“Are you READY!? To RESTORE!? SANITY!!??”
-Jon Stewart, introducing just the right amount of energy to his rally
-Jon Stewart, introducing just the right amount of energy to his rally
“Civility is Sexy.”
-One of the protestors’ signs
-One of the protestors’ signs
“NPR journalists may not participate in marches and rallies involving causes or issues that NPR covers, nor should they sign petitions or otherwise lend their name to such causes, or contribute money to them. This restriction applies to the upcoming John Stewart and Stephen Colbert rallies.”
-Memo sent to all NPR employees
-Memo sent to all NPR employees
“So when the Comedy Central duo descends on Washington, NPR staffers will have to show up incognito. We hear Target is selling some totally creepy Obama masks. That might do the trick.”
-Nate Freeman, The New York Observer, in response to reading the memo
-Nate Freeman, The New York Observer, in response to reading the memo
“While I wasn't too terribly impressed with the comedic content on this occasion, I was nevertheless plenty moved by Stewart's soliloquy on decency and how the overamplification of our worst impulses and arguments tend to overshadow it. […] We're taught to think of democracy as two sides that want a chance to steal the other's birthday, instead of a democracy in which ideas compete with one another. But we go on with life together, once elections end.”
-Jason Linkins, “My Day At the Rally to Restore Sanity,” The Huffington Post
-Jason Linkins, “My Day At the Rally to Restore Sanity,” The Huffington Post
Tonight on a very special edition of the Brewhaha, we discuss someone who would be one of the most controversial men in America, if he wasn’t following in the footsteps of one Glenn Beck, and if he wasn’t so damn hilarious.
Jon Stewart hasn’t come to be one of the most trusted men in news for nothing, even if he is ultimately a “fake” newsman. The Daily Show, following its initial three-year run with Craig Kilborn, reached a turning point along with the new millennium, making a voice for itself in the political scene in the years during and after the 2000 elections and the 9/11 attacks. Since then, Stewart has interviewed government officials, heads of state, and just last Wednesday met with President Obama, the first time a sitting president has been on "The Daily Show." Throughout the show's award-winning run, Stewart and his correspondents have attacked the absurdities in government and the media.
The Rally to Restore Sanity found its roots in one of Stewart’s media rivals, the conservativelunatic pundit Glenn Beck, who hosted the Restoring Honor rally on the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech. Stephen Colbert followed suit by announcing his March to Keep Fear Alive. From a strictly comedic standpoint, neither Stewart nor Colbert are averse to generating laughs, and an “event” like this, whether real or just another joke, would have made excellent laughs at Glenn Beck’s expense.
Come October 30, a crowd of hundreds of thousands arrive on the National Mall. I am not among that crowd, because, as Stewart himself would have said, “You have shit to do.” After arriving back at the house and explaining to my mom just why it was called the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear," I did manage to catch the last hour and a half. And I think it's safe to say that it's Stewart and Colbert's vision of a "million-moderate march" gone horribly right...
To hardcore fans of Stewart and Colbert (and especially the writer I quoted above), the humor of the rally may seem watered-down in order to appeal to a broader audience, much in the same way Glenn Beck avoided his trademark rhetoric at the Restoring Honor rally. However, as the fair-weather fan I am, and as oblivious to the happenings of the Daily Show crew as my mom is, it’s safe to say that Stewart managed, if nothing else, to appeal to that broader audience, with celebrity guests ranging from Ozzy Osbourne to Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock to freaking R2-D2.
The Daily Show crew was in top form as they covered the Rally from ground-level. Special mention goes to the segment with Wyatt Cenac and Jason Jones, the former's "favorable coverage" of the rally contrasting against Jason's virtual war zone. And then, of course, John Oliver comes to the "rescue"...
Upon my chat at the TV with Mom, it occurs to me that there are still people out there who are ignorant of Stephen Colbert, or at least still think of him as "that other guy." In the context of this particular blog, I will refer to him as one of "the Daily Show crew," since he got his start on the Daily Show. And like the rest of them, he was in top form. He kicks things off from his underground "fear" bunker and just keeps getting funnier from there. He and Stewart even get their own musical number. (Don't follow the bouncing ball, though...)
Even with all this fanfare, though, the show still rested chiefly on Stewart's shoulders. When the man wants to be funny, he's funny, and when the man wants to be serious, he knows how to tug at your heart strings and drive his point home. His point, of course, being that America is not black and white, and even though we have our disagreements and are not necessarily perfect (or even on time everywhere we go), our strength lies in putting aside our differences and doing "impossible things, every day, that are only made possible through the little, reasonable compromises we all make."
A buddy of mine just noted that the rally is not necessarily life-changing, but "hopefully it'll do something." It occurs to me that not everyone is going to just "buy" into the rally; much in the same way that guys like me have been groomed for brainless action movies, many people have been groomed against the "liberal media" in general and Stewart and Colbert in particular. I remember watching the C-SPAN coverage afterward as they answered phone calls, and listening to one caller who noticed an absence of African Americans at the rally. In other words, he simply saw a rally of the whitest guys around 200,000 strong. It's a shame he felt that way, but I guess there are some people out there who can't appreciate Stewart's brand of humor.
