Before all you fans of Jon Stewart get all ticked off at the title, let me assure you that this is not a hatchet job on Mr. Stewart. That's not to say that I am a fan of his, I'm not. And it's because I don't find him funny. Obviously many do or his show wouldn't be so popular. Now that we have that straight, let's sink our collective teeth into someone else.
Today I read an article on Newsweek.com by NBC anchor Brian Williams about Jon Stewart. He refers to Stewart as going from "optional to indispensable" in the media world. Really? He's a comedian that makes fun of politicians. Usually conservative or republican politicians. Ok, we've uncovered why I don't think Stewart's show is funny. The thing that Williams gives Stewart credit for is "the system of checks and balances" that he feels Stewart has created. Wow, all by himself? Jon Stewart the creator of a system of checks and balances? I thought that was created by the authors of the US Constitution when they wrote about the freedom of the press.
Williams goes so far as to admit that when he is thinking of running an "inane" piece on the evening news, he just sends a copy of the tape to Stewart's office, in an effort to keep the interns from having to actually watch the telecast, and then rethinks his position on running the story that evening. Williams also wonders how the media has ever lived without someone like Stewart. It sounds like Stewart has just become an editor at NBC News. Congratulations, Jon. I hope they haven't forgotten to pay you for your services.
Well, I guess this is in line with former White House communications director Anita Dunn's opinion of Stewart. She thinks that Stewart is a brilliant investigative journalist. A leading figure in this field. This from a person that thinks Chairman Mao was a great political philosopher. Wow.
Now unlike Ms. Dunn and Mr. Williams, I have done a little research on Jon Stewart. His degree from William and Mary is in psychology, not journalism. In his professional background there is nothing to suggest that Stewart has ever worked in any field even closely related to journalism. Oh, I get it, since Jon sits at a "fake" news desk and lampoons politicians, he's a journalist. Ok, it's starting to make sense now.
To me it seems the reason that the media and Ms. Dunn are infatuated with Jon Stewart is his personal political views. Here's where we get to a bit of Stewart bashing. In 2000 he described his political views as socialist or independent. Listing both is a shrewd way of covering one's arse, don't you think?
Independent can mean too many things. It could signal that one is fed up with the way the government is being run by the two main parties or that a person is somewhat in the middle of the road and takes something from both sides of the aisle. But socialist has a pretty clear definition. To each according to his needs, from each according to his abilities.
Or to use the number 2 definition from Webster's dictionary, A - a system of society or group living in which there is no private property. And B - a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state.
It seems that we are well on our way to "B", but not to "A". Mr. Stewart owns a 6,000 square foot penthouse apartment in the Tribeca neighborhood that reportedly goes for $5.8 million. Don't fret, I don't begrudge Jon a penny of his net worth, with his self description as a socialist he just seems to be a hypocrite.
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