Comedy The Daily Show Thread

[Tanin]

I personally love his standup and can't wait to see what he does with the show.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I just find it funny that people are taking umbrage over a guy who's taking over a fake news show.

Which sadly to say is probably the most esteemed news show around today thanks to Fox News and CNN.

 

[terry78]

Yeah, a lot of people get their news from this thing, so it is a big deal the kind of appearance he has. He's taking over for a god. That's right, a GOD.

 

[Lencho01]

Our Comedy Problem Is Problematic

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Sithborg]

All the correspondants. All of them.

 

[Kane52630]

Jon Voyage Stewart.

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Sithborg]

I liked how Samantha Bee was, nope.

 

[Marvolo]

I'm just pissed that he retired the very day the election debates begin. Kind of a kick in the teeth. Should have stuck around and made this election his last hurrah.

 

[Slushy]

I remember watching Craig Kilborn's last episode as host. Fu**, I'm old...

 

[terry78]

Yeah, same here. Noah is a funny dude, but he has shoes to fill.

 

[Matt]

You know, I used to respect Stewart a lot, until about 2006, when he became the very thing he criticized. He was constantly biased and intellectually dishonest with his viewers, then hid behind the guise of "I'm just a comedian." He constantly criticized the media and press for failing to live up to their responsibility to the American people, but did the exact same thing, and then shielded himself with the "I'm a comedian," line.

Honestly, this article (which has its flaws) sums it up better than I can:

http://thefederalist.com/2015/08/06/farewell-to-jon-stewart-the-lefts-donald-trump/

 

[Travesty]

...but he is a comedian. He's not a reputable news source. His entire show is nothing but satire. You should be taking him as seriously as South Park. He's not interested in bringing hard hitting news, he's in it for the laughs. I don't even know why the article is saying things like, "he's the Lefts Donald Trump"? It's so laughably off the mark, I have a hard time taking anything in that article seriously.

I swear, people put way too much stock into comedians and their jokes. I would've thought that the show being on Comedy Central would've been the dead give away?

 

[Prison Mike]

I wonder if there was any truth to what Wyatt Cenac said about him in a recent interview

 

[Travesty]

I'm sure there is, but if you listened to the full podcast in question, Wyatt seems to have a lot of personal issues that he needs to work on. He's disowned his Mother, even though she's been trying to get in touch with him, and he put Stewart on a huge pedestal, and looked to him as a father figure, even though they were never close to begin with.

Stewart shouldn't have shouted at him in the office, but at the same time, Wyatt doesn't seem to be able to handle any sort of confrontation properly. He seems like he has way too much anxiety. You should listen to the full podcast to get a better gauge, and not read some cherry picked quotes from somewhere like Gawekr or Salon.

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Travesty]

Matt Walsh is hilarious.

 

[Matt]

...but he is a comedian. He's not a reputable news source. His entire show is nothing but satire. You should be taking him as seriously as South Park. He's not interested in bringing hard hitting news, he's in it for the laughs. I don't even know why the article is saying things like, "he's the Lefts Donald Trump"? It's so laughably off the mark, I have a hard time taking anything in that article seriously.

I swear, people put way too much stock into comedians and their jokes. I would've thought that the show being on Comedy Central would've been the dead give away?

At some point that becomes bull ****. There was a very clear and obvious cultural shift in 2004, when young Americans started looking to The Daily Show for news. And when that shift happened, Stewart never said, "No! You shouldn't listen to me, I am just a comedian!"

Instead Stewart embraced that role. He ran with it. He used his position and platform to influence the political discourse in this country. He used the position and platform to criticize politicians and the media. He used the position and platform to write books, critique the cultural and become a voice capable of shaping the dialogue. But he did not say, "Don't listen to me, I'm just a comedian." Instead, he did the opposite...he shaped the dialogue. He used his position and platform to inform and shape the political ideology of an entire generation.

