Stewart v. Maddow: The Thrilla Was Vanilla

[marmar]

from The Nation:



Stewart v. Maddow: The Thrilla Was Vanilla

Leslie Savan
November 12, 2010


It was heady, it was thoughtful, it was nuanced out the wazoo—the Stewart/Maddow Comedy/Journalism Conference of 2010 was the opposite of everything that Jon Stewart objects to in our “24-hour politico pundit panic conflict-o-nator.” But much like his fellow believer in bipartisanship, Barack Obama, Stewart came away empty-handed this week from a high-stakes political summit.

Stewart had asked for the interview with Rachel Maddow in order to clear up the perception that his rally last month was whiffy and not about anything, as Bill Maher put it. Of course it was about something—it was about the corrosive effect of the hype, noise, and tone in political media today. Stewart has always had a tone jones: If a presentation is too loud (Olbermann), too goofy (Rick Sanchez), or too shrill (Code Pink, he says), it waves a red cape before his comedic bull. Last night he cited a clip he used to promote his rally of a woman shouting that Bush was a war criminal. “Technically he is,” Stewart said. Then why equate that charge with the far right’s contentions that Obama is Hitler, a socialist, and/or a Kenyan anti-colonist Muslim, none of which is technically, or otherwise, remotely true? “We were talking about tone there, not content necessarily,” Stewart told Maddow.

We were talking about standing up in the middle of a meeting and shouting that. My problem is it's become tribal. And if you have 24-hour networks that focus, their job is to highlight the conflict between two sides where I don't think that's the main conflict in our society. That was the point of the rally, was to deflate that idea that that's a real conflict, red/blue, Democrat/Republican. I think there's a bigger difference between people who have kids and people who don't have kids than red state/blue state.

That last point is particularly ridiculous, but Stewart’s broader argument, that too much screaming about “My side is better than your side!” is bad for our country, is well taken.

But it’s inadequate, and kind of lazy. This Crossfire–era criticism of cable punditry was apt back in 2004, when Stewart almost single-handedly got that CNN show canceled, but it’s way past its sell-by date today. That was two losing wars, a collapsed economy, and a Citizens United decision ago. The reason so many people are disappointed in Stewart’s rally is that after 12 years on the air, they had hoped he would have developed his argument further. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blog/156431/stewart-v-maddow-thrilla-was-vanilla

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[defendandprotect]

2. Unfortunately, the right wing "screaming" has been going on for decades ...

and, NO, I do not see any equivalency on the left by KO, Maddow or Schultz -- or

Randi Rhodes nor Hatrmann -- this is nonsense.

If T-baggers spit at Congressmen and Schultz shows it, Stewart suggests this is

poor "tone" and "too much noise" on the LEFT?


This was a really depressing interview -- Jon Stewart showed who he really is and

we should pay a lot of attention to that!

[lunatica]

3. I like the debate and the soul searching this has created

We on the Left are as usual the only ones who are reacting whether it's knee jerk reaction or thoughtful self assessment and examination. The Right and teabaggerati simply don't have the self-reflection gene which is why they're willfully ignorant and will stay that way.

Maddow and Stewart have sparked a debate we need to have on the Left. Things must evolve, and if we can manage to evolve consciously and conscientiously we will do it right. The Right will continue to be as ignorant as they were decades ago, and as recently witnessed, will actually de-evolve into another historical mistake.

[marginlized]

4. Incredibly unfortunate

that Americans expect comedians to do the work of their news media. That Stewart is expected to provide any further direction or answer beyond the daily dose of farce that is his trade is sad. He's just the clown, not the messenger.

[stray cat]

5. Two sane rationale intelligent informed people talking about issues - if thats vanilla we need more