I don’t like comparing Jon Stewart to the legitimate news because it suggests they're in the same business. But for some reason people love Jon Stewart. I don't think I've ever read a bad thing about him. The guy is golden. The truth is Stewart is just another entertainer, the Rush Limbaugh of the left, an arrogant blowhard who should be ignored. Jon Stewart’s opinions regarding politics and the media should mean as much to you as Adam Sandler’s or Carrot Top’s. He is not a viable substitute for mainstream network news, and should not be treated as such.
Viewing ‘The Daily Show’ and NBC’s ‘Nightly News with Brian Williams’ back to back only confirms my previous opinions. 'The Daily Show' covered Swine Flu and Obama’s first 100 days in its opening segment. The stories included little information compared to the nightly news, and were interspersed with hit or miss jokes that slowed down the show. Following a commercial break ‘The Daily Show’ aired a pre-taped piece on the European Particle Accelerator reminiscent of a Saturday Night Live sketch. The show’s final segment was an interview with Wolverine star Hugh Jackman. Believe it or not I don’t care about Hugh Jackman’s thoughts.
The NBC News was straightforward and professional. What it lacked in jokes it made up for in information.
Stewart is often celebrated for his critiques of the mainstream media, but his show doesn't stand anything. He can attack Jim Cramer and Crossfire for ignoring their obligations as members of the media, and then do a fluff filled show in which he wastes half his time pausing for audience applause before wrapping it all up with a hard hitting interview of Wolverine. If you want to be a media critic, be a media critic. If you want to be a comedian hosting a comedy show, go for it, but you can’t have it both ways Jon Stewart.
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