John Stewart on Cramer:
I can’t think of a single media critic (who doesn’t come from a far-right perspective) who is as consistantly as effective as John Stewart. He’s not replaceable. Proof: this comes by way of profootballtalk.com, which is, by any measure you care to use, not Daily Kos.
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March 12, 2009 at 11:44 pm
I totally agree. I think over the last eight-twelve years we’ve all become Stewart/Colbert Democrats, even more so then Obama Democrats.
The fact that they’re comedians insulates them, the fact that they are awesome comedians makes them, and there caucus) a mega-force, the fact that they are also interweaving progressive politics and pointing out the people that need to be told to fuck off, is a service provided no where else. There Kung-Fu is the best.
There aren’t two editorialist more powerful and effective then Stewart/Colbert. The taste makers allowed for an Obama to become President. Thanks be to jeebus they’re on our side, (but Republicans never were too funny.) Thank jeebus for the interviews they do with book authors and scientists. They’re showing there is a market for intelligent, razor sharp discourse. Hail, hail.
March 13, 2009 at 12:09 am
Can we give John Stewart subpoena power?
March 13, 2009 at 12:43 am
I hope every American watches this and holds their Reps accountable like Stewart is, because he is doing there job. This is interesting, I guess I’ll be TIVOing Cramer to see if he actually does change, but this is just what the Doctor ordered. The Newshour is too polite to do this, I like what Olbermann talks about, I just don’t think he’s funny or effective. I like Maddow. Then you have the BBC, and that’s it for TV news. Stewart/Colbert have been doing the medias job for them for too long, that’s the point.
Will they change? Doubtful, but there is a market for hard over-site style news that isn’t boring like NOW on PBS. I like Frontline on PBS, a lot, they do a great job. If someone is smart, they will learn from Newshour, C-Span early morning, with the zazz anf quality of Frontline and the courage and style of Stewart/Colbert, people will watch it. If I could get two hours of news a day out of the TV that is investigative, beneficial to society, and with high journalistic standards, I would be happy. Now Newshour + Stewart/Colbert, Political Wire, The Economist, and Google News, for newspapers , then the journalists spread out in the magazines like Sy Hirsh. it’s a long regime.
Annh, I’d do it anyway. I’m just saying, there’s a market for more News shows that do what TDS did last night. You almost can’t do it as hard news, because you automatically get painted into an ideological corner, TDS is so funny that they bypass this, getting most LV 18-24rs wether they know it or not. TDS and Colbert earned their respect over many years, and they really have earned all those Peabodys and Emmys. I couldn’t imagine our politics without TDS/Colbet fact check their asses daily.
It’s also interesting how afraid of Stewart the other talking heads are. They know if they battle them they will be destroyed. You have to laugh with them. SNL and Maher do this too, but SNL just isn’t funny and Maher is only on HBO.
Anyway, more of this please.
March 13, 2009 at 2:22 am
Just another amazing bit of teevee from Mr. Stewart that will be talked about for years to come.
March 13, 2009 at 5:38 am
In thirty years, they’re going to revisit this interview as a full-length movie, sort of a cross between “Frost/Nixon” and “When We Were Kings.”
Stew-art, boom-a-ye! Stew-art, boom-a-ye!
March 13, 2009 at 6:51 am
What Kleber said. Two times.
March 13, 2009 at 8:02 am
Thanks be to jeebus they’re on our side, (but Republicans never were too funny.)
Yes, that is a bit redundant, since there was never any chance of them being on any other side, at least in their current form.
It’s a decent trade-off: as liberals, we get most of the funny and creative types. Conservatives get lockstep discipline and messaging, which has certainly served them well over the years, but is less fun.
March 13, 2009 at 8:45 am
I stopped watching The News Hour fifteen years ago when I realized it merely presented gov’t. liars with opportunities to rehearse their evasions. Jim Lehrer’s knowing twinkle as he failed to challenge one non-answer after another was an added incentive.
Am I wrong? Has it improved?
March 13, 2009 at 8:50 am
Thank God that threat to our national security has been neutralized. Now how about John’s twin brother, Jon?
March 13, 2009 at 9:40 am
I think Stewart and Colbert hope that some of their stuff will be reference points for the times.
Colbert got his moment with the WHCD, and Stewart may have gotten his last night, the only problem is that Cramer rolled onto his back and submitted, where Colbert got a satisfyingly hostile lack of response.
March 13, 2009 at 10:04 am
Stewart, or his step-brother Leibowitz?
