O'Reilly Vs. Jon Stewart

[newfangle]

Of the two clowns, Jon is clearly way funnier. I don't know how else to put it.

 

[cgannon64]

Jon Stewart is a comedian. I don't know why anyone takes the "Daily Show" seriously. The last person to be funny doing a "news show" was Kevin Nealon and before him, Dennis Miller.

Many people do take it seriously - and Jon Stewart wins every argument with every guest because he buries their points under laughter.

And, when he gets into serious arguments, as he did on "Crossfire", he reveals himself as kind-of a jerk.

 

[Irish Caesar]

Realize, of course, that Jon Stewart isn't trying to get people to watch the news, he's trying to get people to watch his show. Chances are, if you do read papers and watch some legitimate news source, you aren't that influenced by Jon Stewart's take on the news. If you don't, at least Stewart gives you some background. The fact that some people take his show as real news is somewhat frightening, though...

 

[Kyriakos]

Clowns always help maintain the idea that there is a circus in town, when in reality the large domed building around which they roam could be a cemetery, and not a circus.

In other words: low iq political commentators and tv personalities are just there so that the dumb can feel less dumb, and the moderately bright can feel superior intellectually. Those who have the ability to think in serious ways can only be alienated by this situation.
I should note however that i have never seen Stewart, and know only very little of O'Reilly. But i would be surprised if at least the latter isnt a clown.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Stewart is definitely a better analyst than anyone you'll find on FOX or CNN. And that's simply because as a comedian he has far more freedom to, well, tell the truth.

A great example is how the media were patting each others' backs over how "aggressively" they followed up the story of Bush faking the teleconference with the soldiers in Iraq. Then Stewart airs Monday night with a three-minute clip that does a better job of showing the real issues than any newscast I saw. CNN didn't play Allison Barber's rehearsal followed by George Bush saying exactly the same thing. FOX didn't show Barber coaching one of the soldiers on how to tell a preplanned, folksy anecdote. And they both DEFINITELY didn't show the hilarious "White House fifth season DVD" segment...

As for the idea that Stewart "sweeps the guest under the rug with laughter" instead of responding to their points, with some guests that's the only reasonable response. Like Bill O'Reilly claiming that "both neocons and Cindy Sheehan get it in the No Spin Zone," or that other Republican flack a few months ago who falsely claimed John Kerry had been "rated the most liberal senator."

If your viewpoint can't stand up to light banter, much less the reasoned opposition that Stewart DOES bring to bear in serious interviews... well, explain again why I should take you seriously?

 

[Irish Caesar]

In other words: low iq political commentators and tv personalities are just there so that the dumb can feel less dumb, and the moderately bright can feel superior intellectually. Those who have the ability to think in serious ways can only be alienated by this situation.
I should note however that i have never seen Stewart, and know only very little of O'Reilly. But i would be surprised if at least the latter isnt a clown.

Personally, I would like to see some of the political commentators out there run for office, since they apparently have all the answers. Of course, I'm hesitant to wish such a thing, because the commentators would probably win every seat they ran for!

 

[Godwynn]

A great example is how the media were patting each others' backs over how "aggressively" they followed up the story of Bush faking the teleconference with the soldiers in Iraq. Then Stewart airs Monday night with a three-minute clip that does a better job of showing the real issues than any newscast I saw.

Very good point, I did not notice that myself.

 

[Alpine Trooper]

O'Reilly is an absolute idiot.

 

[Irish Caesar]

O'Reilly is an absolute idiot.

Based on the video clip or on prior thoughts on the subject?
We've had threads about Bill before, and they seem to go this way...

Basically, what we've learned from the video is that the host always gets his way. If Stewart wants to make Bill look stupid, he asks a question without a good answer and drowns out the subject with laughs if it makes sense. If Bill wants to make one of his guests look stupid, he throws a one-liner and cuts the guest's mic. How many hosts play fair?

 

[Alpine Trooper]

Based on the video clip or on prior thoughts on the subject?
We've had threads about Bill before, and they seem to go this way...

Basically, what we've learned from the video is that the host always gets his way. If Stewart wants to make Bill look stupid, he asks a question without a good answer and drowns out the subject with laughs if it makes sense. If Bill wants to make one of his guests look stupid, he throws a one-liner and cuts the guest's mic. How many hosts play fair?

It's not a matter of playing fair. It's a matter of intelligence, which Bill displays he lacks entirely every time he draws breath. One need only listen to the assinine assumptions and conclusions he creates weekly on Fox to understand.

 

[Hundegesicht]

Yeah ! The fact it came from the Cafeteria of the Congress, one of the most important US official institutions, is even less worrying. ok I'm sorry then !

While it's a good cafeteria and all, I would hardly call it one of the most important institutions in the U.S. It's just a place to eat food...

