I love the Daily Show. I think Jon Stewart is, for the most part, doing a brilliant job communicating and/or bringing a quasi-critical media literacy to the fore of national debate. His show, whether he wants to admit it or, accept it or not, has come to occupy a paramount site of oppositional politics for many in the U.S. and abroad. And that's a
good thing.
But sometimes... he's hurting us. Yes, I know, the argument goes that he is "just a comedian", "just on comedy central," "just poking fun at the mainstream," etc. I get that. But it hurts us.
(more below)
It hurts us when he has as guests idiots like Kenneth Timmerman tonight. Or Newt Gingrich. Or Colin Powell. Or Zell fucking Miller. And
HE doesn't, to steal a quote from Stewart himself, "call them on their bullshit." Tonight, interviewing Timmerman, when discussing Iran and the possibility of military action and their nuclear capability, Stewart said something to the effect of, "Well, you're the expert." Great, just endow unto him credibility, when this guy is shilling for neo-cons everywhere. (Need I remind you, Jon, that Timmerman also wrote the book "The French Betrayal of America", and works for a sister publication of the Moonie Times.)
Why do they bother having assholes like Timmerman on in the first place if they aren't going to call him on his bullshit? You rip the admin a new one in the opening of the show, showing us the slipping away of democracy, and than balance that out with a little neo-con festival after the commercial break?
Sometimes, Jon, you hurt us. And it hurts.