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Jon Stewart to Save the Gamers?
Joystiq's political column, courtesy of GamePolitics, talks this week about the bad rep games and gamers get in the popular press. They ask the question: 'Who will save the gamers?' Their answer: Daily Show host Jon Stewart. From the article: "Pennsylvania's Joe Pitts, mocked by Stewart for saying that violent games might affect ghetto children differently from affluent kids, actually protested -- after his opponent in a tough election campaign exploited The Daily Show fiasco for political gain. And that's precisely why Jon Stewart could be the savior of games. People tune in. For many younger viewers, it's the only news program they watch. Stewart, and colleague Stephen Colbert are seen as smart, funny, credible and relentlessly sticking it to the man. Elected officials, on the other hand, can't afford to come off as bumbling, low-tech and clueless. Naturally, Stewart helps them do so on a nightly basis."
But consider the past two American presidential elections. They have allegedly been so flawed and manipulated that it's doubtful that an increase in voting from video gamers, or any other group, would have any beneficial effect whatsoever. And it's even possible that such an unexpected influx of voters may wreak havoc with the manipulated vote tallying algorithms.
Comedy may not be the best medium for the news, it is a great way to present opinions/editorials. It allows you to present an opinion on a political topic without looking like a raving lunatic. Stewart and Limbaugh both fit into this category in my mind. For one to form an opinion on the topics it IS better to have researched through more traditional news channels, but for many people there simply isn't time to read about every topic. Stewart et al. allow people to be both entertained AND informed, if a topic raised by these pundits is particularilly interesting or important, then people can go out and find more information as needed. The issues they raise will in general be the most interesting to their audience, and a large subset of "interesting" is importance and relevance to society (although not all interesting news is important or relevant, and a lot of important/relevant news is interesting.)
While comedic or entertainment based Op/Ed is not the best format for a sole source of news, it can serve a purpose in getting people interested and involved with the topics of the time. With modern media and the glut of information available, it would be overly cumbersome for every individual to research each and every news source on all the topics available.
I'll never make that mistake again, reading the experts' opinions. - Feynman
John Stewart's show is easily as informative as most "real" news shows that people watch. Watch the local news down here in Atlanta some time then tell me Stewart's show isn't both more trustworthy and more to-the-point.
I'll grant you that there are much more respectable news outlets than "The Daily Show". However, in practice, given the alternatives of getting the news from ABC, NBC, or FOX, I'd rather people watch the "The Daily Show" instead. Personally, I've more or less given up on the televised media in the US. There is just too much money in it, and too much of an incentive to filter the information for the sake of ratings and public tastes. I get most of my news from "The Economist". Wading through it once a week is more work than watching NBC, but at least it won't fill my head with crap.
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
For me, it's not primarily political satire. It's satire about the news, a lot of which is news about politics. Yes, sometimes it's about the subjects of the news, but the very best of the Daily Show for me is the stuff they do that lampoons the news biz itself, not the news, per se. Maybe this distinction is just in my brain, because none of the other posters seem to see it, either.
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Senior Slashdot Zeitgeist Correspondent
A poorly informed opinion based on a soundbite is worse than no opinion at all.
That's my opinion.
You're wrong. Soundbytes, or their period equivalent, are the lifeblood of democracy. Remember "taxation without representation"? "divided we fall"? "Remember the Alamo"? "Hell no, we won't go"?
If your argument cannot be distilled into a five-word phrase, you don't really have an argument.
Actually, over here it's on CNN. And weekly, so the name "Daily Show" doesn't make much sense. I wish it was daily. And at a more reasonable hour.
"Keep it simple, stupid" perhaps? That's the four word version of the OP's point right there.