Fast Fiction

No, not the Man I’m married to.

This man: Jon Stewart appeared on Crossfire on CNN today. Not a show I watch, because it just bugs the crap out of me. But it apparently also bugs the crap out of him.

First of all, I’m of the same opinion. If I watch a debate (and we really can’t call them debates, since they’re not debating, they’re just exchanging disjointed expanses of talking points) I’d like to think that the debate is the be all and end all. And when it’s done, the viewers are supposed to MAKE UP THEIR OWN DAMN MINDS. The spinning and talking heads telling us what we witnessed is irrelevant.

Here are some choice quotes as Stewart appeared with Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson.

STEWART: You know, it’s interesting to hear you talk about my responsibility.

CARLSON: I felt the sparks between you.

STEWART: I didn’t realize that—and maybe this explains quite a bit.

CARLSON: No, the opportunity to…

STEWART: ... is that the news organizations look to Comedy Central for their cues on integrity.

Jon Stewart believes that the media is dropping the ball. I’m inclined to agree.

STEWART: I would love to see a debate show.

BEGALA: We’re 30 minutes in a 24-hour day where we have each side on, as best we can get them, and have them fight it out.

STEWART: No, no, no, no, that would be great. To do a debate would be great. But that’s like saying pro wrestling is a show about athletic competition.

But the just don’t get it. Maybe part of it the hubris of Carlson and Begala that they think that there’s some sort of kinship - that these folks who sit on the outside, the pundits are at the same as the comedians, which is so not true. Stewart has risen to the level of Aristophanes as far as I’m concerned.

STEWART: Now, listen, I’m not suggesting that you’re not a smart guy, because those are not easy to tie.

CARLSON: They’re difficult.

STEWART: But the thing is that this—you’re doing theater, when you should be doing debate, which would be great.

BEGALA: We do, do…

STEWART: It’s not honest. What you do is not honest. What you do is partisan hackery. And I will tell you why I know it.

CARLSON: You had John Kerry on your show and you sniff his throne and you’re accusing us of partisan hackery?

STEWART: Absolutely.

CARLSON: You’ve got to be kidding me. He comes on and you…

STEWART: You’re on CNN. The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls.

Jon Stewart looked horrible. I don’t watch the show often enough to know how the format works, but Begala and Carlson were wearing makeup. They had good lighting, smooth, even and of course suited to their skintones. Stewart looked like he just got off a redeye. A little unkempt, pale, splotchy and certainly not made up. The light was harsh and he seemed a little squinty at times. Is that part of the program on a regular basis?

The interview concluded with Begala trying to get the interview off of them as a topic and back to how Stewart can make it oh, so funny. Asking him which candidate will give him more material.

Jon Stewart just put his ass out there, put his heart out there as one human being standing on the train tracks of big media to challenge the way things are being done, the mindset of the news. And they just wanted to know how he thinks up all those funny things.

Here’s some other fallout:
MTV Choose or Lose
AlterNet
The Washington Post