Anyone Else See Jon Stewart Rip Up Dean?

[DrFunkenstein]

He started off with a litany of reasons why Dean is electably challenged, went off on the painfully obvious "Harlem" pander (I'm not sure why it gets scare quotes, but it seemed so phony that even the name seems suspect), and Gore's coronation. They were joking - I think - that Gore's endorsement was the kiss of the death, but I was really surprised at how rough Stewart was on Dean (and Lieberman, minus the surprise).

He even goes off regularly on Dean's neck and inability to construct an actual smile on his face, which is farther than even I have gone.

From the asides that Jon gives from time to time, it seems that he would like someone who thought Saddam should be addressed, only not as ass-backwards as Commander Dubya.

Any thoughts on why Dean lost the Daily Show vote? Does this even mean anything to anyone?

<>

[Guaranteed]

1. The Daily Show makes fun of everyone.

That's why they can be trusted.

By the way, Benedict Miller is going to be on the show tomorrow night.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

6. I caught that

I'm still trying to decide if I can stomach watching that douche or not. I probably will, just because I hate myself.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

2. He's poked fun at Dean for as long as I can remember

It hasn't seemed any more or less than for any other candidate though, with the exception of Holy Joe, who I felt kind of sorry for on tonight's TDS.

[prolesunited]

3. Couldn't you make your picture

a little smaller?

[bpilgrim]

4. liberal elite

;-)

peace

[SeveneightyWhoa]

5. Another reason to love Stewart.

He knows whats up. He knows what it'll take to win. I think Jon is firmly planted in reality.

[RetroLounge]

7. So when he trashed another candidate,

or maybe your candidate, will you feel the same?

He trashes EVERYONE... Get a clue.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

15. Um, he trashes Dean more than anyone.

I think Jon knows that Dean is the wrong choice for this election.

[HuckleB]

19. Yeah, he got his own TV show. He KNOWS EVERYTHING!

[SeveneightyWhoa]

21. Well..

..he IS the smartest man in showbiz, so I would ignore the sarcasm in what you just said and take it as fact!

[HuckleB]

35. Smarty party.

If he ain't MENSA, he ain't schmensa.

;)

[Guaranteed]

52. Dean's the frontrunner.

And it's a satirical news show. Of course Dean is going to get trashed more than anyone. That's what they do on the show.

[Bandit]

57. He also voted for Nader

Jon is not a Democrat. He has never claimed to be a Democrat. He claimed to be a Greenie in 2000 and is very much a Liberal but not a Democrat

[oasis]

22. Just 6 months ago, an unbiased visitor to DU would believe Stewart was

the all seeing, all knowing guru just by reading the daily threads.

Unfortunately, Jon never received the certain "memo" that would enable him to remain popular in these parts.

[dfong63]

8. great - did Jon Stewart also explain why,

if Dean is so "challenged", why all the others are trailing him so badly? isn't this sort of like Mike Tyson calling Lennox "pugilistically-challenged"?

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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[LuminousX]

13. Can you name the Gestapo, or is that another underhanded attack?

[HuckleB]

20. Don't you mean, "Don't defend Dean, or the DU Devil will take you away!"

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

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[reknewcomer]

9. Why would a comedy show take sides?

The goal is not to be funny to any one political side. It takes balance to provide a show that is enjoyed by most.

[rumguy]

10. Secretely Jon wants Bush to win

It will insure his show stays at the top. If Dean wins the whole cultural/media landscape will shift markedly. He will no longer be as funny, nor as necessary as he is now. I doubt he consciously thinks this way...but I believe that's why he's so harsh on the Dem candidates...frankly I'm sick of Stewart. He who take no stands ends up standing for nothing! A perfect description of that little wimp.

[tjdee]

14. Uh, it is a COMEDY show.....have you seen him rip up BUSH?

Stewart is a "wimp"? I didn't realize he was a serious political figure. If Dean wins, I'm sure Stewart can make fun of him just the same as anyone else. He just did tonight.

