Friday, September 17, 2010

The Double Standards in Jon Stewart's Comedy Show

First of all, let's get this straight. I like laughing.
I like enjoying myself. I am also (more than) willing to take hits for "my" team and laugh at any incongruity on "my" side. I've also watched the Daily Show quite a few times and think that Jon Stewart is a funny guy. Therefore, I want to like Jon Stewart and his Daily Show.

Except for one thing: like I've always stated, my reason for blogging and the reason for my political viewpoints and my reason for generally supporting conservatives can all be boiled down to the fact that I do not like double standards and I do not like injustice.

Case in point: Stewart's handling of two heads of state that appeared on his show, within a couple of days of each other. With Tony Blair, the leftist comedian is interviewing the former British Prime Minister about Iran and about the Iraq War (which Stewart opposes), and he will not let Blair (related material on the alleged "poodle" charge here) talk, as he keeps interrupting Blair with his "Yes, buts"… (As a friend wrote, he "behaved very unpolite. He was talking at least 70% of the time. You cannot ask someone like TB about such a complex issue like Iran and don't give him a possibility to make his point.")

Compare that with the latest guest on the show: Jon Stewart simply let Bill Clinton take over the (comedy) show with his statistics and his opinions and his politicizing (for the Democratic Party, which the comedian supports), adding nary a comment, funny or otherwise, and simply sitting back… (There was actually a — rare — moment of hilarity as the 42nd president stated, deadpan, that his daughter's wedding happened to be "my contribution to the economic stimulus.") Which is fine (Jon Stewart's reaction, I mean), except: do not use double standards.

Note to talk shows, comic or other: either you let everybody have their say, whether you agree with them or not, or you break into all their comments with funny asides, whether you like their opinions or not…

Aren't leftists (serious or other) always railing about fairness and equality and every member of society getting their fair share? Comedy, and levity, and satire, is supposed to be directed at everyone. With the same levels of wit. There aren't supposed to be any double standards… There isn't supposed to be any injustice in the dishing out…

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