He has one of the most consistently funny shows on television, but some weeks Jon Stewart is just on fire. From mocking Mitt Romney’s southern pandering to skewering Fox News, this was one of those weeks.
Stewart will mock, jab and laugh at politicians and public figures across the political spectrum, and then turn around and conduct a thoughtful interview with anyone from Elizabeth Warren to Donald Rumsfeld. Stewart shines brightest, though, when he lampoons the press. Fox News is a frequent target, but — perhaps surprisingly — CNN draws his most passionate criticism.
When the worlds of right-wing talk radio and late-night comedy collided recently — with outrage over Rush Limbaugh’s harassment of Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke continuing — Stewart was ready to pounce. The right, avoiding an awkward confrontation with the Republican party’s most boisterous mouthpiece, tried to declare Bill Maher’s rhetoric just as offensive as Rush’s. Fox News spent plenty of time on the topic.
“Fox, shut the fuck up about how victimized you and you alone are,” Stewart said, after a classic mash-up of Fox News clips. “Nobody cares.”
And suffering through the media’s coverage of the Republican primaries Tuesday, Stewart said on Wednesday that Fox’s lack of election coverage resembled a room full of crying babies. But at least it wasn’t as boring as CNN’s.
Stewart is flexible enough to transition from Fox News to world news. After The Guardian published a cache of alleged emails from Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, Stewart paid a visit to “Homs Despot.” The emails revealed Assad’s music preferences through iTunes purchases.
“This guy massacres his own people with impunity, but makes sure he purchases his music legally?” Stewart said. “I’ll taunt NATO and the world community, but even I won’t fuck with Apple,” he mocked.
Watch the videos (Romney’s southern pandering):
Stewart telling Fox News to shut up:
Stewart compares Fox News to crying babies:
Stewart on Assad’s emails:
David Taintor
David Taintor is TPM’s News Editor. He contributes to TPM’s Livewire coverage, among other areas. David is from Chanhassen, Minnesota, where, yes, it gets very cold. Reach him at taintor [at] talkingpointsmemo.com
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