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The Daily Show as Substantive as Broadcast News
Walter C. writes "Anyone who watches the evening news with any regularity knows that it's not a bastion of substance. However, a new study conducted by researchers at Indiana University reports that The Daily Show has just as much substance to it as the broadcast news. 'The researchers looked at coverage of the 2004 Democratic and Republican national conventions and the first presidential debate of the fall campaign, all of which were covered by the mainstream broadcast news outlets and The Daily Show... There was just as much substance to The Daily Show's coverage as there was on the network news. And The Daily Show was much funnier, with less of the hype — references to photo ops, political endorsements, and polls — that typically overshadows substantive coverage on network news, according to the study.'"
Anymore, I find myself dozing off during the Stewart rants on the same old things, Bush/Republicans are evil, blah blah blah, let's make the 10,000th Cheney heart attack/shoot you in the face joke, blah blah blah. It's just the same sort of left-wing propaganda as ABC/NBC/CBS. It certainly isn't independent. His jokes grow stale after watching for a couple weeks.
The only part I look forward to are the other correspondant pieces. They can find some wacky citizen and let them make fools of themselves. Now that's good television.
The Colbert Report far outshines Stewart's show in funniness. A couple weeks ago Toby Kieth told how Willy Nelson's bus is full of pot. A few days later, he is stopped by police and busted with 1.5 pounds of it. Or just last night's show, a teddy bear killed thousands of trout at a hatchery. You won't get this sort of news anywhere else. How many bridges, sports team mascots, or bald eagles are named after Jon Stewart, Katie Couric, and the gang?
Realistically Jon Stewart is more biased than Fox News. Stewart has essentially stopped trying to get laughs and now just tries for his narrow-minded audience's appluase. No, I'm not a fan of the administration, but it is now just annoying how Jon Stewart consistently says the same things about them again and again. A perfect example of the direction of TDS during the past year is the moment of zen, at the end of the show. This used to be some bizarre clip about a recent event, meant to evoke laughs. Lately it has just been used as a platform to make a point. Over the past few months the moment of zen has often been a newsclip from 3 or 4 years ago showing how the administration was wrong about something, or how they embarassed themselves in some way. There is a difference between humorous satire and consistent open criticism. Its not just how Stewart talks about Bush and other Republicans, Stewart also blatantly makes his opinion clear on partisan issues. Recently when congress voted not to raise the minimun wage Stewart sarcastically spouted, "the poor in this country have had it easy for way too long." Apparently Stewart no longer cares about balancing his show for the opinions of his more conservative viewers. A year ago I would have agreed with this article, now I no longer watch TDS.
No, they're both equal as far as lack of substance. That's the point.
I have nothing to say.
Wow, somone used mod points to call this offtopic while letting all the Fox News bashing go? Seems this post made a valid counter point to the GP argument.
This is Slashdot.
All independent-minded free-thinkers are supposed to hate Fox News.