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Jon Steward savages Crossfire
Oct. 17th, 2004 10:41 amThe wreckage is still being searched for the remains of Tucker Carlson. To date, all that rescuers have been able to recover is a scorched and shredded bow tie...
Ok, it wasn't destruction in a literal sense, but wow! it was strong. Stewart was being serious, passionate, funny, and very gutsy in going on a political "debate" show and telling them to their faces that they're hurting our democracy. They try to shrug him off and insult him, but they fail abjectly. The audience, by the way, sounded like it was completely behind Stewart. I highly recommend downloading the whole thing if you have a connection that will permit it. Or you can read a transcript, but trust me, the effect is much better if you can see the video. BTW, I've got a Windows media player version. Let me know if you can't get this elsewhere.
Here's a link to CNN's transcript: (scroll past the first 1/3 to get to the Stewart segment)
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/15/cf.01.html
Here's a Daily Kos page with list of places you can download the video:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/15/183457/32
And here's some of Salon's commentary:
"I think you're a lot more fun on your show," said Tucker Carlson to "Crossfire" guest Jon Stewart this afternoon. "And I think you're as much of a dick on your show as on any other," Stewart shot back. It wasn't the faux avuncularity we've come to expect from Stewart on "The Daily Show" but there, of course, he's playing a role. Here he was himself -- and he wasn't buying any of it.
From the moment Stewart sat down he made no secret of how repugnant he found the show. In fact, he said to Carlson and co-host Paul Begala that he had been so hard on the show he felt it was his duty to come on and say to their faces what he has said to friends and in interviews. What he said was that their show was "hurting America," and he was being only slightly hyperbolic. Stewart told them that when America needed journalists to be journalists they had instead chosen to present theater.
Carlson, trying to affect an air of dry amusement that a comedian would presume to lecture him, important pundit that he is, but looking as if his bow-tie were about to start spinning, could barely contain his outrage. In an absolutely mind-boggling moment, Carlson tried to counter Stewart's criticism by pointing out that during John Kerry's recent appearance on "The Daily Show," Stewart asked the candidate softball questions. "If you want to measure yourself against a comedy show," Stewart said, "be my guest."
Paul Begala tried to put a more conciliatory face on things by pointing out that theirs was a "debate" show. Stewart was having none of it. "I would love to see a real debate show," he said. And went on to tell them that instead of holding politicians' feet to the fire by asking tough question, "you're part of their strategy. You're partisan -- what's the word? -- uh, hacks."
It's almost a cliche by now to talk about "The Daily Show" being more trusted than real newscasts, but Stewart showed why. He pointed out to Carlson that he had asked Kerry if he really were in Cambodia but "I don't care," and when Carlson asked him what he thought about the "Bill O'Reilly vibrator flap," Stewart said, "I don't." It was as concise a demonstration of the triviality of the media as you could hope for.
"I thought you were going to be funny," Carlson said toward the end of the interview. Stewart responded, "No, I'm not going to be your monkey." And that was what was so bracing.
Ok, it wasn't destruction in a literal sense, but wow! it was strong. Stewart was being serious, passionate, funny, and very gutsy in going on a political "debate" show and telling them to their faces that they're hurting our democracy. They try to shrug him off and insult him, but they fail abjectly. The audience, by the way, sounded like it was completely behind Stewart. I highly recommend downloading the whole thing if you have a connection that will permit it. Or you can read a transcript, but trust me, the effect is much better if you can see the video. BTW, I've got a Windows media player version. Let me know if you can't get this elsewhere.
Here's a link to CNN's transcript: (scroll past the first 1/3 to get to the Stewart segment)
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/15/cf.01.html
Here's a Daily Kos page with list of places you can download the video:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/15/183457/32
And here's some of Salon's commentary:
"I think you're a lot more fun on your show," said Tucker Carlson to "Crossfire" guest Jon Stewart this afternoon. "And I think you're as much of a dick on your show as on any other," Stewart shot back. It wasn't the faux avuncularity we've come to expect from Stewart on "The Daily Show" but there, of course, he's playing a role. Here he was himself -- and he wasn't buying any of it.
From the moment Stewart sat down he made no secret of how repugnant he found the show. In fact, he said to Carlson and co-host Paul Begala that he had been so hard on the show he felt it was his duty to come on and say to their faces what he has said to friends and in interviews. What he said was that their show was "hurting America," and he was being only slightly hyperbolic. Stewart told them that when America needed journalists to be journalists they had instead chosen to present theater.
Carlson, trying to affect an air of dry amusement that a comedian would presume to lecture him, important pundit that he is, but looking as if his bow-tie were about to start spinning, could barely contain his outrage. In an absolutely mind-boggling moment, Carlson tried to counter Stewart's criticism by pointing out that during John Kerry's recent appearance on "The Daily Show," Stewart asked the candidate softball questions. "If you want to measure yourself against a comedy show," Stewart said, "be my guest."
Paul Begala tried to put a more conciliatory face on things by pointing out that theirs was a "debate" show. Stewart was having none of it. "I would love to see a real debate show," he said. And went on to tell them that instead of holding politicians' feet to the fire by asking tough question, "you're part of their strategy. You're partisan -- what's the word? -- uh, hacks."
It's almost a cliche by now to talk about "The Daily Show" being more trusted than real newscasts, but Stewart showed why. He pointed out to Carlson that he had asked Kerry if he really were in Cambodia but "I don't care," and when Carlson asked him what he thought about the "Bill O'Reilly vibrator flap," Stewart said, "I don't." It was as concise a demonstration of the triviality of the media as you could hope for.
"I thought you were going to be funny," Carlson said toward the end of the interview. Stewart responded, "No, I'm not going to be your monkey." And that was what was so bracing.
