Waiting for the Conservative Jon Stewart

[Back]

Waiting for the Conservative Jon Stewart - A unified theory of why political satire is biased toward, and talk radio is biased against, liberals in America.
(http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/why-theres-no-conservative-jon-stewart/385480/)
A good long read from The Atlantic.


Political humor, in particular, might have an inherently liberal bias. Alison Dagnes spent years looking into this question for her 2012 book A Conservative Walks Into a Bar. She spoke to dozens of working comedians who self-identified as liberals, and as many who identified as conservatives as she could find. One of the reasons she posits for a lack of conservative satire is that the genre has always been aimed at taking down the powerful, from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam and 9/11. “Conservatism supports institutions and satire aims to knock these institutions down a peg,” she wrote.

I tend to agree with Stephen Colbert when he said "Reality has a well known liberal bias".

The reason we don't see a balance in humor like we do in politics is because they are two different things. Humor is more universal. Politics are intentionally divisive.

[Fallen]

http://dpacnc.s3.amazonaws.com/img/DennisMillerSpotlightFormal.jpg

[Back]

Miller comes off as a smug, condescending, know-it-all. His popularity doesn't even come close to Stewart's.

If anything Bill O'Riely is closer to being Stewart's conservative opposite. Bill's show teeters on satire. At least I get a laugh at how outrageous it strives so hard to go extreme right.

[Androidpk]

Miller comes off as a smug, condescending, know-it-all. His popularity doesn't even come close to Stewart's.

If anything Bill O'Riely is closer to being Stewart's conservative opposite. Bill's show teeters on satire. At least I get a laugh at how outrageous it strives so hard to go extreme right.

Bill O'Reilly is a crazy nut and his stuff is far from satire.

[Taernath]

http://dpacnc.s3.amazonaws.com/img/DennisMillerSpotlightFormal.jpg

The right has some comedians/satirists, but none really approach Stewart or any of the other liberals on TV in terms of popularity or relevance. Greg Gutfeld is funny but sometimes veers into Miller territory, Jesse Watters I really only know from his segments on the Factor. It's an interesting topic that I was thinking about recently.

[Tgo01]

Didn't these big names get their big start during the Bush years? Jon Stewart started first started appearing on The Daily Show in 1999 and Stephen Colbert got his own show in 2005.

I really do wonder if they are so popular now because they are Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert or because Bush was such a popular person to make fun of? I know presidents have always been made fun of by comedians but they really went after Bush hard.

I'm not sure I buy into this theory that Republican comedians aren't popular because Republicans support "institutions."

Democrats controlled our entire federal government during Obama's first two years in office, that's a perfect institution to take down yet Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert still managed to pull in viewers while going after Democrats very little. Perhaps it would have been a prime time for Republican comedians to start getting noticed if it wasn't for the fact that making fun of Obama during his first two years got you instantly labeled a racist.

Just look at Saturday Night Live, how long did it take them to even get around to making fun of Obama? I remember what a big deal it was when they finally did so because it was plastered all over the news and I think it was MSNBC who actually did a "fact check" of what that skit said about Obama. A fact check!

Instead these liberal leaning comedy shows went after people like the Koch Brother or they started going around to local and state wide politics to find political figures to make fun of.

[Back]

Just realized I didn't post a link. Sorry folks.

http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/why-theres-no-conservative-jon-stewart/385480/

[Tgo01]

Just realized I didn't post a link. Sorry folks.

http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/why-theres-no-conservative-jon-stewart/385480/


Stewart, Colbert, Maher, Oliver and co. belong to a type of late-night satire that’s typically characterized as liberal, skewering Republicans (and, less frequently, Democrats) for absurd statements or pompousness or flagrant hypocrisy.

See? :/

[JackWhisper]

I grew up watching Dennis Miller with my father. He worked 14 hour days, and whenever that was on, he made time to sit with me and watch that show. I don't know which way Dennis Miller slants, left right or dead center, but holy shit he was funny. +1 for whatever side Miller's on!

[Tgo01]

Didn't someone post recently that most younger people get their news from The Daily Show? I really wonder if that's part of the reason these liberal comedians are so popular. Kids these days (back in my day!) want to get their news from someone who makes them laugh, they don't want to get their news from some stuffy old white person behind a desk. Younger people tend to lean liberal until they grow up, get a job, get married, have kids, pay taxes and now realize how all of those government programs they used to enjoy are paid for. Republicans on the other hand tend to be older folks and older folks have had the life sucked out of them by paying for that spouse, and those kids and those taxes so they now like to get their news from stuffy old white men sitting behind a desk.

Is it also possible Republicans are more able to laugh at themselves? Colbert's character is itself a satire of a far right wing Republican and he uses that character to make fun of real Republicans yet Colbert is popular among Republicans also. Heck I like some of his stuff.

It's interesting but it seems to me the "problem" (as it were) isn't with Republicans and what they stand for; rather it's the audience at large.

[JackWhisper]

I think John Oliver is funny.

[Gelston]

I think John Oliver is funny.

I don't.