Stewart's show doesn't hinge on the winner of the election--wasn't he the host before the 2000 election? When a DEMOCRAT was president?

[rumguy]

17. Yes he rips Bush, but he repeats the snide repuke memes

about the dem candidates. Seriously, his shots at the dem candidates are just stupid. He stands for nothing, at least not publicly, he's no Lenny Bruce that's for sure.

[snyttri]

24. Jon Stewart

If you can't appreciate a comedian who doesn't reflect your political views you must not have a very good sense of humor.

[rumguy]

25. My sense of humor is very well developed

It's just that I find most of his humor about Dean and the other dems lame and stupid...and it is lame and stupid and uninspired comedy...

Furthermore, the greatest comics understood that comedy can play a political role, and in fact should...especially in a climate like today - think Lenny Bruce and Bill Hicks.

Jon is sometimes very funny, but his shots at the dems are truly lame. Plus, he is supposed to be this cutting edge media critic/commentator. Hah, that's a laugh.

[snyttri]

26. Dem humor

Do you think he and the writers are incapabale of writing a good Dem joke or that you may not be able to appreciate one?

[rumguy]

28. I can appreciate a good joke but not about Dean's smile

or his neck size...or about them "running from the white house" over and over again...petty and small humor...

[snyttri]

31. tag line

Running from the White House is not really a joke to be paid attention to, but a slogan like Indecision 2000 and doesn't count. I'm afraid Dean's appearance is inherently funny, as is Arnold's, as are Bush's and Arnold's manner of speaking and that you may take someone too seriously. Some people would not allow a made for TV movie about Reagan to be shown on free TV.

[rumguy]

33. Running from the white house is not a tagline..it's a repuke talking point

I'm not trying to censor anything. I'm just trying to point out that Jon's show is not this great amazing thing that everyone seems to think it is...it only seems that way relative to the rest of the garbage on cable. And yes I will keep watching most of the time cuz sometimes there are great moments on it. I especially like Lewis Black.

But it is way overrated.

[librechik]

37. interesting--he only pokes fun at Dean's physical quirks

but never his policies, as I recall--maybe he suspects Dean has a sense of humor and can take a ribbing, but doesn't want to mess with his positions on things--

I admit it made me uncomfortable at first until I realized he was just clowning with the Dems but aims sharp blows at the Shrub.

I don't know--I get the feeling they try to keep a veneer of equal jesting across the board--but Shrub is a just too tempting a target.

[rumguy]

39. It's playground humor, and not very funny playground humor at that

It's truly uninspired humor...and it only feeds nicely into Repuke talking points about Dean being "angry" and "wierd" - and on top of it, there's nothing wrong with Dean's smile - it's his and his alone - it's genuine. If it looks fake, say that, instead Jon is hinting at something else...?

A smile is a personal thing, if it's genuine, stay the hell away from making fun of it...frickin' stupid wimp...

[snyttri]

42. There's nothing funny about Reagan's orange-tinted hair coloring. It's his

personal style and the nattering nabobs of negativism should shut up and leave it alone. Damn jerks.

[rumguy]

44. I didn't know he had orange tinted hair...

but it's the tone of the humor that's important - plus it's not a Dem talking point, and he's not running for office. The tone of the daily show has been to rip on the dems from day one, in a very snide way that discounts them as credible candidates. It plays right into Rove's greasy little hands.

The ironic thing, is that our candidates are actually really strong. Remember the repuke line-up in 2000? I recently saw a replay of one of their debates. Now that was sad. Remember Bauer and Keyes? Christ, we have two war heros up their, an ambasador, and a fiesty governor who balanced budgets and left a surplus. The media has discounted these people from day one, and Jon's humor reflects that and plays right into it. I guess Jon forgot that Dean put his neck out on the line and opposed the invasion that he so mercilessly ridiculed?

