40 Comments Add your own

• 1. Jeremiah  |  June 7th, 2007 at 3:15 pm

  Thanks Chris. Relevant or not, the Colbert video pretty much made my morning. I’m glad the student did “well” in the class.

• 2. Chris Carr  |  June 7th, 2007 at 3:42 pm

  Thanks, Jeremiah.

  Your Granite Studio blog is awesome.

  You put all of us blog geeks through quite a chase a while back trying to figure out which UC school you were at! Well played.

• 3. Chris  |  June 8th, 2007 at 12:55 am

  Brilliant. Just what I needed in the middle of grading final projects. (And thanks to Jeremiah for embedding it.)

• 4. Chris Carr  |  June 8th, 2007 at 8:13 am

  Thanks, Chris.

  I wish I had 1/10 of the creativity of guys like Colbert and Stewart (and their staffs).

• 5. Stacey Westenberger  |  June 9th, 2007 at 6:27 pm

  Although there might not be a direct tie to China in these videos, I think there is a connection with our motivation for going to China. In the Colbert video he makes fun of college students not wanting to be introduced to new ideas outside of their comfort level. However, our class is not taking this approach, but rather learning about business in China first hand, rather than talking about it in a classroom. We will be able to not only learn about principles affecting the businesses we visit, but also witness the culture and be immersed in a new, unfamiliar environment. This experience will definitely be a change to what many of us are used to in California, and be a beneficial way of learning.
  As for the Jon Stewart video, which was very entertaining, he again reminds us to be critical about what we are told in the media. This theme is coming up again and again in the books I have been reading for this trip. Each time, I am reminded to not just accept what I am told, but use my existing knowledge to analyze what is being portrayed and form my own opinions. I think this is a very important lesson as we are about to graduate from the MBA program and join the business world.

• 6. Chris Carr  |  December 17th, 2007 at 7:41 pm

  Apparently Comedy Central yanks its videos after a period of time.

  Below is the interview from Neil Cavaluto’s show, that gave rise to the Colbert spoof. And below that is the transcript of the Colbert spoof. Give it a read. Even if text form, Colbert makes you laugh and you can see why he retains supremacy as a comedy god. I trust you all see the relevance of this sarcasm to our China trip?

  A Student’s Mandatory Truth.

  Stephen: This savage attack on young minds brings us to tonight’s Word: Heated Debate. Folks, you know it, I know it, the left has a stranglehold on our universities. Professors are forcing our kids to submit to their pro-glacier agenda. But heroes like Barry aren’t taking it lying down.

  [Video: Barry Lucier: This was forced upon me to watch something that I didn’t believe it.]

  Stephen: Folks, at a “college” Barry was forced to think about something he didn’t already think. When you confront young people with information that doesn’t jibe with what they already believe they can get confused, or even worse, bitter.

  [Video: Neil Cavuto: Are you bitter?
  Barry Lucier: Uh, a little.]

  Stephen: Of course he’s bitter! He’s enrolled in a class where the professor thinks he knows more about the subject than the students! Last time I checked that is the definition of elitism. Hey, I’m no scientist but I thought there were supposed to be two sides to every story. (Mine & wrong) Sure there’s a vast consensus on global warming science, but doesn’t the opposing five percent deserve 50% of the time. In this core science class he probably got a syllabus full of “convention wisdom.” For instance they probably also told him the Earth revolves around the sun. (Actually revolves around Stephen) This is a relatively new and untested theory that’s only been around for 500 years. (Barely longer than Law & Order) But of course the Copernicus crowd doesn’t even mention Ptolemy’s view that the Earth is the center of the universe even though that theory has been around for 1900 years. It is 1400 years truer! But these days college is all about silencing the dissenters, it’s no longer a place to raise your hand, offer your minority viewpoint and have healthy and informed debate. (That’s Hannity and Colmes) The Barry Luciers of the world are entering a minefield of knowledge. Who knows what destructive information they’ll be confronted with next. (Student loan bill) That’s why all colleges should be forced to advertise every element of their curriculum so students are guaranteed that when the leave college they’ll be exactly the same as when they went in. (Give or take $160,000) That folks, is what I believe college is for. You take these unformed lumps of clay, leave them unformed lumps, then fire them in the kiln of unchallenged thought so they become rigid and never move again. That’s how you get well educated like Barry.

