With its talking turd and adolescent T&A it’s easy to dismiss Comedy Central as a joke. But then 11 o’clock ET rolls around, and the upstart basic cable network presents the sharpest 22 minutes of news on TV. Its own cheeky hype insists, “‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ is the most important television show ever, with the most important guests,… return to article
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Reader Comments (23)Page 1 of 1 pagesI will start watching the Daily Show.
I have tuned in a few times and found it to be provacative and informational. Funny as hell too.It reminds me of the original Saturday Night Live stuff. Early on
it was a major instrument of change for quite a few people such as myself. The “irreverance” was what caught my attention.
Posted by Chuck Nelson on Oct 30, 2003 at 12:05 AM I’ve become a great fan of Jon Stewart’s and a regular viewer of The Daily Show—even to the exclusion of the other “11 o’clock news” shows.
He and his “posse” bring a freshness to the news scene that is sorely needed and has gained a measure of “repectability” when it comes to progressive politics.
<*G*>
Posted by Gerrie Blum on Oct 30, 2003 at 12:13 AM “The Daily Show” kicks major boo-tay. Mad props to the Stewart.
Moothart makes an extremely important point: that “hey, hey, ho, ho…” chant really needs to disappear. It was old when I was a toddler in the anti-nuke marches.
Posted by Aaron on Oct 30, 2003 at 1:01 AM Thank you so much for bringing something so true into the light! This has always been my favorite television show, a half-hour escape from the rest of the mind-numbing television that is the mass media. Go John Stewart, my hero!!!
Posted by Lindsey Sellers on Oct 30, 2003 at 1:34 AM LOVE JON and LOVE the DAILY SHOW—HATE SNL’s booty-based, way tooooo long hip-hop stupid segments.
In these very dark days in the open ward of earth, The Daily Show is a welcome belly laugh release after a long, hard day, slogging through bush’s America-thank god someone is willing to challenge the boypuppet!
Posted by devin on Oct 30, 2003 at 2:00 AM I really enjoyed this article, just as I enjoy The Daily Show almost every day. Although I am far from the demographic mentioned, I find it the most enjoyable half-hour on TV. The suggestions that are made about finding new ways to connect with ordinary people by killing off the sanctimonous rhetoric that the left so frequently employs strike me as right on the mark. Congratulations.
Posted by Robert W. Schneider on Oct 30, 2003 at 3:53 AM Idocicy is the only form of apparent ‘critique’ the _Thought Police_ will allow. And if anyone thinks this is “made up,” I pity…..
Moyers tries to tell the truth and is dismissed. Stewart claims truth telling and is accepted. What does that tell us about what the _real_ Though Police have achieved?Wake UP!
Posted by ryokan on Oct 30, 2003 at 8:56 AM The “media” we have today is a direct result of Bush the elder publicly claiming that the “press” lost him the election and the Republican held congressional Telecommunications Act of 1996. Make no mistake that a fabulously well-funded, “right-wing conspiracy” was set in motion to ensure that that would not happen again, hence our new corporate “news”. I also fall outside your stated demographic, but I rarely miss the Daily Show and know many friends and relatives who wouldn’t miss it either. Some days I question how much longer he’ll be “allowed” to get away with some of his material, but hope his ratings will prevent his being removed from happening. Many of his viewers may not remember shows like “Laugh In” or “TWTWTW” (That was the week that was) with David Frost, but perhaps we could petition for someone to put on shows with like formats, political jibes mixed with good humor. The New Republicans like to criticize the “elitist” and “liberal” television, but say what they will, at least back then we got the news, the real news and shows like David Susskind, Dick Cavett, David Frost and…ugh!...even William Buckley elevated the debate. What we have now is, as you suggest, what I call “slogan talk”. Propaganda-speak with not even a feeble attempt to refute the administration (and thus practically every Republican in America) line on any topic. Perhaps we can convince some of the new media outlets such as Al Gore’s or John Podestha’s or the Anshell’s to sign on for a Daily Show format, only way more often than once a day, with early, noon, and evening updates. I also remember Jon crying on air after the devastating attacks and then falling into that bubble of conformity, of not raising the difficult questions, shortly thereafter. I still feel he holds back on some topics that need to be tweaked more earnestly and frequently, such as the non-investigation of that same event. The lack of true investigation and acceptance of the official line is tragically laughable. Thank you for this article, thanks to Jon Stewart, Bill Moyers for his astute recognition of Jon and to the powers-that-be who continue to allow Jon the freedom to do what he does so well.