Jon is funny, but he just shoots spitballs from the back of the classroom. The greatest comedians stand up to power. Jon is good, but he's not the "great one" so many say he is.

[snyttri]

47. The show took advantage of the many opportunities the GOP debates

offered, like Gary Bauer falling from a stage.

The Reagan orange hair comparison is that Reaganites treat him has some kind of icon who can't be criticized, thus the withdrawal of the TV movie. You seem to have something for Dean. Objectively, he did not put anything on the line by opposing the war. He was at the bottom of the polls, he did not have to vote on anything and was not facing re-election, and opposing the war was the most logical way to distinguish himself from the candidates he was trailing, Kerry and Gephardt, who did have to put themselves on the line with votes, and appeal to the doveish Iowa caucus-goers. That isn't to say that his position isn't sincere, just that he had nothing to lose by it.

[rumguy]

48. I didn't watch the daily show during the 2000 election

but I'm sure they poked fun at it, and I'm sure it was funny. It still doesn't change the fact that Jon is using Rove talking points for some of his humor. It's kinda funny, but it's uninspired comedy.

And if the war had been the cake-walk that had been predicted, and if WMDs had been found, Dean would have suffered immensly. He put his political life on the line.

That's true courage. Dean deserves better than snide cheapshots about his neck and smile from the wimp.

[snyttri]

50. His political life at 1% in the polls and with the same positions on the

issues as the candidates ahead of him in the polls was worth nothing.
His career would be over if he took the same position on the war as Kerry and Gephardt.

You are comparing apples and oranges with Stewart and Lenny Bruce. The format requires Stewart to make fun of all shades of the political spectrum. Bruce was free to say only what bothered him personally.

Let's face it, there is no shortage of humor in the mishaps that have lead the Democratic Party from the overwhelming majority we had in the sixties to what we have now. Rove talking points are not required to find the humor.

While it is true that ridicule hurts a candidate it might also be true that the inability of a candidate (and his supporters) to laugh at himself leads to more ridicule. The inability of Dean supporters to see anything funny about their candidate or their devotion to their candidate may lead to comic documentaries like the ones about Deadheads, stoners and borderline cults.

[rumguy]

51. Ok - I think we've about exhausted this debate out...

I see what your saying, and I still like Jon. I just wish some of his humor was more insightful.

Cheers mate!

[snyttri]

40. Tonight and other times he has joked about Dean's temper and Southern

strategy. They seem to make fun of whatever they find funny. They seem to find right of center targets funny more often. But the left is frequently funny, too. I think the show is pretty consistently funny.

[retyred]

46. Jon does dean neck humor?

I didn't know he had one, every picture I've seen goes from chest to chin.

Is that the kind of humor you don't like? Me neither!



retyred in fla
“good night paul, wherever you are”
So I read this book

[Cha]

29. I agree! They could find some humor in

something positive about the candidates that would be a lot funnier.

[snyttri]

32. positive things are funny if you're in the osmond family or a cult

Otherwise, humor comes from pain.

[LuminousX]

12. I haven't seen him praise any of the Democratic contenders

Dean gets it worse because he is the front-runner, undisputed front-runner and Champeen of the Universe!

[tritsofme]

16. Jeebus , the Daily Show is not a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party,

its a comedy show, if something is funny, hes going to say it.

[bpilgrim]

18. yeah... they gotta appear 'fair and ballanced' once in a while

:evilgrin:

love js :bounce:

peace

[robsul82]

23. Oh, it's fine.

TDS makes fun of everyone. I figure most in here would be whining because this would be PROOF! that the media is ONLY FOCUSING ON DEAN!

Later.

RJS

[gmoney]

30. The Daily Show

Stewart does keep making comments about how Bush is unbeatable -- unclear whether it's because he thinks Bush will steal THIS election too, or because the war will make it seem critical that we 'stay the course' with Bush, or because he thinks the Democrats are not strong enough to win.