  [Video: Neil Cavuto: What was your grade?
  Barry Lucier: My grade was well.]

  Stephen: See? His grade was well. Now he make double plus think despite unwell school. Let’s just hope our future generations can do the same.

  And that’s the Word … from Stephen Colbert.

• 7. Frank Wallace  |  December 17th, 2007 at 8:04 pm

  Whoops. Here is the link to the Stewart video: http://www.ifilm.com/video/2653047?cmpnid=825&pt=if&lkdes=VID_2653047, and it looks like Dr. Carr found the same site I did.

• 8. Angie Q. Dip  |  December 23rd, 2007 at 2:13 am

  I don’t watch Stewart and Colbert often, but from watching Stewart on Crossfire and reading the transcript from Colbert tells me they are quite smart and funny, and I love their sarcastic opinions. I enjoyed the video with Stewart. I felt bad for the two hosts, but the guy with the bow tie was not being very nice to be insulting his guest. These two hosts must hate Stewart if his appearance was really the reason for the show to be removed from CNN. The Stewart video is probably related to China in that we should not believe everything that we hear about China - be it negative or positive - we should see and find out for ourselves what is true and what is not.

• 9. Mark Polydoris  |  November 9th, 2008 at 9:39 pm

  I think this beautiful episode of Crossfire was what really legitimized guys like Stewart and Colbert over half of the other news shows on TV. Not only did Stewart bash Begala and Carlson’s credibility, but he also proved that some people are born funny and others simply aren’t. Carlson’s little side comments throughout the episode make him look like a jerk.

  You can even argue that Stewart and Colbert have more credibility than the pundits because they fairly and evenly bash EVERYONE. They’re also way more entertaining. As traditional new shows have become more sensationalized, The Daily Show and Colbert Report have become more legitimate, and they’re having an enormous impact on our generation. In the past year or so, I’ve seen Jon Stewart interview Valerie Plame, Vincente Fox, Madeline Albright, Dick Cheney’s wife, and the president of Bolivia. They’re getting real guests on their shows and they’re conducting real, informative interviews. And every major presidential candidate was on their shows too.

  While these videos don’t directly relate to China, I think it shows that being an informed young person is FINALLY cool again. It’s okay to be entertained and educated at the same time.

• 10. Jessica Harris  |  November 15th, 2008 at 9:20 pm

  Haha! I am still laughing from how horrible that kid made all college students look. I don’t think that as students we have to agree with everything that our professors teach us, but students should also be open minded enough to consider the option of it being true. As far as the Crossfire segment with Jon Stewert, I wish more people could share his opinion. Why isn’t there more debate with EDUCATED ARGUMENTS rather than fighting? Just like how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop…the world may never know.

• 11. Morgan O'Hara  |  December 16th, 2008 at 8:40 pm

  Having worked as a news producer, extremely rare was the journalist who actually put much thought into his or her pieces. More often things were rushed, material recycled, same steps covered. Many Italian journalists stationed in the US relied on the major networks –CNN, CBS, etc. – took their stories, and added a little spin. Viola, the news. Not much critical thinking involved, or any exploration of the very real undercurrents behind what happens. It was more of a gimmick than journalism. That being said, there were some great things about my job, as well as the people I worked with, and worked for. And of course, it is a lot easier to criticize the media for its shortfalls than to craft top-notch pieces. One could argue, is there even a mainstream audience for serious reporting? Or do people prefer the cookie-cutter pieces that inundate our television waves? And of course, slipshod work and corner-cutting abounds – not just in the field of journalism, but also in the business world (or so I presume).