Then around 2006, he started using that position and platform to shape the discourse in a way that is advantageous to his own view point. He would skew facts. He would pull punches when he agreed with someone, ideologically. He would heavily edit interviews to destroy those with whom he disagreed. He would shape the discussion as he saw fit, for an entire generation, while showing no restraint or neutrality and exercising no accountability. This is the very thing he LITERALLY wrote a book criticizing the media for. He claimed they have a responsibility and accountability. He embraced the influence that came with being one of them, but when it came time to embrace the same responsibility that he DEMANDED that they embrace, he hid behind the easy guise of, "Well I'm just a comedian."

But that excuse really doesn't hold up. "Just a comedian," does not get to interview the President of the United States more than any other pundit. "Just a comedian," doesn't get to sit down with Senators and leaders of industry and presidential candidates. "Just a comedian," does not organize and lead political marches on DC. Stewart became a political/media figure. And this was a role that he actively embraced when shaping the dialogue and wielding the influence. He embraced the role and influence all while criticizing others in that role, with similar influence, for not holding it with accountability and responsibility. Yet when it came time to have the accountability and responsibility that comes with being a political/media figure that can exert influence and shape the dialogue, he shrank away and said, "I'm just a comedian." That is hypocrisy, plain and simple.

 

[Tanin]

Leave it to Matt to be the one who thinks a show on Comedy Central should be hard hitting news.

 

[Matt]

Leave it to Matt to be the one who thinks a show on Comedy Central should be hard hitting news.

That is not what I think at all. I think a man who writes books criticizing the media for not showing accountability and responsibility to their viewers, ought to do the same. Especially when he embraced all of the perks that came with being one of them.

 

[carrrnuttt]

At some point that becomes bull ****. There was a very clear and obvious cultural shift in 2004, when young Americans started looking to The Daily Show for news. And when that shift happened, Stewart never said, "No! You shouldn't listen to me, I am just a comedian!"

Instead Stewart embraced that role. He ran with it. He used his position and platform to influence the political discourse in this country. He used the position and platform to criticize politicians and the media. He used the position and platform to write books, critique the cultural and become a voice capable of shaping the dialogue. But he did not say, "Don't listen to me, I'm just a comedian." Instead, he did the opposite...he shaped the dialogue. He used his position and platform to inform and shape the political ideology of an entire generation.

Then around 2006, he started using that position and platform to shape the discourse in a way that is advantageous to his own view point. He would skew facts. He would pull punches when he agreed with someone, ideologically. He would heavily edit interviews to destroy those with whom he disagreed. He would shape the discussion as he saw fit, for an entire generation, while showing no restraint or neutrality and exercising no accountability. This is the very thing he LITERALLY wrote a book criticizing the media for. He claimed they have a responsibility and accountability. He embraced the influence that came with being one of them, but when it came time to embrace the same responsibility that he DEMANDED that they embrace, he hid behind the easy guise of, "Well I'm just a comedian."

But that excuse really doesn't hold up. "Just a comedian," does not get to interview the President of the United States more than any other pundit. "Just a comedian," doesn't get to sit down with Senators and leaders of industry and presidential candidates. "Just a comedian," does not organize and lead political marches on DC. Stewart became a political/media figure. And this was a role that he actively embraced when shaping the dialogue and wielding the influence. He embraced the role and influence all while criticizing others in that role, with similar influence, for not holding it with accountability and responsibility. Yet when it came time to have the accountability and responsibility that comes with being a political/media figure that can exert influence and shape the dialogue, he shrank away and said, "I'm just a comedian." That is hypocrisy, plain and simple.

Which formed these opinions for you? Breitbart or World News Daily? I'd say Fox News, but that'd be too cliché, and you seem to not want to be a cliché...maybe.

 

[Travesty]

At some point that becomes bull ****. There was a very clear and obvious cultural shift in 2004, when young Americans started looking to The Daily Show for news. And when that shift happened, Stewart never said, "No! You shouldn't listen to me, I am just a comedian!"

Instead Stewart embraced that role. He ran with it. He used his position and platform to influence the political discourse in this country. He used the position and platform to criticize politicians and the media. He used the position and platform to write books, critique the cultural and become a voice capable of shaping the dialogue. But he did not say, "Don't listen to me, I'm just a comedian." Instead, he did the opposite...he shaped the dialogue. He used his position and platform to inform and shape the political ideology of an entire generation.