March 13, 2009 at 11:00 am
Um, there are effective far-right media critics? Where? All I see are screamers and bullshit artists.
March 13, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Know what? Every CEO of every asshat financial institution, every CEO of every asshat cable news network, every yapping asshat yapping on cable new networks is DELIGHTED at The Ritual and Very Public Humiliation of the Sacrificial Face-Mullet.
The angry anger-pimple has been popped. Move along now.
March 13, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I suspect your real name is not “The American Public”, then. I guess it depends on what one means by “effective” – appealing to you personally, or broadly influencial. Google the phrase “liberal media” sometime.
March 13, 2009 at 3:58 pm
This video is no longer available due to copyright claim by Viacom.
Been a while since we did any linking to teh interwebs, eh Editors?
March 13, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Eds,
I kind of had the same reaction as Funkhauser, but now I understand your point completely.
Broadly influential, they have worked over the “so called liberal media” so comprehensively, that it seems we only have Stewart and Colbert and a few others to man the ramparts….
March 13, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Nope but I did enjoy watching David Brooks shit all over Bobby Jindal after Obama’s Not-A-State-Of-The-Union address last month, on PBS coverage (hosted by Lehrer).
March 13, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Senhor Eds,
Point taken. I wouldn’t necessarily call what they do media criticism, so much as “whining about moving the goalposts” and “screaming hysterically over boobies” and “blaring the propoganda.” Like the 50 greatest conservative rock songs isn’t exactly music criticism so much as whining and self-fellatio.
Then again, my office is near Judith Butler’s, so I’m hopelessly out of touch on what criticism is.
March 13, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I like how Cramer shows up on TDS with his sleeves up…still shlepping the same ole’ GE bullshit. Like he just worked or something. He’s probably not even respected by the real banksters and corporatists anyways. He’s a tool.
March 13, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Because banksters and corporatists are even more shallow than Cramer.
March 13, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Yes. Exactly. The embarrassment of one celebrity does not constitute the beginning of a real public accounting. If it did, the panjandrums would not have allowed it to happen.
March 13, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Finally I’m spinning Insurgentes by Steven Wilson, (Porcupine Tree, No-Man, Blackfield, IEM, Bass Communion) feat. Gavin Harrison (aka best drummer in the world), Tony Levin (funky fingers), and Jordan Rudess + Theo Travis. Gorgeous sounding record in DVDA-5.1, and CD included. If you have a killer sound system, this is the record to test it out. The “special” edition is a rip-off, bonus tracks not worth extra price, but the core album is redicu-awesome. Levin and Harrison are the new King Crimson rhythm buddies, Harrison is really special, also on the PT EP Nil Recurring w/ Fripp. Fear of a Blank Planet is also pretty perfect, especially when you run it with the Nil Recurring tracks.
March 13, 2009 at 10:41 pm
I’d bet my bottom dollar Fripp would like to replace Adrian Belew with Wilson, but SW is too smart for that. There isn’t a better self-taught producer, writer, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist out there.
March 13, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Yes. Exactly. The embarrassment of one celebrity does not constitute the beginning of a real public accounting.
A real public accounting? No. Ah, but it gets the people to thinking — Who is Jim Cramer and why should I care what he says? Who is Lou Dobbs and why should I care what he says? Who is David Brooks and why should I care what he says? Who are any of these guys and why should I care what they say?
March 13, 2009 at 10:57 pm
No, not exactly. This was not only a sacrifice of Cramer to the Corporate masters; this was also an effective flaying of the system. Stewart lifted the rock for a second and allowed us to see the bugs scurry.
It was a powerful symbol.
March 14, 2009 at 6:07 am
After what Jon did to Tucker Carlson a few years ago on CNN, why do any of these clowns go on his show? They must know the outcome is not going to be good.
March 15, 2009 at 6:05 am
Here’s the thing for me:
The Daily Show’s goal is clearly to make people laugh. And they do an excellent job of it.
And what bothers me is that they’re STILL better at actual News coverage then most news shows and almost every political commentator in the country.
I love the guy, but Jon Stewart doesn’t come off as extraordinarily well-informed or brilliant (Although he is my favorite Green Lantern), and his primary goal is to be funny.
He’s a pretty ordinary guy who is doing the news media’s job better then they are, and he’s not even trying to do their job!
And while that’s impressive and inspiring on one hand, it’s also indicative that our country is pretty fucked up.
March 16, 2009 at 9:36 pm
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