  I was staggered by the Colbert Report clip. Reflecting on this last quarter, one of things that struck me is how I’ve become a better ‘interacter.’ I’m a better listener and speaker, and a more tolerant person. The ability to come to grips with and engage different worldviews is a talent. In OB we learned of the perils of defensive reasoning – stubbornness is pronounced when it comes to sensitive issues, be it self-reflection or politics. With regards to blue and red, most of us are set in our ways, and any inkling of divergence is seen as an attack and rebuffed. This leads to extreme partisanship, incoherent arguments, bad news channels, and yes, ‘well-graded’ college students who refuse to acknowledge differing perspectives, much less digest them. Kudos to Colbert.

  In Washington and on Main Street, both sides are filled with people who refuse to reach across the isle. Hopefully in these demanding times more of us will have the mettle to rise above petty bickering and tackle the pressing issues that face our world, our nation and our communities. Likewise, here at Cal Poly, we, as students, have the responsibility to engage in constructive discourse and grow as people – not shirk from the ideas that don’t mesh with our outlooks.

• 12. Andrea Muntzel  |  December 21st, 2008 at 3:11 pm

  That Jon Stewart video was painful to watch. It’s also a reminder that sometimes, when our faults are being proven, graceful acquiescence is a gift. I thought the Stephen Colbert transcript was hilarious. The whole purpose of education is to learn about things you don’t already know about. Only after knowing both sides of the story can you make an educated decision on your own stance—especially when it comes to scientific theories.

  Regarding politics, I choose not to relate to any one party. When I was deciding who to vote for in the election, I would ask different people why they were voting for one candidate over another. Often, people wouldn’t have an answer besides, “I just think they would do a better job.” In other words, I’m a Democrat so I’m voting for a Democrat and vice versa. I think this is a problem. I understand when Democrats vote for the Democratic candidate when they actually know what differentiates them from the Republican candidate but I don’t understand why they do when they can’t tell the difference. In a lot of ways, shows like Crossfire just look to find inconsistencies and missteps of the opposing candidate so they can prove their own point while simultaneously ignoring the inconsistencies and missteps of their own. Jon Stewart is right. The show is about theatrics or putting on the better display. It’s not about being open to new ideas and debating to change minds or to find a consensus. Some people will always be on opposite sides of the fence, no matter what happens.

• 13. Jason Larocco  |  December 27th, 2008 at 5:54 pm

  Both of these guys are hilarious! Jon Stewart was having a field day with Bill Clinton back in the day as well, so it’s not all one sided liberal comedy though it’s been the majority lately. It’s great that these two can add some comic insight to our political system. Jon Stewart calling out Tucker Carlson for wearing a bow tie was great! Who wears a bow tie like that on national T.V. every day and really expects to be taken seriously? Just the fact that Jon and Stephen are getting such a reaction out of mainstream news media is great, but I do think they are both side stepping some responsibility by downplaying their shows as just comedy. At some point media organizations have to realize that they play a very important check and balance role within our government and they have a significant affect on how our society interprets information. As viewers we can all just turn the channel and the media would be forced to change their programming, and as consumers we can just stop eating Big Macs and McDonalds would be forced to change its menu. The power is ours but at some point the suppliers of a product have to understand that they have a social responsibility as well.

• 14. eric White  |  January 9th, 2009 at 2:20 pm

  I liked the clip where John Stewart was talking seriously to the Crossfire hosts (though he still had a few good one liners). Especially when the guy in the bow tie asked Stewart which candidate (George W. Bush or John Kerry) would provide better material for The Daily Show. I really appreciated Stewart’s responce. Though he openly supports Kerry, Stewart explained how his show and comedy is not based on making fun of a certain political party. I think Stewart assumes (as I do) that the vast majority of politicians have good intentions, meaning that each side is, in their view, acting in the best interest of the country. Stewart doesn’t mock the opposing party for believing something different, his comedy is based on how both parties present the ‘facts’ of their argument.

  I admit I havent watched much of The Daily Show, but after watching the Crossfire clip, I really think it is important for someone to be pointing out inconsistencies in government, and kudos to Stewart for making it entertaining!

