Comments on: Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart Are gods

By: Omar Pradhan

Omar Pradhan — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 21:51:45 +0000

I saw the Jon Stewart / Tucker Carlson debate a few years back… Was as good and relevant then as it is now. Great to see this here as a topic to reflect on. Sadly, change is slow but I believe things are improving. A generation of young people are watching / have been watching Stewart and Colbert and are / have realized just how much of the so called “news” is pure garbage spin… Speaking of which, a few years back I watched Brian Springer’s documentary “Spin” (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7344181953466797353#) and it further brought into focus just how much Carlson and his ilk are manipulating reality. Very, very sad indeed but folks like Stewart, Colbert, and recently Pete Dominick (XM Radio) keep me hopeful. And emerging “information” technology platforms (on which we can enjoy nuance / think for ourselves) also give me hope. Perhaps in a few years’ time the majority of folks in our nation will be watching such shows (and others, e.g. Bill Moyers Journal) exclusively on web enabled devices, with easy to follow hyperlinks to facilitate thinking beyond the message AND sharing with friends on our social networking sites of choice. Another thought, given how these two have and continue to benefit our collective issue awareness / national discourse, I wonder if this isn’t somehow the formula to follow in other parts of the world (China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, N. Korea, etc.)…in due time. As an aside, I showed the Stewart / Carlson clip to a law professor (she was an associate of the late Walter Cronkite and I had her for corporate finance, corporations, agency & partnership) in her office and, sadly, she didn’t crack a smile!? To this day I’m not sure what to make of that…perhaps this goes to the “in due time” part of my last thought? Could it be that older generations aren’t as skeptical of bias, more trusting…or could it be that they are less practiced at manipulating digital technology to help them go beyond the headlines and actually think for themselves? Anyhow, bottom line for me is that these two are pure genius and a necessary part of OUR informed, thoughtful, participatory future.

By: Chris F.

Chris F. — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:41:17 +0000

Both clips were funny and had their own lessons to share. With Jon Stewart, it was good to see him out of a funny man role and get down to some serious issues about America, the media and politicians. I agree there are rarely times when politicians are scrutinized in a “hot seat” and asked the hard questions that they will have to deal with when in office during their campaign. Cheers to Jon Stewart for busting out the cast of Crossfire for failing to get facts and debate on issues that is in the public’s best interest. How can Tucker Carlson compare how Jon Stewart didn’t do his job when asking weak questions to John Kerry? I mean Jon Stewart - his show is preceded by muppets on phones on Comedy Central; Tucker Carlson - his show is on Cable News Network (CNN), a 24-hour all news network in America. We really should be holding our leaders accountable for their actions or inactions during their time in office; maybe we can work together to get out of our troubles.

On the Stephen Colbert clip, I agree that there are some students who don’t have an open mind on things and can see different perspectives on issues. That is their loss. The world isn’t just black and white; there are whole shades in between. Being close minded and not accepting other peoples perspectives will be a hindrance if you are trying to be a business person in the global economy. You have to adapt to changes and perspectives or else you will be left behind. While you don’t have to accept the other side’s perspective, not acknowledging it at all is an even greater disservice to yourself. Don’t be a mindless lemming. True story.

By: J Vail

J Vail — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:41:29 +0000

I always embrace any opportunity to watch Stewart and Colbert, but I haven’t really seen them as guests on other’s shows. The crossfire clip was great – I always find it amusing that analysts such as Tucker Carlson can only argue that Stewart ‘doesn’t take things seriously’ on his show, only to turn around and be out debated by him on Carlson’s own show. It’s also great that Stewart explicitly stated that shows where they constantly focus on threats to the American people are “hurting America”.

As far as the lesson to be drawn from the Colbert show, I think it would be very hard to sympathize with Barry Lucier, a college student who would take ignorance all the way to national television. I’m not surprised in the least bit either that he was a guest of Fox “News”. Although right to protest is valued highly in America, I think there is no justification to listening and learning about another view point – you’re welcome to believe whatever you want afterwards.

