his biases kind of lost power with every counter-example that Wallace put up on the screen. But then, it’s rare on television that people are actually grilled on things.

Watch the whole thing; it’s fifteen minutes of pure political entertainment, and Stewart probably should have quit about eight minutes in. Mostly because Wallace maneuvered him into a position at the end where Stewart himself had to admit that conservatives are routinely attacked - INCLUDING BY HIM - for a variety of things that we, in point of fact, are not actually guilty of. Which would have been… nice… of him to admit, except that nowhere did Stewart actually promise to reform his ways. As Wallace demonstrated at the very end, by cheekily accepting an apology that Stewart did not actually offer. Which is illustrative of Stewart’s pseudo-detached style in general; only, it’s a lot uglier without the laugh track.
So, let Wallace be in charge of the debates; I’d be interested to see what he’d do with them.
Moe Lane (crosspost)
PS: “You.. ah, planning a remake of Amos & Andy?” - In response to Jon Stewart’s imitation of Herman Cain. Jon visibly did not like being treated like a conservative who did the same thing would have been treated; and his response - whether Wallace would have asked the same question about Stewart’s New York voice, or his Chinese Guy voice, fell flat partially because he was definitely stung. But it mostly fell flat because conservatives aren’t actually allowed to do funny Chinese Guy voices, either, without getting raked over the coals for it. Heck, we’re not even allowed to have New York accents.
PPS: I actually like Jon Stewart. But he’s not going to remember this interview fondly.

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2011

All the news that escapes Jon Stewart

I'm enjoying a sunset, checking some tweets, having missed FNS this morning, when I see the clip of the Stewart interview.

He's a likeable guy, is low key to people on his show, so I was surprised when he got really, really angry in response to Chris Wallace and stated that FoxNews viewers are "consistently misinformed", after claiming MSNBC was only perhaps trying the Fox model for the left and that the NY Times was not biased, just "sensationalist". But how come the PC media is only sensationalist in one direction? (As Wallace points out, Weiner is pretty indefensible) The NY Times has really been hard-charging on the Obama years at Columbia.

He also talked down to Chris Wallace and said his snarky comedy was harder to do than Wallace's job. 

Well, it seems to me he's had pretty much the same sophomoric shtick for years. I'd say he's stuck in a rut. Perhaps that's why he came on FNS, I give him credit for that.

I mean, what's a disillusioned leftist to do?

Stewart is smart enough to know Obama has screwed up. But not smart enough to figure out the difference between news and opinion-- after all, the left has muddled up the two for the last generation or so. He's still getting his news from the NY Times, no wonder he's confused. But we're the ones who are misinformed. Everything is happening so unexpectedly with such unexpectedconsequences.

Stewart says Chris Wallace on FNS is balance to Hannity, and compliments him for that. He's done the same with O'Reilly. Fine. But shouldn't Stewart be able to figure out FNS during the day isnews. Special Report is news, with a clearly labeled analyticalpanel. FNS is news. Then there are the opinion shows. O'Reilly is populist, Hannity is conservative/establishment R, Greta is centrist.

Stewart is left-leaning with sparks of independence.

He doesn't recognize classic journalism--actually covering the news as it is. Wow, what a concept.

I think Wallace has it right that Stewart wants to be a political player. Stewart hides behind comedy to pretend he's a serious social critic, when he's pretty much just another leftie. 

I give him credit for coming on FNS, though. He's probably worried he will lose his job like Katie Couric. Or Keith Olbermann. And might have to go on the Al Gore network along with that other really funny guy, Anthony Weiner. You might know him, Jon. Or maybe that's news to you.

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