• 15. Oscar Merlin  |  January 10th, 2009 at 4:36 pm

  I still remember the first time I saw the video the same day when this happened. It was hilarious, and every time that I see the guy with the bow tie in another network, I get reminded of the issue. That issue is the fact that people do not listen!!! Like Chris Rock says, you have got to learn to listen!!!! And I agree that he is right, we have grown into a mob society that has to choose sides, you are either republican or democrat, and considering to vote for someone better qualified that might be running with the other party is just out of the question. So people, learn to listen!!!

  As for the Stephen Colbert video, oh my goodness, it is true, I see that so much in some of the people I have known in college. But I guess, just like our Chindia trip, you take out what you put in. And, no one is going to make another person change if that person does not desire change and open their eyes.

• 16. David McKinnon  |  January 14th, 2009 at 3:24 pm

  Funny stuff. I am not a big fan of either Jon Stewart or Colbert, but Colbert makes a good point. I take the stance of if you have a certain perspective, then you should examine it from all points and turn it inside out to make sure you really believe it. If it passes the thorough wringing then your belief in that perspective is that much stronger.

• 17. Nick Chamness  |  January 21st, 2009 at 10:34 pm

  I have seen that interview on Crossfire and absolutely love it. Its fun to see him really go after those guys and watch their reactions. Most of the stuff we are fed on the T.V. is carefully planned and has no spontaneity. That is why it is so exciting and entertaining to see Jon tell them their show really sucks. Even better is when they try and question his show’s legitimacy…have they ever watched his show?Ha ha.

  Colbert really points out the waste of time that interview was. I cannot even believe that Fox would waste precious airtime on something so stupid. There must have been nothing else going on. He does a great job and analyzing how preposterous it was. My grade was well? Man that is just crazy talk!

• 18. Jimmy Spann  |  January 26th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

  I think that these interviews were quite funny… I think that the best part of the first interview (Jon Stewart on Crossfire) was that Jon Stewart knew the exact reason he went on the show, and had a huge smirk on his face the whole time. And it even played right into his hands when Tucker compares Crossfire to The Daily Show. One is to be watched for factual purposes and the other clearly to be watched for comedic purposes.

  The second interview with the student who is forced to watch Al Gore’s Movie was pretty good. I don’t know how many things that I have been forced to do in my life, that I have been better off after I have done them. There is a lot of learning especially when you are forced to research a topic that you think you disagree with. You might change your stance after the further research or you might even strengthen your own argument, but either case is a win-win situation to me.

  I also think that these posts do have a correlation to China. We would not see any types of shows like these in China. Shows that make fun of the governing body would most likely be censored and not happen at all. It is one great privilege that we have here in America that is not given to the rest of the world. I am also interested to ask Chinese, or foreigners in general, “How these types of shows make us look as Americans?” First we elect them (politicians), and then make fun of them the whole time they are in office? If that was the case then why did we elect them in the first place? Or is it one of those situations that there will always be some comedy in political decisions and speeches?

  Just some questions to think about and play a little bit of devil’s advocate. I do really like these comedy shows and don’t want them to change or go anywhere.

• 19. Scotty Hayes  |  January 26th, 2009 at 5:29 pm

  I love it!

  I have always respected Stewart and Colbert. Even if I do not completely agree with their views, I know they formed their opinion with an open mind. That is the problem today. Politicians on the left will always be on the left and politicians on the right will always be on the right. Instead of debating, politicians spend their time digging up dirt on their opponent. We need good ideas and leaders for the future, regardless of political affiliation.

  Why are Stewart and Colbert so offensive to some people? Sometimes the truth hurts…

• 20. Andrew Welborn  |  January 30th, 2009 at 7:06 pm

  I miss watching both these shows. Even though they may not be truly news worthy, they provide a (somewhat) unbiased view of the world and especially the political world here in the U.S.

  One of the ideas that I feel Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert try to promote is open mindedness. By bashing (or truthfully commentating) both sides based solely on their ineptitude or absurdity, they bring an issue’s main points into focus. My favorite part is that they provide humor the entire time, providing the masses with an easily digestible political satire.

