Gem
Rookie
- Aug 11, 2004
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- #21
I love Stewart...but I love him because he is constantly playing with the very notion that you guys seem to be saying he ISN'T playing with.
I find the notion that he is "just a comedian" very naive after an election where some statistics showed that the majority of people in my age group were getting their political information from his show.
Is it his fault that we are a nation of short-attention spanned children that can't handle a serious issue unless its spoon-fed to us in cute, amusing bits? No, of course not. He does what he does and he does it damn well.
However, when it suits him...he turns serious...and he demands to be taken seriously. His commentary (on his show and elsewhere) IS making a point. He WANTS to change the way political discourse occurs in this society and he is using his show as a platform by which to have a safe "base" from which to change that discourse.
Am I taking it too seriously? Perhaps. But you might want to question why Stewart is so popular...and why he continues to show up at important political events...saying serious things and speaking seriously with serious people...if he is simply a comedian concerned about having a popular show.
Does this mean we can't like him and laugh at his jokes? Nope. It simply means, in my opinion, that we should watch him with open eyes...being aware not only of the amusing skits and one-liners but the messages he is sending in his "don't take me seriously...unless you want to take me seriously...." way.
I find the notion that he is "just a comedian" very naive after an election where some statistics showed that the majority of people in my age group were getting their political information from his show.
Is it his fault that we are a nation of short-attention spanned children that can't handle a serious issue unless its spoon-fed to us in cute, amusing bits? No, of course not. He does what he does and he does it damn well.
However, when it suits him...he turns serious...and he demands to be taken seriously. His commentary (on his show and elsewhere) IS making a point. He WANTS to change the way political discourse occurs in this society and he is using his show as a platform by which to have a safe "base" from which to change that discourse.
Am I taking it too seriously? Perhaps. But you might want to question why Stewart is so popular...and why he continues to show up at important political events...saying serious things and speaking seriously with serious people...if he is simply a comedian concerned about having a popular show.
Does this mean we can't like him and laugh at his jokes? Nope. It simply means, in my opinion, that we should watch him with open eyes...being aware not only of the amusing skits and one-liners but the messages he is sending in his "don't take me seriously...unless you want to take me seriously...." way.