[JackWhisper]

Daggerfail.

[Gelston]

Daggerfail.

You need new material.

[Latrinsorm]

I really do wonder if they are so popular now because they are Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert or because Bush was such a popular person to make fun of?What if Bush was such a popular person to make fun of because they were Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert?
It's interesting but it seems to me the "problem" (as it were) isn't with Republicans and what they stand for; rather it's the audience at large.Then again, every other form of media is dominated by what old white men want to see, so the question would still stand. Why is the audience for political humor so different from the audience for the Super Bowl or CBS "comedies"?

[Tgo01]

What if Bush was such a popular person to make fun of because they were Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert?

...shut up!


Then again, every other form of media is dominated by what old white men want to see, so the question would still stand. Why is the audience for political humor so different from the audience for the Super Bowl or CBS "comedies"?

I just explained this.

[Back]

It's interesting but it seems to me the "problem" (as it were) isn't with Republicans and what they stand for; rather it's the audience at large.

Hilarious. It's exactly that attitude that is the problem with republicans.

[Tgo01]

Hilarious. It's exactly that attitude that is the problem with republicans.

???

[Fallen]

I think John Oliver is funny.

I think his show is the most informative because he focuses primarily on one issue and does some actual investigative reporting on the topic. That being said, I think he needs a few more seasons to truly come into his own.

[Androidpk]

I think his show is the most informative because he focuses primarily on one issue and does some actual investigative reporting on the topic. That being said, I think he needs a few more seasons to truly come into his own.

It helps that he has free reign and doesn't have to worry about offending sponsors, because HBO.

[Fallen]

Yep, though I doubt Stewart sees much in the way of censorship other than just bleeping when he swears. Think about the shit they let Tosh get away with. Comedy Central typically gives zero fucks.

[Gelston]

Yep, though I doubt Stewart sees much in the way of censorship other than just bleeping when he swears. Think about the shit they let Tosh get away with. Comedy Central typically gives zero fucks.

Except when South Park tries to show Muhammad.. Even though one of the earlier episodes did (Super Best Friends) and no one complained.

[Tgo01]

Except when South Park tries to show Muhammad.. Even though one of the earlier episodes did (Super Best Friends) and no one complained.

That was before the terrorists won.

[Fallen]

True. I almost added a caveat for Muhammad.

[ClydeR]

As a nation, we rise or fall on the outcome of politic contests. When the stakes are that high, there is no room of jokes.

[Gelston]

As a nation, we rise or fall on the outcome of politic contests. When the stakes are that high, there is no room of jokes.

A room of jokes would be pretty fun to enter.

[Tgo01]

A room of jokes would be pretty fun to enter.

http://images.politico.com/global/2012/01/120125_sotu_congress_westcott_328.jpg

[Candor]

A room of jokes would be pretty fun to enter.

I think the members of this board could put it together...

[Androidpk]

I think the members of this board could put it together...

Shut up, Romney.

[Methais]

Just look at Saturday Night Live, how long did it take them to even get around to making fun of Obama? I remember what a big deal it was when they finally did so because it was plastered all over the news and I think it was MSNBC who actually did a "fact check" of what that skit said about Obama. A fact check!

Meanwhile, people still believe that Palin really said she can see Russia from her house.

I bet Back believes that.

[Wrathbringer]

I have a reeking anus...

Gross.

[leifastagsweed]

Not to derail this already off-the-rails thread, but...

http://time.com/3704465/jon-stewart-the-daily-show-retiring-replacement-hosts/

How did I know it would be a woman or an African-American...or both?

[Methais]

Not to derail this already off-the-rails thread, but...

http://time.com/3704465/jon-stewart-the-daily-show-retiring-replacement-hosts/

How did I know it would be a woman or an African-American...or both?

They should get an old Korean woman to do it.

[Tenlaar]

Kids these days (back in my day!) want to get their news from someone who makes them laugh, they don't want to get their news from some stuffy old white person behind a desk.

Jon Stewart is a 53 year old white person who sits behind a desk. Maybe kids these days just don't want their news to be boring and have nothing to counteract the endless stream of negativity.

[Tgo01]

Maybe kids these days just don't want their news to be boring

That's like...exactly what I said :/

[Tenlaar]

That's like...exactly what I said :/

I felt it strange that you include "old white person behind a desk" when you were talking about how kids like to watch an old white person behind a desk. Also, I actually feel like counteracting the endless stream of negativity that is current news is more important than the not being boring part.

[Tgo01]

I felt it strange that you include "old white person behind a desk" when you were talking about how kids like to watch an old white person behind a desk.

Because you left out the word "stuffy" from the "old white person behind a desk" part.

Most news casters are old(er) white people, mostly old white men.

Brian Williams had the right idea; you have to spice that news up, bitches! Problem is he didn't claim to be in the fiction business.

[Parkbandit]

I tend to agree with Stephen Colbert when he said "Reality has a well known liberal bias".


And this is why you aren't even close to being a moderate. Or intelligent.

[Candor]

I'm one of the biggest jokes on this board.

Yes, we know.