  It is too bad that most of those who have poor knowledge of the issues, are unable to debate their entrenched viewpoint, and bash Jon and Stephen are unable to take a step back and clear their preconceived notions and listen to both sides. The Colbert transcript unfortunately shows that this open mindedness is lost on some of our generation with potentially detrimental future effects.

• 21. Matthew Neal  |  February 3rd, 2009 at 1:53 pm

  I love the second clip of John Stewart on crossfire. As some other people have already stated, it truly shows what is wrong with the American media and politics today. “The absurdity of the system provides us with the most material”, a perfect quote that shows everything with the media and American politics. Too often, when I watch the news shows people are simply yelling back and forth about why the other side is wrong instead of intelligently discussing what is right, or even the actual news for that matter. In the clip it just shows how far off the new organizations are by Stewart trying to have an intelligent conversation and them simply asking him to “be funny”.

  This example should be a sad reminder to all of us to truly dig deep into the issues ourselves, instead of simply believing what we are told by a “respected” news station. This should come especially true when it comes to China and India. As Dr. Carr said, it will probably take 2-3 visits before we know for ourselves what is really going on in the situations we experience. I know from I own limited travels, reading and research is fine, but actually experiencing a culture in ones own eyes definitely puts the situation in new light.

• 22. Patrick Johansing  |  February 11th, 2009 at 9:49 pm

  I’ve never seen Jon Stewart so serious before. He really hates those guys on crossfire. He was saying that they, as part of the news media, have a responsibility to the American people; that they should be getting us the information that matters. But they are failing their responsibility. Instead of helping us understand what is going on in DC, we just listen to them bicker about nothing. They cling to the politicians’ pointless mudslinging.

  Colbert was good too. How did that kid ever make it onto an interview? Who heard him and thought that he had a good enough argument to air it?

• 23. Raquel Rusing  |  February 15th, 2009 at 1:41 pm

  “How old are you… [Tucker Carlson: 35] and you wear a bowtie? I’m not suggesting you’re not a smart guy, those things are hard to tie…” -Jon Stewart

  Ha. Jon’s the man.

  I think the worst part about this blog that I am going to post is that I have to admit I’ve never watched Crossfire. I haven’t owned cable or a tv in 6 years so it’s a little difficult for me to understand what Jon is so furious about. WIth that said, I went and watched a few episodes online and WOW. Jon is right! CNN is a station that is supposed to provide the public with news. Real news. And they are presenting no debates, but merely a theatrical series of loud noises. They do nothing to help the public receive information to make informed decisions about the politicians up for election or provide an unbiased presentation of the information.

  With that said, I read a little rumor on Wikipedia that the show was cancelled after, and because of, Stewart’s critique. The New York Times confirmed this, stating that Jonathon Klein, the CNN President appointed in 2005, “…[agreed] wholeheartedly with Jon Stewart’s overall premise.” He said he believed that especially after the terror attacks on 9/11, viewers are interested in information, not opinion.”

  A Washington Post Article gave an interesting counter-opinion for why Crossfire did a good job. Many politicians avoided going on the show because, “Their techniques of evasion didn’t work as well, because there were fewer decorous conventions they could hide behind.” I don’t agree. I think that Stewart has a great point. Yelling is an inefficient way to get to the point. So, I think this show was counter-productive.

  “What you do is partisan hackery. You have a responsibility to the public discourse, and you fail miserably.” -Jon Stewart

  Sock it to ‘em, Jonny Boy! But, could someone define partisan hackery?

• 24. James McMillan  |  February 15th, 2009 at 5:51 pm

  I feel bad for that kid. He’s just too young and immature to really understand his comments and why he’s wrong about claiming about having to watch “an Inconvenient Truth.” I’m so glad Colbert decided to do a stint on him. I don’t see how that kid could have not felt stupid after watching himself. I wonder if the commentator on Fox News expressed any points of agreement with him.