Some have called it a political event. Others would call it a matter of entertainment. Still others would call it a return to America’s core values. However, such easy delineations and labels miss the point of Stewart’s message entirely. Many personalities in news and politics would claim to be bipartisan, including Stewart and his various cronies. However, as Stewart himself said upon his announcement for the rally, "It's gonna be about two to three hours, one Saturday, at our nation's capital in late October, for some nice people, to get together, for fun, maybe some special guests, and some great conversation! It's gonna be like being in a chat room...but real!" And isn't that all we really need?
Note: The Brewsky is an enthusiastic contributor and movie reviewer, except when he feels it is more convenient to review or cover something besides a movie. After all, he's into movies, but he's not crazy into movies or anything. Besides, he has all these classes and other stuff to do. He reviews movies at his convenience, and when he feels the discussion would be appropriate. Sounds reasonable, huh?
Jon Stewart hasn’t come to be one of the most trusted men in news for nothing, even if he is ultimately a “fake” newsman. The Daily Show, following its initial three-year run with Craig Kilborn, reached a turning point along with the new millennium, making a voice for itself in the political scene in the years during and after the 2000 elections and the 9/11 attacks. Since then, Stewart has interviewed government officials, heads of state, and just last Wednesday met with President Obama, the first time a sitting president has been on "The Daily Show." Throughout the show's award-winning run, Stewart and his correspondents have attacked the absurdities in government and the media.
The Rally to Restore Sanity found its roots in one of Stewart’s media rivals, the conservative
Come October 30, a crowd of hundreds of thousands arrive on the National Mall. I am not among that crowd, because, as Stewart himself would have said, “You have shit to do.” After arriving back at the house and explaining to my mom just why it was called the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear," I did manage to catch the last hour and a half. And I think it's safe to say that it's Stewart and Colbert's vision of a "million-moderate march" gone horribly right...
To hardcore fans of Stewart and Colbert (and especially the writer I quoted above), the humor of the rally may seem watered-down in order to appeal to a broader audience, much in the same way Glenn Beck avoided his trademark rhetoric at the Restoring Honor rally. However, as the fair-weather fan I am, and as oblivious to the happenings of the Daily Show crew as my mom is, it’s safe to say that Stewart managed, if nothing else, to appeal to that broader audience, with celebrity guests ranging from Ozzy Osbourne to Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock to freaking R2-D2.
The Daily Show crew was in top form as they covered the Rally from ground-level. Special mention goes to the segment with Wyatt Cenac and Jason Jones, the former's "favorable coverage" of the rally contrasting against Jason's virtual war zone. And then, of course, John Oliver comes to the "rescue"...
Upon my chat at the TV with Mom, it occurs to me that there are still people out there who are ignorant of Stephen Colbert, or at least still think of him as "that other guy." In the context of this particular blog, I will refer to him as one of "the Daily Show crew," since he got his start on the Daily Show. And like the rest of them, he was in top form. He kicks things off from his underground "fear" bunker and just keeps getting funnier from there. He and Stewart even get their own musical number. (Don't follow the bouncing ball, though...)
Even with all this fanfare, though, the show still rested chiefly on Stewart's shoulders. When the man wants to be funny, he's funny, and when the man wants to be serious, he knows how to tug at your heart strings and drive his point home. His point, of course, being that America is not black and white, and even though we have our disagreements and are not necessarily perfect (or even on time everywhere we go), our strength lies in putting aside our differences and doing "impossible things, every day, that are only made possible through the little, reasonable compromises we all make."
A buddy of mine just noted that the rally is not necessarily life-changing, but "hopefully it'll do something." It occurs to me that not everyone is going to just "buy" into the rally; much in the same way that guys like me have been groomed for brainless action movies, many people have been groomed against the "liberal media" in general and Stewart and Colbert in particular. I remember watching the C-SPAN coverage afterward as they answered phone calls, and listening to one caller who noticed an absence of African Americans at the rally. In other words, he simply saw a rally of the whitest guys around 200,000 strong. It's a shame he felt that way, but I guess there are some people out there who can't appreciate Stewart's brand of humor.
Some have called it a political event. Others would call it a matter of entertainment. Still others would call it a return to America’s core values. However, such easy delineations and labels miss the point of Stewart’s message entirely. Many personalities in news and politics would claim to be bipartisan, including Stewart and his various cronies. However, as Stewart himself said upon his announcement for the rally, "It's gonna be about two to three hours, one Saturday, at our nation's capital in late October, for some nice people, to get together, for fun, maybe some special guests, and some great conversation! It's gonna be like being in a chat room...but real!" And isn't that all we really need?
Note: The Brewsky is an enthusiastic contributor and movie reviewer, except when he feels it is more convenient to review or cover something besides a movie. After all, he's into movies, but he's not crazy into movies or anything. Besides, he has all these classes and other stuff to do. He reviews movies at his convenience, and when he feels the discussion would be appropriate. Sounds reasonable, huh?
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