By: JP Salazar

JP Salazar — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 07:36:58 +0000

I have seen the clip of Jon Stewart of Crossfire a number of times now and his point always sings true to me. The media fueled partisanship has got to stop. I think it is so true that our media sources, our news outlets have become channels for theatre. News organizations are not interested in reporting fair and honest news. They are profit making entities whose goal is to pander to a certain group of people. They spout off biased and inflammatory opinions and try to pass it off as news. People like Glen Beck and the hosts from Crossfire are not reporters. They are entertainers. And I love how in the video the hosts try to justify their actions by saying that Jon Stewart acts in the same way. Really? The Daily Show is a comedy program and in no way tried to pass itself off as a reputable source. Crossfire, on the other hand, it looked to by its viewers to understand the politics behind key issues. What they are getting, however, is a partisan caricature of the worst parts of the political landscape, namely the far left and the far right. I can not stand to watch cable news anymore.
In relation to the China trip, this post identifies an interesting concept. In my negotiations class we learned about a confirmatory bias that people rely on. Basically, people only pay attention to the facts and information that confirms their preconceived notions and ignore those that go against them. It is important to go into an opportunity like this China trip with an open mind. I do not want to risk meeting someone, trying something new, or learning about a new idea because I was closed off. While I might have some preconceived notions about what China is like, I will do my best to check those once we get off the plane and get into the country. I want to be able to see China for everything that it is, not just see it through a lens of preconceptions.

By: Kyle R.

Kyle R. — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 06:34:08 +0000

These videos definitely point out some major flaws that exist here in America. John Stewart emphasizes that there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer in politics, but just debating for entertainment does not benefit the everyday citizen. The media has so much power and influence in America and this is how they choose to spend their time? I tend to become annoyed with all the bickering that occurs in debates such as this because nobody seems to be listening to each other. Each party is just trying to prove their case with no regard to the other party’s opinion. Even when they became heated in the debate, all three people seemed to only care about their perspective. How can they deal with foreign policy, when this is how they deal with each other?

In regards to Stephen Colbert’s segment, I feel he was just trying to prove that people need to keep an open mind about all issues and form their own opinions. Often times it seems as if people don’t want to accept or believe anything that is against their current viewpoint. I believe it’s more beneficial for all parties involved to actively listen to the details of a situation, then take an analytical approach when forming their viewpoint.

By: Amanda Podesta

Amanda Podesta — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:43:14 +0000

… the Colbert transcript irked me. Especially, how Colbert used a sample of ONE student to make broad value statements about college students in general. What?! Of course, I understand this is meant to be enjoyed on the surface as comedy but I was put off by the deeper undertones of the writing teams and professional orators whom subtly and intentionally were seeking to shift their audiences’ attitudes and beliefs. Give me comedy any day, Mr. Colbert, but lay off the preaching and trying to manipulate me with manufactured outrage and a bloated monologue.

By: Tara Millard

Tara Millard — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:32:16 +0000

While the Jon Steward video stressed me out beyond belief (primarily due to the man in the bow-tie), this segment proved the power of Jon Stewart. I look up to this man more than ever. While I have a dozen favorite quotes from this segment, the heated discourse over media influence on politics was amazing. Crossfire (primarily the man in the bow-tie) is accusing Jon Stewart of not covering politics adequately. Jon Stewart ingeniously rebuts with the fact that Crossfire is on CNN, a network that has a responsibility to the public discourse, while the Jon Stewart show follows a show about puppets on Comedy Central. This segment proved extremely entertaining even in the face of a serious and frankly pissed off Jon Stewart.