  As far as crossfire goes, is that show even still on? The name sounds familiar but maybe I just don’t get home early enough to catch it. I wonder what its rating did after Jon Stewart’s appearance. The audience certainly appeared to side with Jon by laughing at all the comments that called Tucker out. I’m glad he made his appearance and spoke his mind. There are too many “news” programs that are so obviously one sided but pretend to be “fair and balanced” when in fact their programs are filled with political hacks. And by the way, dude totally needs to lose the bow tie.

  I do see the connection here to China though. Lesson learned, even if you don’t agree with something, be open-minded, consider all points of views, and be appreciative that you are getting insight from a different perspective.

• 25. Andre Ourthiague  |  February 28th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

  John Stewart and Stephen Colbert do a wonderful job of highlighting how absurd the media is at times. It is nice to have a sanity check on the news. I would be lying if I didn’t admit to times when I see something on the news, then later have my opinions flipped upside down thanks to Comedy Central making fun of my very opinion. Unfortunately, the US media makes more profit by regurgitating our existing beliefs back into our heads. Parody can be a powerful tool for exposing weakness in a person’s reasoning.

• 26. Michael Mossman  |  March 3rd, 2009 at 1:39 pm

  I tip my hat to Jon for going on Crossfire and speaking his mind. It takes a lot of confidence to go on a show full of ego maniacs and confront them on the concept of their entire show. It is interesting to see the serious side of Jon Stewart because he is always in his comedy mode. The kid who went on the Neil Cavuto needs to chill out and stop trying to get media publicity over a minor disagreement. He did not really think this through before he went on national TV to talk about his random and minor problem that should have been kept in the class room.

• 27. Jenna Healy  |  March 5th, 2009 at 8:22 am

  I love that he claims dehydration… and I too hate Crossfire because I hate to watch people argue. Isn’t there an EPSN version of Crossfire. Yes, I hate that too. And honestly, when you invite a comedian on to a political show, what do you expect? I love that he spoke his mind and reiterated that he is, yes, a comedian. He called out the bow tie! Yes!

  When I just Googled “Crossfire” Jon Stewart on Crossfire came up #5, and the show was aired in 2004. He had quite the lasting impression.

  When I was training athletes, the most important concept is… you get good at what you do, and that concept remains true here. Comedians are good at comedy, politicians can speak about politics for days… but the Crossfire guys, well, as Jon Stewart pointed out, they are stuck in the 2 worlds of stage acting and politics… maybe if they picked one, they’d be better received. I agree with Jon, you can’t do both.

  Just a side note. The Comedy Central site told me “you are SO not logged in.”

• 28. Josh Hickman  |  March 5th, 2009 at 12:32 pm

  Amazing, I am setting my DVR to start recording the Daily Show from now on. Jon does make some good points about the games people play in politics and elections. The thing that I love about him is that he sees all the BS that goes on between politicians and makes fun of them. I have never watched Crossfire anymore but it seems like those two guys (especially Tucker) need to have a little more respect when inviting someone to be a guest on their show. I am glad that Stewart stood up for himself because I doubt many people would. I watched the spin off on the Daily Show and I thought it was hilarious when he said he was on the show named after the bullets that kill innocent bystanders. How fitting for Jon’s comments that those two guys were ruining America (the innocent bystanders?). Classic.

• 29. Amy Cook  |  March 5th, 2009 at 3:48 pm

  I watched both of these clips when we did the initial Jon Stewart blog. I think I actually ended up on the Colbert website for quite awhile watching several other clips. I like that both comedians are able to make jokes about the state of our country and comment on how ridiculous some of our media and politics can be. What I really like is that when it comes down to it, they are really intelligent guys who really care about the state of our media and country and who aren’t afraid to offend someone who is being an ignorant jerk. I once saw Jon Stewart interview a kid (about 19) who had made a ton of money online selling videos of homeless people he had paid to beat each other up in front of his cameras. Stewart pretty much just had him on the show to give him a stern talking-to about social responsibility. It was the first time I saw him get really serious and angry during an interview. It gave me a stronger respect for what Jon Stewart does. He jokes, but he cares too.