Posted by Suzanne Bailey on Oct 30, 2003 at 2:26 PM I started watching the Daily Show in earnest this past spring during the Iraq War - it’s the only thing that got me through those months. I tape the show and send it off to my sister in New Jersey who doesn’t have cable.
It is the funniest, most provocative show on TV. My only concern is that Comedy Central is owned by Viacom and it will only be a matter of time before business as usual prevails and Jon and the entire, incredible crew is silenced. I pray that doesn’t happen!
Keep up the good work!!
Posted by K on Oct 30, 2003 at 5:58 PM the daily show is just what they say it is, “a fake news program.” Stewart lets his liberal views show all the time, but its not a show thats meant to be watched for news but for comedy.
Posted by brad on Oct 30, 2003 at 8:40 PM Oh man are you guys having to dive to new depths here! Is this what the “alternative press” is about? Headlines of T.V. show reviews?!
The Daily Show is great, and yeah, it’s biased to the left.
But did you see John skewer the Democratic NAACP debate? It’s just too easy with those clowns up there. Daily Show makes fun of those in power and in the news. Don’t be too surprised when they continue to satirize the left.
Posted by Ty on Oct 31, 2003 at 12:49 AM I prefered the show when Liz Winstead was in charge. Craig Kilborn was a fake but Winstead’s writing was sharp. Now we just have another Woody Allen pretender doing the usual semitic schtik. Whatever.
Posted by kg on Oct 31, 2003 at 2:18 AM If the mood of the country were to shift further to the left, Rupert Murdoch and the other media titans would follow suit, the bottom line is more important than ideology. “Give the people what they want and they’ll come back for more.”
Posted by jack on Oct 31, 2003 at 2:47 PM I really like Jon Stewart I think he is a hottie. I wish he would do serious news though. He would look better with closer cut hair and a more conservative sense of style.
I go to wait for my lovely Jon.
Posted by brad on Oct 31, 2003 at 8:24 PM I’m so glad someone else realizes what great stuff the daily show is doing. I’ve been watching the show for a few years now, and love it every time. I started watching it for comic value, but more and more, I’m apprecreciating their ability and willingness to poke fun at those in charge. Finally someone is pointing out what a joke parts of our society really are.
Posted by Phil on Nov 3, 2003 at 5:16 AM The best show is when he showed the CA supreme court members (Castro and the two fried Dead heads) the day they attempted to delay the recall election. What a perfect representation of the idiocy prevalent in that state today.
Posted by Brian Timm on Nov 4, 2003 at 1:19 AM I have been watching Jon Stewart on the Daily Show since he first took over the show. Needless to say, I’m hopelessly addicted to the show. It is one of the few shows on television that I feel is worth watching. Jon Stewart constantly reaffirms that the show is a “fake” news program. This fact is obvious, but as you have stated and as Jon himself has stated The Daily Show doesn’t report news, it dissects it. The Daily Show has the power to completely bash an ideal that is prevolent in America or a person who is in politics, but they do it in such a way that they don’t resort to name-calling (well, not all the time at least). This is the show that America needs and it is hardly deserving of the label it gets by being on Comedy Central.
Posted by Joshua Martin on Nov 6, 2003 at 5:52 PM Americans (except those of you yeehay cow boys from Crawford, TX)- Just to write from the right side of the pond (direction nubs, not your weird political spectrum)- Jon Stewart is the funniest guy we have seen! Please tell BBC to put him on nightime slot. Only a few of us have satellite over here.
I have just one question for you US based paper- why do your people want to attack and kill? Why do you have guns and shooting in all places?
Most importantly- why didn’t you care about Rhwanda? Why did you let 1 million people die? Why? You don’t care b/c you aren an awful place.
Posted by Tren on Nov 10, 2003 at 2:59 AM tren-
ask Bill Clinton why all of those people died. I’m tired of how people want us to be the policeman of the world, sometimes. We go into Iraq and you get pissed saying it isn’t our job to get rid of Sadam and then you get mad at us for us not going into Rwanda.P.s. I was for going into Rwanda.
Posted by brad on Nov 10, 2003 at 3:06 AM the author of this piece is clearly a genius. would she consider having my children?
Posted by mdooley on Nov 14, 2003 at 2:39 AM the author of this piece is clearly a genius. will she bear my children?
Posted by mdooley on Nov 14, 2003 at 2:58 AM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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Posted by Kelly on Nov 2, 2003 at 11:48 PM 
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