Of course he ran with the role, it was a successful show. He's gotta keep playing up the character he created. What do you expect him to do, go and say, "you know what, people aren't smart enough to understand that we're being satirical, so I gotta quit"? And why would he tell people to stop listening to him? Again, he's a comedian on a successful show, of course he wants people to listen to him, but that doesn't mean him, the writers, and the show's creators thought that they were serious journalists. Look up all the writers on the show. They're all successful comedy writers or stand-up comedians. Look who John Stewart was before the show, he was a successful stand-up comedian and comedic actor. Look at what station they're on, it's on Comedy Central.

Why do you think a comedian has to stop what he's doing, and tell people not to take him seriously? That should be a given, he's a goddamn comedian on a channel devoted to comedy. How more on the nose do you have to be? If people took him or his show seriously, that's on them.

Then around 2006, he started using that position and platform to shape the discourse in a way that is advantageous to his own view point. He would skew facts. He would pull punches when he agreed with someone, ideologically. He would heavily edit interviews to destroy those with whom he disagreed. He would shape the discussion as he saw fit, for an entire generation, while showing no restraint or neutrality and exercising no accountability. This is the very thing he LITERALLY wrote a book criticizing the media for. He claimed they have a responsibility and accountability. He embraced the influence that came with being one of them, but when it came time to embrace the same responsibility that he DEMANDED that they embrace, he hid behind the easy guise of, "Well I'm just a comedian."

Of course he shaped things to his own view point. His viewpoint was funny. He was looking for jokes. Jokes aren't supposed to be 100% accurate, that's what makes jokes funny most of the time. And why are you holding a comedy show to the same standards as the news? He's not the news, and never considered himself to be. That's why if a comedian goes on stage and says something controversial, you can still laugh at him, because he's not meant to be taken seriously. But if someone like Obama tells the same joke, he would be more accountable for his words, because of his position.

I'm not sure why you think a comedian on a comedy show needs to be held to the same standards as actual journalists, who are supposed to be giving you concrete information?

But that excuse really doesn't hold up. "Just a comedian," does not get to interview the President of the United States more than any other pundit. "Just a comedian," doesn't get to sit down with Senators and leaders of industry and presidential candidates. "Just a comedian," does not organize and lead political marches on DC. Stewart became a political/media figure. And this was a role that he actively embraced when shaping the dialogue and wielding the influence. He criticized others in that role for not holding it with accountability and responsibility. Yet when it came time to have the accountability and responsibility that comes with being a political/media figure that can exert influence and shape the dialogue, he shrank away and said, "I'm just a comedian." That is hypocrisy, plain and simple.

Who cares if he interviewed the President or Senators? If he can have them on, and still tell jokes, what's the deal? I don't get what you're trying to say here? Are you trying to tell me that you don't understand that The Daily Show is satirical? That you don't understand that John Stewart is a comedian? That you didn't know the show was on Comedy Central? That you didn't know all of the writers are comedians? That you don't know that a comedy show is different from an actual reputable news station, like CNN, FOX, MSNBC? Do you really see Comedy Central as the same thing as FOX or CNN?

You can hate the guy all you want, but there's no hypocrisy. There would be, if The Daily Show wasn't satirical, and the show was on a station like FOX or CNN. Then I can see how you would be holding him to the same standards, but not when it's a comedy show making jokes. His job isn't to tell the news, his job was to make jokes. You seem to have a very skewed perspective on what the show was about, what station it was on, who the writers were, and of course, who the host was.

It's almost like someone trying to tell me that Billy Madison and The Godfather are in the same category of movie, and both should be held to the same standard.

 

[carrrnuttt]

It's almost like someone trying to tell me that Billy Madison and The Godfather are in the same category of movie, and both should be held to the same standard.

The only people who'd be taking Jon this seriously are people whose personal beliefs have been hit by a Jon Stewart barb.

The thing is, his observations wouldn't be as funny if they weren't at least 90% on the nose.