Rant about The Daily Show, Jon Stewart, and the media.

[iamashamed]

http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_political/5414214.html?thread=328392006#t328392006

There is a difference between being on CNN and on Comedy central; or there should be. Jon has always said that he and his show concentrate on the things that they have opinions on, not that they are 'truth tellers' of some kind; because they aren't.They're not trying to get people to change their minds about things, they don't claim to have all the answers, so whether people agree with them or not, it doesn't matter, because they do their shows out of their point of view, and are honest about it.

The media, on the other hand, claims to be unbiased News, when they are actually creating a certain narrative of their network, and then they try to maintain it by being biased, leave out facts, and have opinion shows on it.
 
The difference between CNN/FOX/MSNBC and TDS, is that TDS doesn't claim to have all the facts, they openly admit that they are biased,  have opinions, when the 'real news' don't. 

I don't think of The Daily Show as a news; they might be less biased than the real 'news channels', because they try to keep facts and earth logic in their shows, but they still show their point of view on things; I just happen to agree with them. This is why people have come to count on them instead of the 'real news', to get a more honest view on things. But despite this, the fact is, that they still do their show in of their point of view, point out things *they* find stupid; not things they want other people to believe.

They just don't have a narrative to maintain, so they can often be more honest, show both sides of the media, while proving their points.

A lot of people agree with what they point out, and that has put them in a place where it gets harder and harder for them to deny their own impact; the impact that they never asked for in the first place.
Jon is not the one claiming to be a journalist, yet people are focusing on him and expecting him to be doing a job that the media has long since abandoned. The media has stopped doing their job, and because of The Daily Show pointing out this, people have come to expect them to do the job instead, which they never claimed to do.

It should be said, though, that they do sometimes use this impact to their advantage, which does make them look hypocritical. They use the comedy defense when people critisize them, but point out stupidity and certain situations, when they know people are impacted by it, and believe what they say. But the difference, for me, is that while they do this, they never say that people should take every word they say seriously, like the MSM does.

I do wish that Jon would be honest about this, talk about it, and recognize what many people perceive his show to be. I wish that he would adress this directly without his self-deprecating remarks or jokes, and I hope he will at one point, because he can't have it both ways.

For me, though, it still comes down to this:

There are the media claiming to be news/not biased, but are, giving people biased information, creating a narrative of their network.

Then there is The Daily Show, pointing out this, because no one else does, while still not claiming to be part of the media.

I don't think that it's TDS there should be focus on, but the MSM instead. Jon isn't the one causing the most damage to the society, imho.

Also, I want people to know that despite my Jon stanning I do see other people's valid points about him/TDS and I do think about it. I'm honestly not as blinded by him as people might think. I call him out when I feel like he mess up, and I hope people can see that.

Comments

[bluetooth16.livejournal.com]

In my mind, there's Fox and Liberal Fail (everyone else). It makes things so much easier.

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

Hah, yeah, sometimes I wish I could think like that; but my brain is a weird place to be in.

[bluetooth16.livejournal.com]

My brain is also pretty strange as well (having to hold lots of contradictions simultaneously).

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

But at least you are honest about it, right? So many people aren't able to reconsider their opinions on things or admit when they are wrong.

[bluetooth16.livejournal.com]

I'm usually pretty honest about it. If I need to change my mind, it usually will happen.

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

I think that's the best way to go about it tbh:)

[alexaandra89.livejournal.com]

I have nothing intelligent to add, so i'm just going to say: Fuck Fox.

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

LOL! This is valid!<3 :D

[singingrain5.livejournal.com]

I agree that I think Jon should at least recognize what his show means to a lot of people (or, as you said, address it without dancing around it), but I don't think this should put him under any obligation. I agree with you and some of the comments on that topic, I think that instead of focusing on Jon and demanding that he accept that he is considered a newsman, and to some people the best, instead of THAT we should be focusing on the MSM accepting that most people trust Jon Stewart, A COMEDIAN, above them. Accepting that, AND DOING SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT.

I'm wary of CNN. I only watch MSNBC occasionally. I distrust and avoid Fox with a passion. I trust and get most of my news from Jon Stewart..

Is it wrong? Yes.

Is it the effect Jon's show is supposed to have on people? No.

So why is no one doing anything about it?

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

I agree with your entire comment<3

And no, not an obligation, I would just love it if he adressed it honestly, maybe just to his fans.

And yeah, I try to keep up with the news before watching him and Stephen, but I definetly trust him more that the MSM, too.

And ugh, yes, someone SHOULD do something about!

[sarcasticsra]

because he can't have it both ways.

