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ClusterFreak

(3,112 posts)
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 10:59 PM Feb 2015

The Jon Stewart retirement, the Brian Williams suspension...

The surreal irony of this news happening at exactly the same time, is almost too perfect.

Think of it though... a man who has always resisted any and all descriptions of himself as a journalist and insists he is a fake newsman on a fake news show, steps down from his show voluntarily and with the undying respect of his legions of viewers across North America. At the same time, another man who has always tried to present an image of a serious and trusted journalist, turns out to be a fake newsman on what purports to be a serious, legitimate news show, is forced from his job with his professional reputation in tatters and the scorn of his legions of viewers across North America.

Stewart deserves all of his accolades, and Williams - despite his penchant for reimagining the news with himself as a central character - probably deserves more pity than scorn when all is said and done, but is nonetheless a grown man and did author his own demise all by himself.

These two events kind of feel like a watershed moment for TV and political satire and the relevance of the nightly network newscasts. Where do we go from here?

Further through the looking glass, I'm afraid. Here's hoping however that whomever picks up Jon Stewart's mantle on TDS shares his brilliant sense of humour and his unflagging integrity. Here's hoping that whomever replaces Brian Williams... ah who am I kidding, it doesn't really matter does it?

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The Jon Stewart retirement, the Brian Williams suspension... (Original Post) ClusterFreak Feb 2015 OP
Well said! Marie Marie Feb 2015 #1
Thanks! ClusterFreak Feb 2015 #3
so true - "It doesn't really matter" KT2000 Feb 2015 #2
Huge shoes, gonna miss Jon fiercely. ClusterFreak Feb 2015 #4
Indeed. They will be carefully selected. stillwaiting Feb 2015 #6
Nice post Tsiyu Feb 2015 #5

KT2000

(22,221 posts)
2. so true - "It doesn't really matter"
Wed Feb 11, 2015, 01:47 AM
Feb 2015

who replaces Williams. But Jon? - those are big shoes to fill.

Thanks for your well thought out comments - it really is ironic isn't it.

ClusterFreak

(3,112 posts)
4. Huge shoes, gonna miss Jon fiercely.
Wed Feb 11, 2015, 02:03 AM
Feb 2015

Haven't been watching him as much the last year, mainly because I don't have Comedy Central at my new place and have to wait and watch it at midnight when it is repeated on CTV (I live in Canada), and by then I'm usually in bed. Not tonight though of course. Had to stay up to watch Jon make his announcement. And he was just so classy and so sincere, and of course so funny, as he spoke the words we all knew would come one day but never wanted to believe we'd ever hear. Regardless, if anyone deserves to step back from the front lines and let someone else do the heavy lifting, it is him.

Damn him though... he's leaving.

stillwaiting

(3,795 posts)
6. Indeed. They will be carefully selected.
Wed Feb 11, 2015, 08:57 AM
Feb 2015

And, they will be effectively hamstrung to allow for America to be as bitterly divided as possible. "Both sides" get to be told without regard to the actual truth.

And "both sides" simply must not include a truly progressive opinion or worldview in the vast majority of cases. Gotta keep control of the overall narrative that's being spun.

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
5. Nice post
Wed Feb 11, 2015, 06:49 AM
Feb 2015

It makes me laugh to think of Brian Williams, he of the " internet journalists are not REAL journalists" meme, as if his employer network ever met actual news and did not merely churn out more corporate PR.


I do admire his kid, so he probably has a few redeeming qualities, but pride definitely did contribute to Williams' fall.


As for Stewart, I am still in the Denial Phase and refuse to discuss it.








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