Seriously, you'd think the vast majority of France can't take a joke. I thought "freedom fries" was hilarious when I first heard it... a spin on the old "liberty cabbage" of WWI. That Subway ad was pretty dumb, I'll grant you that, but certainetly not insulting. You really need to lighten up.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

If Stewart wants to make Bill look stupid, he asks a question without a good answer and drowns out the subject with laughs if it makes sense...

Can you give me an example from that interview? I do see several instances where Stewart appropriately undermined a silly/stupid response with laughter. Such as when Bill said that he was angry because "there are a lot of evil people we have to deal with." That was a farcical response from a talk show host, and Stewart was right to zing it down with "when are you going to start."

I don't see instances where Stewart laughed down a reply O'Reilly gave that "made sense" because, well, O'Reilly didn't give any such replies. Come on, the guy said "France is the enemy," how seriously do you expect me to take him?

Guests who go on the show with a platform, ready to preach it, usually get the smackdown. Maybe they don't realize that Stewart is the master at this... his entire job consists of playing video clips of statements by people in power and then provoking irrepressible laughter in the audience without comment, just by giving the appropriate facial expression.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

the Cafeteria of the Congress, one of the most important US official institutions

We may be Americans but even we don't take fast food that seriously

 

[Esckey]

Okay remember awhile back, Jon aired this bit that was Bushes "This is what I'll do if elected" speech from before the whole florida recount thing, and then aired that other speech by bush a bit after he got elected that contradics half the things he said in the first speech? That was the best and it(along with "white house 5th season" thing) show just how smart this show is.

O'Reily and all the other networks would never dare do something that really points out how contradictive and how hypocritical the adminstration(not just bush but whomever is in office)

 

[Marla_Singer]

While it's a good cafeteria and all, I would hardly call it one of the most important institutions in the U.S. It's just a place to eat food...

Seriously, you'd think the vast majority of France can't take a joke. I thought "freedom fries" was hilarious when I first heard it... a spin on the old "liberty cabbage" of WWI. That Subway ad was pretty dumb, I'll grant you that, but certainetly not insulting. You really need to lighten up.

Yeah... you're right. U.S humor is so hilarious when the purpose is to completely destroy the images of other countries. It's such a fun !

How hilarious it was to hear in Jay Leno's Tonight Show, one of the most seen TV show in the US, some dude saying : "I would call the French scum bags, but that, of course, would be a disservice to bags filled with scum."

What a great laugh I had !

 

[wit>trope]

Hmm I can't believe you would laugh about that Marla! I would think that would be an insulting joke. I myself even think it is very distasteful.

unless you were laughing AT the joke and AT Leno instead of WITH him

maybe evolution makes you feel OK to be compared to "scum"

 

[Marla_Singer]

Hmm I can't believe you would laugh about that Marla! I would think that would be an insulting joke. I myself even think it is very distasteful.

What are you saying ? When I hear people like you I can't help thinking the vast majority of America "can't take a joke".

 

[wit>trope]

Ahh! So you didn't really laugh at that distasteful joke

To be honest I didn't read that first paragraph so I missed the sarcasm.

You are very witty and clever. You must be French

 

[wit>trope]

I read the whole French discussion between Marla and her critics and I have to say that Marla is in the main the winner of that debate

I have to also say that the subway chicken ad WAS funny!

All joking aside, it's practically America's pasttime to make fun of Europe (The UK usually escapes relatively unscathed as most people like them, even if in a slightly amused way) but France in particular does get a bad rap here.

The reason why only Europe is made fun of is because it's not politically correct to say make fun of China or Nigeria. If it were, there would be plenty of jokes about African and Asian nations just as there are about European ones. The reason why the UK is not made fun of is because Americans kind of identify themselves with the UK ... after all the UK was once the "mother" country. UK has been a historical ally (Thatcher and now Blair -- actually forever since the first conflict).

When you make a joke about French people think to yourself "Would this be OK if I said this about Nigerian people or Chinese people?" And if the answer is no (like it clearly would be IMHO in the case of the "scum" joke), then don't make it. If comparing Nigerians to scum or Chinese to scum is wrong, then comparing Frenchmen to scum should be just as (if not more) wrong.

 

[Marla_Singer]

Anyway, let's stop about this. I'm sorry I've lead the thread to get so off-topic and I'll stop it now.

The fact is I've been genuinely hurt at that period of time. However, Masquerouge is still right, there's no reason to keep talking about this. I've repeated my point enough time on this forum to make most forumers sick about it. All that was 3 years ago... it's time to move on.

Sorry to all the US dudes my insistance could have annoyed.

And to talk on topic. I might agree that there weren't really a debate between O'Reilly and Stewart. Stewart seems to get a better step back on past events, something O'Reilly doesn't do at all. That's maybe the common point I unfortunately share with O'Reilly, and I would like to be more like Stewart about this in the future.