• 30. Mark Wegemer  |  March 14th, 2009 at 8:47 pm

  I love the one liners from Jon Stewart. He is very quick with his witty responses and I think that’s what makes him so funny. He comeback are instantaneous and really mock the points of views of the political party systems. The system is what Jon Stewart makes fun of and not the actual politician or political affiliation of the candidate. After watching Tucker try to make a mockery of Jon Stewart, I had more respect for Stewart and less for Tucker. Tucker was immature despite Stewart’s attempt to have a civilized debate about the questions at hand. In this case I say go Stewart. I think he is the smartest funny guy.

  As far as the student goes, I feel that pain taking general education courses in some of the fields of study. Teachers try to influence the students on their point of view of the subject. On tests, you have to present what you think the teacher thinks is correct in order to please him rather than presenting possibly the correct answer. It’s frustrating to say the least and I would be bitter as well even if my grade was well.

• 31. Logan J Travis  |  March 15th, 2009 at 9:09 pm

  I’ve never watched Crossfire before and only heard about their run-in with Jon Stewart. I’m a little surprised they let taping continue during that exchange. Live audience or no, I think the damage Jon Stewart did just continued to escalate.

  As for his argument, I agree with him but think he fails to uphold the principles that drive it. Broadcasting a discussion between members of each political party is not akin to hosting an honest debate if for no other reason than it implies only two possible sides. It is good television though, good theater as Jon put it. So, in this age when news is targeted to its audience near as much as any advertising I can’t really fault CNN.

  I do have qualms with Jon not turning the microscope back on himself. He is part of the same ridiculous theater that provides his material. How else do you explain the Colbert Report? It’s a spin off emphasizing right-wing politics while poking fun at the same party. Pair the two, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and you have nearly the same problem as CNN’s Crossfire albeit with humorous intent. I suppose that is where Jon deserves some leniency, in his standing as a comedian. We aren’t supposed to take what he or Colbert say seriously.

  People do though (myself included), maybe more readily than the opinions voiced on Crossfire.

• 32. David Caldwell  |  March 16th, 2009 at 9:28 pm

  Finding unbiased, reliable, spin-free is getting harder and harder with the rise of “infotainment.” One of my professors from the Aero program told us about how he had subscribed to Al Jezeera, and watched it side-by-side to get the whole story during the invasion of Iraq. It’s like there are flickers of truth scattered about, and we basically have to stare at digg, reddit, cnn, wsj, nyt, etc etc just to get a basic understanding of what’s going on around us.

  Watching that interview with Barry Lucifer (great last name, btw) reminded me of the sense of entitlement with young people that I hear complained about so much; I might actually agree with Barry’s stance on the environment (I need to go see Inconvenient Truth and Doomsday Called Off now), but I’m not about to go onto a national news show to complain about how I thought that a professor treated me unfairly - that’s what roommates are for. How slow of a news day must it have been for the producers of that show to let him on?

• 33. Jamie Hastings  |  March 17th, 2009 at 3:21 pm

  Funny stuff. i don’t watch these guys much either, but they are funny. They did make that one kid look bad. What the real deal is that where ever you go to school, the “Inconvenient Truth” is that there is going to be biased teachers. In fact all teachers are biased to some extent.

  That is how you learn, by seeing other perspectives that counter your own and forcing you to defend your position and make a case. Either you will learn something about the other side or enlighten others about your stance. Unfortunately, this kid doesn’t get it and fails to make a good case. I have had classes taught by teachers that have an agenda. Thats fine with me and it is a fact of life.

• 34. Xiaofei Song  |  March 19th, 2009 at 1:10 pm

  Very funny guy, make interesting comment on the TV to share their views. I agree with him this time, the education should be more open minded. Knowledge is updated faster and faster these days, we have to keep our mind open to get more fresh knowledge.

