http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-20-2010/4-20-10-in--60-seconds
Okay, I will admit that Stewart was crude here. But I argue that he was also funny, and also had a real point. Bernard Goldberg is not a nice man, and when he snidely asserts that liberals never have Down Syndrome babies because they always abort them, he is attempting to demonize a sector of American society. Goldberg, Sarah Palin herself said that she had to think about it during her pregnancy, and was glad to have the freedom in America to think about it- which of course made no sense, because she does not want Americans to have that freedom, but I digress.
I think that Jon Stewart has every right to be offended by Bernard Goldberg. Goldberg does not have any objectivity or civility left, he really doesn't. I put Rush Limbaugh in that camp too. Even Bill O'Reilly is not quite that bad- for some weird reason I actually think that he may have a shred of decency left somewhere.
Did you find it funny? More to the point, do you think that Stewart had something to say here that goes beyond funny, that addresses the problem of partisanship in the "news" industry?
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Comments: 14
"If you just want to be a funnyman, who talks to an audience who will laugh at anything you say, that's OK with me, no problem," he said. "But clearly you want to be a social commentator, more than just a comedian, and if you want to be a good one, you better find some guts."
"You're just a safe Jay Leno with a much smaller audience," Goldberg said. "But you get to fly the f-bomb, which gives your incredibly unsophisticated audience the illusion that you're a renegade."
What does this have to do with "guts?" It's not humping up and down the mountains of Afghanistan getting shot at by Taliban.
Goldberg understands nothing. Comedians are social commentators, they have been for thousands of years, ever since Aristophanes wrote comedies for ancient Athens.
Ah, Goldberg, I happen to be a member of that audience. and I can tell you that Stewart's audience is quite sophisticated, especially in comparison with your own.
"From 1972 to 1974 he worked for CBS News as a producer in Atlanta; he became a reporter in 1974 and correspondent in 1976.[1] Goldberg frequently contributed to the CBS Evening News and CBS newsmagazines Eye to Eye with Connie Chung and 48 Hours. For CBS, he hosted two primetime documentaries, Don't Blame Me and In Your Face, America.[3] Don't Blame Me was broadcast on May 26, 1994 and explored alleged irresponsibility of Americans.[4] In Your Face, America, which aired on April 7, 1998, said that American culture suffers from a "coarsening" instigated by entertainment such as The Jerry Springer Show, South Park, and gangsta rap music.[5]"
"In 2001, his first book, Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News was published and became a number one New York Times bestseller. On an episode of the Phil Donahue talk show on MSNBC, political pundit and comedian Al Franken challenged Goldberg over a claim in Bias that a 1991 John Chancellor quote about the Soviet Union was "liberal hate speech".[6]"
"Goldberg followed Bias with two books — Arrogance: Rescuing America from the Media Elite in 2003 and 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America in 2005. Boston Globe journalist Cathy Young -- praised by Goldberg in 100 People -- criticized the book for listing mostly liberal or liberal-leaning individuals and only "a Few Token Right-Wingers". There were also many favorable comments about the book including one from Jonah Goldberg (no relation) who said, "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America is a rollicking and revealing look at 100 of the most egregious obstacles on the path of our nation's return to glory" and Brent Bozell, who commented: "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America is out, and it's a wonderful read for anyone not on that list."[7]"
"Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right: How One Side Lost Its Mind and the Other Lost Its Nerve followed in 2007, then came A Slobbering Love Affair: The True (And Pathetic) Story of the Torrid Romance Between Barack Obama and the Mainstream Media in 2009. Both books were also national bestsellers with A Slobbering Love Affair hitting number two on the New York Times list.
[edit] Awards"
'Goldberg has been awarded an Emmy for journalism ten times (six at CBS News, four at HBO). For his June 2000 segment "Dominican Free For All", in which he investigated corrupt Major League Baseball recruiting practices in the Dominican Republic, Goldberg won a Sports Emmy for "Outstanding Sports Journalism". He won that award again in 2005 for his story exposing Saudi Arabia's illegal use of young boys as camel jockeys, in 2008 for a story about post-concussion syndrome suffered by some former NFL players, and in 2009 for a story on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel about the slaughter of racehorses that were no longer making money for their owners.[8][9] Goldberg received the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award in 2006 for a story on the exploitation of children in the United Arab Emirates. It marked the first time that a sports program had won a duPont award.[10]"
Hey I like Stewart too! but he's no Bernard Goldberg.
Looks are not everything, as Bernie's back ground out shines Stewart's, brilliantly.
Goldberg is an expert, has earned his stripes and is in a position to criticize Stewart.
As to the bestselling books, that takes no journalistic integrity or writing talent. Palin's book was a bestseller too. All you require to write a nonfiction (!?) bestseller is to be a known right winger and use some code words in your title. No more is required.
Liberal nonfiction books in general sell less, the readers are unwilling to spend money to receive endorsement of previously held views. Conservatives have closets full.
The infection was defeated, but the patient died.
What I find humorous is that some people out there don't see the irony of comparing a former journalist's credentials to that of a comedian.
Jon Stewart is a comedian who uses the news in his comedic act. Bernie Goldberg and Fox News claim to be news presenters but have become a comedic act.
Ah, the irony. :)
Stewart's main point is that he is a comedian that talks about the news, while Goldberg and others on Fox are supposedly news people who have turned into comedians.