Dr. Frank's What's-it

I'm a bit confused. AFAIK that link seems to point to a show where a rich, famous person went on a show hosted by two other *less rich* and *less famous* people and lectured and harangued them like an arrogant twit as if he were the second coming of God's gift to whatever.

I honestly barely know who those two guys are. Meanwhile Jon Stewart is like the toast of the country. I don't know when or how this happened since I don't have cable anymore either way but apparently somewhere between the days of his MTV show and "The Faculty" (the last time I paid attention to him) and now, Jon Stewart seems to have decided not only that he's the smartest person on earth but that he's the voice of The People. One is left to wonder what on earth gave him that idea.

And isn't is just so cute that he can always run and hide behind "but it's just a comedy show" whenever pressed?

Let me know when there's a link pointing to Jon Stewart getting embarrassed and uncomfortable on TV. Now *that* would be something to relish. However much those two guys may have deserved it, this pr*ck deserves it 10x as much.

This is how the Washington Post quoted the part of the interview where Jon Stewart called Tucker Carlson a dick:

"You know what's interesting though?" Stewart shot back. "You're as big a [male pride] on your show as you are on any show."

Now that's funny!

(See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37042-2004Oct15_3.html)

I wasn't too impressed with this appearance. It's all well and good to holler at political partisans, I enjoy it myself, but come on... these Crossfire guys are paid to be partisans - they're totally upfront about it. Jon Stewart is acting like it's some big revalation that they're *gasp* partisans! His anger is misdirected, IMO. I don't get mad at people on political opinion shows or biased editorial writers, that's not the problem. The problem is when "straight" news is reported in a partisan way. I think Jon Stewart is a smart guy, but he doesn't seem to get that.

I get what you all are saying. I don't think Jon Stewart is the messiah or anything. But in decades of watching way too much TV, I've never seen anything quite like that episode. Maybe it'll turn into a trend and everyone will go on everybody else's show and say "you know what, your show really sucks." Then it'll be boring again. That's the natural process. Till then, though, there are lots of people that are just begging to be Stewarted. The other day, I heard Geraldo refer to himself as "a grizzled, rough and tumble journalist of the old school." (Or something like that. ) Everyone took it in stride. But it would have been cool if some "Fox News Analyst" had simply repeated that phrase to him slowly and sarcastically and then just stared at him, waiting to see what he'd do. I'd like to see what he'd do. But then I'm kind of shallow.

I think the problem he has with them isn't that their partisans, or that they disagree. It's that they don't discuss things, they just trade "zingers" back and forth to get the audience to whoop it up. His comment about it being much more a professional wrestling match than a debate was especially apt, I thought.

And, regardless of whether he may or may not have generated responsibility due to his increased following and perceived importance, it's still a bit ridiculous for a guy whose show is on a channel named the "Cable News Network" to argue that a guy whose show is on "Comedy Central" isn't asking hardball questions.

Well, yeah, there was something exiting about watching Stewart "stick it" to them, but when it was said and done, I thought he'd gone after the wrong guys and, really, played it safe by attacking partisans who are actually honest about their blatant partisanship.

Shows like "Crossfire" treat politics as is it were sports entertainment? Um, yeeaahh... that's kind of the point. Shows like Crossfire have been entertaining political junkies for ages - they are not the *cause* of the unusually ugly political season this election year in and of themselves.

And, really, Jon Stewart is one to talk about partisan "hackery." If he's just a guy on a comedy show who doesn't matter politically, someone should notify the starry-eyed crowd in that audience, who couldn't seem to get enough of his rather simplistic pro-Kerry political insight. Which is fine, but it kind of wrecks his whole "you-suck-because-you're-partisans-just-out-for-
glory" schtick.

Mom, you have a point. I used to like Crossfire a lot back in the Michael Kinsley era. But I find the revamped Springerized version practically unwatchable, not because it's so "partisan," which, as you point out, isn't exactly hidden and is beside the point, but because it's so stupid. Example: "And now it's time for the best political briefing in television...", cue idiotic graphic and ominous fanfare; read a few of the sort of items that used to appear in newspapers under headings like "Quicktake Funnies." Audience: wooo. Cohost: chuckle. Look the audience in the eye and call it a "debate show." I stopped watching when I realized all that cringing was starting to hurt my neck.

It's not just Crossfire, of course. There's Aaron Brown and Anderson Cooper... It isn't much of a news organization, is it? (Finest in the district, sir. Explain the logic underlying that conclusion, pray? It's so clean, sir. It's certainly uncontaminated by news...) As people sometimes say with regard to MTV and music videos, you can say "remember when CNN used to have actual news on it?" and it's only a slight exaggeration.

It's very very funny but I'm not sure I understand Stewart's point. I get the stop being partisan monkeys part but I don't like the common people need your help attitude as if the people who work at the daily show are the only ones with ability to decipher the political landscape and separate fact from bs. Every year his show gets a little bit snarkier and a little bit more elitist and I think they're dangerously close to crossing that fine line between ironic and obnoxious. Kudos to Stewart though for calling Tucker Carlson a dick. I didn't even know you were allowed to say dick on tv. dick dick dick...sorry

"someone should notify the starry-eyed crowd in that audience, who couldn't seem to get enough of his rather simplistic pro-Kerry political insight"

I dont think he is pro-Kerry at all. He defines anti-Bush. Someone did a study, I'll try to find the link when I get off work, and he made just as many anti-Kerry jokes as he made anti-Bush.

The point of his show is to make fun of the absurd. Kerry isnt in power and he isnt half as absurd as Bush, thus it comes off that that Stewart is pro-Kerry. He simply isnt.

I think he'd much rather have a Dean or a McCain in office, but he is playing the hand the public has dealt him.

For the record, I dont think he will make fun of Republicans as much, and I dont think his show will turn apolitical, if Dems win back the White House or Congress.

Jon Stewart is a COMEDIAN on COMEDY Central. Everything he does is a comedy routine, because that's his job. He just happens to mine politics instead of baby's daddys or airline peanuts.
That's just my opinion.