The New York Times featured this article about The Daily Show's Jon Stewart. It's an interesting read whether you're a fan of the show or not.Personally, I am a huge fan of The Daily Show, which is probably not shocking to anyone who read this post earlier this week. I have to confess I am one of those people who gets a large portion of my news from The Daily Show, and a lot of it has to do with what is mentioned in the article, that so much of the "real" news is dominated by ridiculous news like Paris Hilton's prison stay or missing white kids. (I am in no way making light of the heartbreak that the families of missing children go through, but 24/7 news coverage is not the way to find those kids.) The fact is that you do get real information from The Daily Show. Yes, it is information delivered with a side of satire, but it is still information. There have been many times when I've seen something on The Daily Show and waited and waited to see it on CNN the next morning only to turn the tv off having learned nothing more other than Britney got to visit with her kids or french fries might make you fat. (Thanks for that nugget of info, Dr. Sanjay Gupta!)
The Daily Show is proof that intelligence doesn't mean dull. It also proves that we need to have a sense of humor about what is going on in this world but still be vigilant and active when we disagree with what is going on. Jon Stewart and the gang are often the only voices of reason in the American media, a fact that I think even Jon Stewart would find depressing. We trust him because he tells us the truth and has figured out a way to break that truth to us with humor and integrity. Can Wolf Blitzer say that?
2 comments:
I must confess that, against Stewart's repeated requests, I use his show as a main source of information as well. Like you, he might mention some story I'd not heard (due to the plethora of information about Paris Hilton and such), and this inspires me to know what to search out on a "real" news site. Colbert serves the same purpose for me, actually. Love those boys!
Stewart, Colbert, and NPR -- that's where about 85% of my news comes from. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. I do read the NY Times online every day and I watch CNN every morning and Meet the Press every Sunday when I don't sleep in (which I've been doing more of lately since I finally put some lovely curtains in my bedroom which blocks out the light seeping through the blinds). The sad thing, though, is that I probably LEARN more from TDS than any of those other news sources.
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