Although entertaining, this segment raises some serious issues in American politics. The political coverage in the media has a responsibility to American citizens, yet they are failing miserably. More Americans turn to Jon Stewart, a comedian on a comedy station, for political discussions rather than a legitimate network and show designated to covering these topics. Jon Stewart points out that while Crossfire has a responsibility to the public they spend the show engaging in theatre rather than meaningful debate. Jon Stewart has won the love of the public through comedy but he is not afraid to address real life issues. The men on Crossfire are another story.

The Colbert video while very entertaining, was all too true. As College Students and American citizens we are too quick to believe something just because it has been taught to us. We seem to ignore the fact that in our own lives, and thus in education politics etc., all statements are subjective. Even if everyone witnesses the same thing, life experience and cultural ties will make every person’s story unique and generally very different. I think it is very important to keep this in mind on our trip to China. While we may have learned things one way, that doesn’t mean it is the only correct answer. Perspectives are a part of life and a part of learning and without opening our eyes and minds, we cant expect to succeed in this global economy.

By: j hurley

j hurley — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:54:25 +0000

The Colbert clip was classic Colbert sarcasm, humor and wit…It’s always funny to watch.
Stewart on Crossfire, however was much more entertaining. You have to love how Stewart can be such a smart ass with out saying much, his answers and responses are so quick. Aside from being very funny, Stewart brings up some very important and valuable facts regarding how the media interacts with politics. It’s good to see that not all people are so close minded and one sided…

By: Anthony Kallioinen

Anthony Kallioinen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:13:24 +0000

I must say, these clips are fantastic! I really enjoy both the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. I’ve seen these clips before (Jon Stewart is still a god blog) and I’ve shown them to others on multiple occasions because of how confrontational the interaction between Jon and Tucker Carlson is. The ‘Crossfire’ interview was really heated and gave me a glimpse of Jon Stewart out of character and off cue cards, and a view of his goals in asking crossfire to turn into an honest debate show. I’m just a shocked as he was that this show sees his show as a competitor. The only argument ‘Crossfire’ had was that Jon had a fantastic opportunity to interview Kerry and instead he did exactly what his show does – comedic interviews making fun of the system in place.

I feel that this blog is a good view of how our best news reporting can come from comedians because politicians only use bi-partisan arguments/puppets to create chaos to confuse the public. This mess needs to be clarified by honest debate, and as Jon Stewart has clearly pointed out, there is yet to be a platform for this.

This is extremely relevant in the conversation with China. Going off of what Kaiser Kuo said in his speech (Red Guards against Rednecks blog): there is incredible room for both Americans and Chinese to misinterpret one another. Our relationship with the Chinese is really important and we need people like Jon Stewart to point out the absurdities in our system in hopes of reform.

By: Jessie Wilkie

Jessie Wilkie — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 06:26:52 +0000

I thought the Colbert video was a riot! I felt so bad for the student, Barry, he tore apart though. Unfortunately, the poor guy was a necessary sacrifice to make his comedic, truthful point. Some people are just ridiculous about changing their beliefs or being open to the idea of new science (5% of the people who disagree should get 50% of the time, right?). This video applied to us students too because more often than not there are times in our academic careers where we might not believe new figures that are coming out because they conflict with our existing beliefs. It is good for us to be aware of this fact.

Jon Stewart’s guest appearance on Crossfire was amazing. “It’s not so much that it’s bad as that it’s hurting America.” I feel like that quote sums up what he was trying to say. The fact that he accused the media of hurting, not helping America was great. It is reminiscent with the fact that Chinese media and the propaganda department end up polarizing and actually hurting the Chinese people. It’s ironic too because us Americans think that we have great free press and media and we condemn the autocratic Chinese media. When in all reality, we also have slanted and sometimes tyrannical media. As demonstrated by the way that they treated Jon Stewart on crossfire. He was bringing up some very important information about how the American media is theater and skewed. He was pleading for the American citizens so that they would have better media. The two crossfire guys were complete jerks to him. Stewart, however, held strong to his beliefs with his “I’m not going to be your monkey” comment summing this up.