• 35. Alex vanDalen  |  March 19th, 2009 at 1:17 pm

  Elitism in education, sure glad we don’t have any professors at Cal Poly who dislike free thought and debate. Ok… I’ll cut the sarcasm. However nothing irks me more that overt bias from professors. But I’ve encountered it in every school that I’ve been to, both from a conservative and liberal slant, even “moderates” are often times so firmly attached to being moderate that they forget exactly what it means. I know that its hard for even normal people to work around one’s preconceived point of view and during the long years required to earn the credentials necessary to teach, many viewpoints will inevitably become crystallized based on the type of knowledge that is gained through research. However, is seems that as people get more educated they often get more entrenched in their own way of thinking. I was under the impression that the opposite was suppose to be true. For some it does seem as though learning opens the mind, but for other learning seems for focus the mind even more into its previous direction.
  It would be interesting to further examine the reason behind such differences in though patterns.

• 36. Scotty Hayes  |  March 19th, 2009 at 2:06 pm

  I am kicking myself in the ass right now for not doing more of these posts on the cold and rainy days we had this winter. I am having troubles responding to the Jon Stewart is still a God post, so I am doing it on this post. I don’t know why Stewart doesn’t take the next step and run for office. He obviously knows what he is talking about and has a passion for it. Why not? We have governors who are wrestlers and even terminators. One of our best presidents was an actor. Stewart would definitely have my vote.

  While on the Comedy Central site I watched the Jon Stewart interview with Jim Cramer of Mad Money - March 12th. It is the soberest I have ever seen Stewart. I really recommend it. It is mainly about the news’ role in the financial meltdown. My favorite line to Cramer was that you can make “finance entertaining, but it’s not a fuc&ing joke.” Cramer as well as many in the industry knew of what was going to happen. He is really stressing the importance of bringing fundamentals back to reporting. Again, worth your time.

• 37. Cece Reyes  |  March 19th, 2009 at 7:05 pm

  That type of confrontation is not seen very often. Watching Jon Stewart speak so directly to the hosts was very entertaining. It actually reminds me of an experience when I was a kid. We had an Argentine exchange student living with us while he was playing tennis for Hancock College. The whole family was watching some TV show and a comedian was making fun of then President Ronald Reagan and he was shocked. Making fun of a President (in public) was not something anyone would do in Argentina at that time, unless they wanted to find trouble.

  The Colbert segment was good as well - subjected to watching the film. There was just a segment on CNN about the preaching of liberalism on college campuses. I don’t know the background but they mentioned a case about a conservative student at Cal Poly that had some trouble for posting conservative flier of some sort. (They discussed the Cal Poly case as they cut to a picture of the quad at Stanford University).

• 38. Victoria Rodriguez  |  March 20th, 2009 at 9:32 am

  I love that Americans have the freedom to speak our mind. However, I do see that the mass media keeps to one side and often does not show the entire picture.

  Aside from that - thank you Dr. Carr for the Stephen Colbert clip - I saved a funny one for last. It reminds me of a saying my grandmother tells me “yesterday I couldn’t spell engineer, and today I are one.” On a serious note, that college student and the media that purports that humans have real no effect on the earth and our health is a big challenge in changing the way businesses and people think about sustainability.

• 39. Justin Miller  |  March 20th, 2009 at 10:56 am

  I watched these videos after watching the ones from the first link. I love that despite being shows that are focused on comedy, that actually do a better job at covering news events from some of the main news organizations. I like that they don’t take themselves to seriously. Additionally, by making fun of other news organizations and not trying to be too serious I think it allows them more freedom in their reporting. People already know to not take everything they say at face value. I look forward to many more years of both of their shows. I wouldn’t trust my news from anywhere else.

• 40. Matt Eves  |  March 20th, 2009 at 1:21 pm

  I honestly have trouble watching any of it. I think that Stewart’s honest plea for honesty is exactly how I feel. The majority of media and news is so skewed it is more frustrating than anything to sift through it.

  Thank you Jon Stewart for standing up to those guys and doing it to their face…. that was not only bold but necessary.

Leave a Comment

Name Required

Email Required, hidden

Url

Comment

Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed

The posts, comments and/or views expressed on this trip blog, whether by a Cal Poly student or faculty or an outside guest to the blog, do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of Cal Poly, the Orfalea College of Business (OCOB), any of the OCOB's graduate programs and/or other students who participate in the trip.