But he's pretty even-handed on making fun of stupid things said and done by either party.

I was very disappointed that he had Kissinger on the show at all, let alone that he gave him a total pass. Then again, maybe that was just deference to Kissinger's status as a historic figure (historic war criminal) or who knows why, but it was disappointing that he didn't even take one poke.

He did give Bernie Goldberg something of a hard time, which was good, but let Hannity and Colmes run the interview and turn it around on him, rather than berating Colmes for being such a wimp and Hannity for being so damn evil.

Now that he's getting A-List guests, the interviews are a lot less fun. Sort of like when Letterman stopped having oddballs like Harvey Pekar as panel guests in favor or TV actress of the month and Dan Rather and the like.

[coloradodem2005]

34. Question?

Who does Jon Stewart not rip up on?

[kerry-is-my-prez]

36. He doesn't seem to like Dean - I haven't seen him go after any others

like that at all.

[snyttri]

38. In a news parody what's in the news the most gets parodied the most.

He has made fun of Liberman's weak, hound dog appearance, Clark's campaign manager quitting (gulp), Kerry's motorcycle photo mistake, etc...

[BuckeFushe]

41. Jon Stewart is wonderful, even the pukes fight to get on his show

2,000,000+ viewers every night is WAY more than Hanninazi and more than O'Liley. I have NO PROBLEM with a little humor from him regarding the candidates. If you saw the show with Hanninazi and Colmes, you'd see he is only using Dean because he's today's news.

Why do so many here think like Freepers, that one word of comic dissent regarding a candidate by one of the FEW voices we have on cable is grounds for banishment to neverland?

Count the number of times during the 'Moment of Zen' he bashes the Right, and then try and find more than a thimbleful of times he bashes us (himself).

[bhunt70]

43. I agree BuckFushe.

my sentiments exactly.

[thinkahead]

45. I love the Daily Show

and I have to take a deep breath whenever Stewart talks about Dean. I do believe it's part of an effort to be "fair and balanced", but still it sucks watching him rip on Dems, or in particular Dean (whom I support). It is especially surprising since one of Stewart's themes has been about Democrats not standing up to Republicans, which is why Dean has done so well.

Funny story, I guy I work with (who is not politically active at all)told me what an "idiot" he thought Dean was after watching the Daily Show make fun of him a few months back. I gave him my rundown of reasons for supporting Dean - and he didn't seem very impressed.

The next week he saw Dean on the Stephanoplis interview - and said, "I think I might give that guy a chance, he seems like he knows what he's doing, and our President is a moron, anyways."

Amazing what effect simple soundbytes can have on those who don't pay attention.

[eileen_d]

49. That's a funny picture DrFunk --

it actually looks like a guy I went to high school with, and I'd bet the farm he's out somewhere being shrill for Dean right now. (Not that all Dean supporters are shrill but the guy I knew sure was)

[blm]

53. I wouldn't say Stewart is biased against Dean.

But I do think he's not happy in the same way many Dem on camera spokespeople are NOT happy about Dean. They are going to be the ones stuck defending Dean from all the same type attacks that THEY had planned for Bush in 2004. Draft dodging, secrecy, energy deals, lies and inconsistencies, and record not matching the rhetoric.

[Hep]

54. Dean's the topic of the day

Stewart's funny, but he doesn't make a lot of good arguments.

His commentary on the media though is right on point.

[Ficus]

55. um it's the daily show

this isn't fox news. Lighten up people. Jon Stewart is on OUR side, even if *gasp* he has a sense of humor about Democrats.

[Ficus]

56. Did anyone see him rip Hannity

last week? That was great. Colmes just sat there like the worthless monkey he is though, as usual.

[webkev]

58. Daily Show wants Clark

The only time Daily Show has ever made fun of Clark was when he said "I've only been in politics 9 days", and even then they were being warm about it

I certainly felt that John Stewart will not be flying Deans Flag,,