I don't know why it continues to amaze me that most establishment media figures still do not get the point of The Daily Show. But it does. They all seem to think it's a show that takes a satirical look at events in the day's news. But it's not. It's a show satirizing them, the American news media -- i.e., the people responsible for the godawful state of American journalism over the past couple of decades. And it's not toothless, collegial, just-kidding humor. It is merciless and completely on-point. It's popular not just because it's funny, but because it's the only show calling out the American news media on their bullshit, night after night.
The reason Jon Stewart's interview with Jim Cramer is causing such a stir is because it's a potent reminder of exactly the kind of journalism we've been missing. Stewart is both telling Cramer -- and by extension, everyone in the American news media -- to do thier motherfucking job, but also showing them how their job is actually supposed to be done:
UPDATE: Minstrel Boy at the Group News Blog brings the Jacobin perspective.
Whoa! What is this doing on the COMEDY network? Serious stuff, and I though Cramer was about to cry by the time they got to the 10 minute mark in the second reel. I know I would have in his position...
BTW, Canadian internauts can find this on The Comedy Network. Anglo-saxon vulgarities are, of course, redacted (we are, on the whole, a polite and reserved bunch, aren't we, Darcy?)
Posted by: cbj smith | 14 March 2009 at 09:32 PM
EXACTLY. I've noticed threads about this on other blogs get into talking about Stewart being on his high horse about the financial crisis and Cramer is a jerk but not the worst and blah blah. Totally missing the point. Stewart is not actually covering the financial crisis here. He's exposing the news media's total failure with regard to the financial crisis.
It's kind of sad that we need a show to relentlessly expose the news media, but our mainstream press just doesn't deserve the moniker "free" anymore.
I love how some people get uncomfortable when they realize Stewart is being serious. Don't these people realize that the best comedy is serious business?
Posted by: msk | 16 March 2009 at 03:45 PM
To me it sounds like Cramer is trying to make a case that his friends misled him. Isn't this the biggest problem with todays journalism, that journalists think that their 'friends' are the ones that they've built connections with to get their info, when its usually these 'friends' that are precisely the ones that need to be reported about. Journalists lose their objectivity to get the inside scoop and end up getting duped. Its easier to have contacts that give you tips than to do some real investigative journalism.
Posted by: Mark | 20 March 2009 at 11:07 AM