Jon Stewart - Most Trusted Man in America? - Page 2

**icky** · 08-20-2008, 06:30 PM

Who watches TDS for Jon Stewart and his guests? It's all about the reports from the field, man!

**jepzilla** · 08-20-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharingan

I can't say how the Daily Show used to be but I don't see that much of a leftist slant. If you've been watching recently Jep You'll remember him interviewing someone and just saying as a passing comment (Paraphrasing here) "So is Obama really as good as everyone says he is, does he really wear a long flowing white robe." I also remember a point about offshore drilling, how McCain previously said we shouldn't do it, and then a few months later saying we should, and then the same being said to Obama. It's just much easier to make fun of Bush (and McCain)...because there's more to make fun of.

The show has always had a left slant. And I don't watch it much recently, because I don't think it's very funny anymore. Maybe it's been funny while you've been watching it, but I started watching it back in 2001. The same old 'Bush is a moron, har har!' joke stops being funny after 7 years, no matter how true it is. And it's not that Bush has stopped being an idiot, or he's stopped being entertaining, it's that somehow almost every story on TDS has to link into a 'Bush is an idiot' punchline.

The Olympics. Did Stewart talk about scandals and controversy around China and the IOC? No, apparently Phelps is aquaman, and Bush is an idiot. Yeah, there's the Rob Riggle stuff where he acts retarded, but I don't watch Rob Riggle because he's always painfully stupid.

The recent Russia/Georgia story. Did TDS touch on the energy politics? The Georgian Civil War? The Russia/EU relations? Sarkozy? Mendez and Putin? A few years ago it probably would have. Today, to my complete lack of surprise it went for... the Bush joke!

Seriously, TDS used to be entertaining and informative, today it's myopic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharingan

And I also remember him saying that Jep when Ben Stiller was on for an interview about Tropic Thunder. Now how many other people would actually admit that? When was the last time you saw Bill-O say "I'm going to make fun of Obama today, but you probably knew that since I'm a racist bastard." He's pretty much making fun of himself as well, and that's what's great, they never take themselves too seriously, although they do raise pretty serious issues.

What does this have to do with O'Reilly? Saying that Stewart is funnier than O'Reilly is faint praise. But since you bring up O'Reilly, you should find a clip of Stewart's (in)famous appearance on Crossfire. O'Reilly's foaming at the mouth is the kind of divisive partisanship Stewart was brilliantly skewering. Four years ago The Daily Show was a different beast from O'Reilly, Crossfire and the other political punditry. But now it's basically the same, just more tongue in cheek and self-effacing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharingan

I don't think anyone should form complete political opinions on satirical shows like the Colbert Report and Daily Show, but they should definitely somewhat shape what you think, and they will challenge what you think you know.

Yes, I can read the insightful and nuanced opinions of current Daily Show viewers every day in Fark threads, which mostly follow the same formula as the Daily Show does today. Talk briefly about some random event or person, then find a way to link it to Bush and go 'Har har, Bush is an idiot.'

The show is still funny, but it's just not what it used to be.

**jepzilla** · 08-20-2008, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icky

Who watches TDS for Jon Stewart and his guests? It's all about the reports from the field, man!

Not Rob Riggle; I can't stand him. John Oliver is always hilarious though, best of the current batch.

**Beatnik** · 08-20-2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jepzilla

Jon Stewart probably would have deserved the title of 'Most Trusted Man in America' back in 2004, when the show was in its stride and he made his (in)famous appearance on Crossfire. But today he's become part of the problem he was venting about against back then.

C'mon now you know that's not true. Even if the show is more obvious in its jokes lately, it's certainly not 'part of the problem'.

My take on it is that due to its success, many of the best writers have left. I think a lot went with some producers to The Colbert Report. I know Ben Carlin (think that's his name), who I believe was one of the original editors at The Onion, left TDS around then. But really from my perspective it comes down to less talented writers on TDS, while the writing on The Colbert Report is as good as any in TDS's history.

**Relmar** · 08-21-2008, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jepzilla

Not Rob Riggle; I can't stand him. John Oliver is always hilarious though, best of the current batch.

This.

Freakin love Oliver.

**DugLess** · 08-22-2008, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jepzilla

The Olympics. Did Stewart talk about scandals and controversy around China and the IOC? No, apparently Phelps is aquaman, and Bush is an idiot. Yeah, there's the Rob Riggle stuff where he acts retarded, but I don't watch Rob Riggle because he's always painfully stupid.

I don't watch the show very often, but I happened to see it today. Ironically, that is exactly what he spoke about, and then had a guest on that wrote a book focused on the Chinese government. Although I didn't see the entire show, Bush was not mentioned once while I was watching. Broken schema.

**jepzilla** · 08-25-2008, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beatnik

C'mon now you know that's not true. Even if the show is more obvious in its jokes lately, it's certainly not 'part of the problem'.

My take on it is that due to its success, many of the best writers have left. I think a lot went with some producers to The Colbert Report. I know Ben Carlin (think that's his name), who I believe was one of the original editors at The Onion, left TDS around then. But really from my perspective it comes down to less talented writers on TDS, while the writing on The Colbert Report is as good as any in TDS's history.

I agree that a lot of the problem with the show is the loss of the good writers to Colbert. Like Colbert himself. But I think you should rewatch his segment and compare what he was complaining about to the tone of the show today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DugLess

I don't watch the show very often, but I happened to see it today. Ironically, that is exactly what he spoke about, and then had a guest on that wrote a book focused on the Chinese government. Although I didn't see the entire show, Bush was not mentioned once while I was watching. Broken schema.

I'm responding to this because of some snarky neg rep I got (not from anyone that posted here). I actually didn't watch that one because the power-rangers bit at the start was obnoxious and painful. However, I went back and watched it again online and you're right, they didn't make a Bush joke that episode. John Stewart said at the start the show would be 100% China and it was. He managed to crack a 'Bush r dum' joke not even once, in a show entirely devoted to China.

But I checked and on every other show that week, he did.

**DugLess** · 08-25-2008, 10:13 AM

Ahhh, I didn't see the beginning of the show. Either way, his POV "inteview" of a Chinese gymnast made me laugh so hard I actually pushed a little pee out. I rarely get to see the show, but the times I do, it cracks me up, so I guess the Bush jokes haven't gotten old just yet. The guy just provides an endless supply of material. He's going to be the first president assassintated after he leaves office. I don't want that to happen, I just think it will happen.

**jepzilla** · 08-25-2008, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DugLess

Ahhh, I didn't see the beginning of the show. Either way, his POV "inteview" of a Chinese gymnast made me laugh so hard I actually pushed a little pee out. I rarely get to see the show, but the times I do, it cracks me up, so I guess the Bush jokes haven't gotten old just yet. The guy just provides an endless supply of material. He's going to be the first president assassintated after he leaves office. I don't want that to happen, I just think it will happen.

Nah, Bush will occupy the same position as Nixon. They have a LOT in common.