Except the fact of the matter is that, yeah, he really can, and as long as TDS is on, he probably will. One night he can do a hard-hitting interview and the next he can make fart jokes or ask softball questions, because it is a comedy show. He has no credibility or consistency to maintain. There is no standard he needs to reach except for maybe be funny and be honest. (The latter isn't even a necessity, but we've come to expect that from Jon because he's a decent guy.) He's not a journalist. He's a comedian. Do comedians often stumble upon truth? Absolutely. Is that their goal? No, it's to make people laugh.

He can do whatever he wants. The perception of the show is just that: the perception. He can't control what other people are thinking; all he can do is do his show the way he and his writers see fit.

Because that's the bottom line. It's their show. They'll do what makes sense to them.

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

I agree with you . I know that he can, I didn't mean literally, I just meant that he knows about his own impact and often goes out of his way to get his points across, because he cares. And when people see that and want to critisize something he has said, he can say that it's comedy, no matter how much he meant it. He is under no obligation to do anything because of it, yet he still does, which is why the perception of him being 'more than a comedian' is there. In the end of it, you are right, being a journalist is not his job, he just does a better job at acting like one than the real ones do.

[sarcasticsra]

See, what I don't get it is why there's the sense that he's being "more" than a comedian. Every so often, I get it, like with Jim Cramer, but for the most part, he's still firmly a comedian. Comedy, and satire especially, has always had a foundation of pointing out hypocrisy and absurdity in power. I just don't know when making incisive, funny points stopped being comedy, you know? "Just a comedian" is not a pejorative, IMO. There's a lot involved in being a comedian.

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

I think it's because he happens to do a better job pointing out these things, than many people in the media, so people trust him more. And that's not because of Jon, it's because the state of the media.

[sarcasticsra]

Yeah, probably. Which, as you said, means it's really on the media to step the hell up, not Jon.

[chris-baby.livejournal.com]

YES, DAMMIT.

Couldn't agree more.

[alivemagdolene.livejournal.com]

Thirded.

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

Exactly, and I wish people would focus on that instead. Oh well.

[alivemagdolene.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to even read it since ONTD threads tend to chip away at any belief I have in the general intellect of humanity.

My two cents? The 24-hour news networks are in the business of selling the news. FOX is a rabid pile of bigoted garbage, MSNBC is concerningly turning to FOX for programming advice (at least on a partisan level), and CNN is quick for any story that it thinks will pass (I don't buy that "liberal media" bullshit-- whining assholes that propagate that myth are generally hypocrites: see: Sarah Palin, who holds a journalism degree and yet rails against journalists whenever it suits her).

And I disagree that he can't have it both ways. It's a comedy show. Whatever happened to the idea of a political comedian? They do exist. That isn't to impugn comedy's influence (Brian Williams has made the argument that satire is an essential arm of democracy), but Jon (and Stephen) have no other objective than to make people laugh. Not to report news, not to be a credible news source, but to make people laugh. The fact that their subjects are based in current events doesn't add any "responsibility", their main objective is to be funny. TCR and TDS are political comedy shows. Anyone who thinks they lean one way or another has clearly never really watched the shows which attack both sides and everything in between with fair impunity. I find it interesting that comedy, which is by nature anti-status quo, can be accused of "bias" simply for attacking the party in power (both in the executive and legislative branches) for so long.

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know that he can, I was just trying to play the devils advocate here, and try to see it from other people's point of view; I agree with you though.

[alivemagdolene.livejournal.com]

Sorry, lady; rereading that comment I see I got mad ranty there. All this wank angries up the fangirl blood! Here is pretty Jon.

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, not at all! I totally agree<3 :) I value you guys's opinions.

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

and what I meant with bias was that they still showed their point of view on things, not that they don't attack everyone, because they do.

[southerngaelic.livejournal.com]

It is a sad state of affairs that people in your country are now getting their news from a comedy show. We don't really have that problem here; we've got 24hr news channels, but they just do that: the news. I'm not too big on CNN, and thank FUCK we don't have Fox News. Seriously, fuck Fox News.

That said, while I do wish Jon would address this, I don't want him. My personal fear is that if he starts talking about this seriously, it'll look like he's actually believing in the importance and hype of the show. IMHO, he hasn't done it yet because it keeps TDS from going up its own arse.

And if they start looking at it seriously, it wouldn't be funny anymore. They do have some kind of allowance, because they are a comedy show. If they fuck up some facts, they're allowed to, because it's part of the joke. Instead, the other news media should better themselves and try to (and I cannot believe I'm about to say this) be up to the standards of a comedy fake news cable show.

*blinks* That was the strangest thing I've typed. Wow, I have to go to work now. O-o

[southerngaelic.livejournal.com]

Oops. Here I thought LJ ate my comment. Sorry for the double post!

[iamashamed.livejournal.com]

No worries at all! I agree with you.