Colbert, Covid and Politics

[rogue06]

An intriguing piece in National Review concerning Jon Stewart's appearance on Colbert's late night show and what it revealed.

Source: The Breaking of Stephen Colbert

The recent interplay between Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert regarding the possibility of a COVID lab leak was a fascinating example of where their recent career choices have taken them. As Kyle Smith wrote, Stewart showed that part of him is still a real comedian, with the comedian’s eye for the absurd wherever he finds it. Colbert revealed himself to be merely a partisan entertainer whose highest priority (higher than humor or truth) is to make sure his audience never feels like it is taking a justified L.

Stewart was also a partisan entertainer, and did more than his share to make mainstream topical comedy as predictable and stale as right-wing talk radio, but he retired before the audience expectations of total partisan conformity had become entirely crushing. Meanwhile, Colbert forced himself to do night after dreary night of feeble Robert Mueller jokes and it has broken his spirit.

The live audience obviously like Stewart’s material, and gives at most tepid reaction to Colbert’s repeated attempts to rebut Stewart and to throw off Stewart’s comic timing. And above all, Colbert spends the entire segment desperately disassociating himself from Stewart. At one point he cracks that Stewart must be working for Republican Senator Ron Johnson. The message is simple: It doesn’t matter if the stuff you are saying is funny. It doesn’t even matter if the stuff you are saying is true. What matters is you are putting me and my show on the wrong side and that’s a problem.

That’s because Colbert is terrified of his Very Online fanbase. In the wider America, the vast majority either believe in the lab-leak theory or are agnostic on the subject. But for the Very Online Left, the lab-leak theory isn’t about true or false. It’s about in-group vs. out-group, and anyone who volunteers that the lab-leak theory might be true is part of the out-group.


And for the Very Online Left, if you’re part of the out-group, you are fair game for any kind of harassment and condemnation, because they define themselves by their expressions of hatred and contempt for out-group figures (e.g., cops, gunowners, Israel, children in MAGA hats). The Very Online Left is a minority of the country and probably even a minority of Colbert’s own audience, but its overrepresentation in media circles that live on Twitter means they can threaten to make serious trouble for Colbert. Dave Chappelle was willing to face them down, but you have to be willing to take the flak. Colbert, in every word and gesture, desperately tried to pander to Online Left and direct all of their read the rooms, not a good looks, and do betters (as well as any accusations of racism) to Stewart.

It is ironic because, 15 years ago, Colbert was a more original comic than Stewart, but the demands of nightly doses of craven partisanship for year upon year have ruined him.



Source

© Copyright Original Source

[Mountain Man]

It was an interesting segment. Colbert was tiptoeing around Stewart as one would around a vicious dog, I suspect because being long-time friends, Colbert knows what a ruthless opponent Stewart can be, and even Stewart pulling his punches still managed to leave Colbert bruised and bloody. The only thing Colbert could do was limply suggest that Stewart sounded like a Republican.

[rogue06]

It was an interesting segment. Colbert was tiptoeing around Stewart as one would around a vicious dog, I suspect because being long-time friends, Colbert knows what a ruthless opponent Stewart can be, and even Stewart pulling his punches still managed to leave Colbert bruised and bloody. The only thing Colbert could do was limply suggest that Stewart sounded like a Republican.

Which, as the article points out, reveals a lot about Colbert's thinking in that he's more concerned with being woke than what is true or even funny -- crippling for any comic.

[Backup]

An intriguing piece in National Review concerning Jon Stewart's appearance on Colbert's late night show and what it revealed.

Source: The Breaking of Stephen Colbert

The recent interplay between Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert regarding the possibility of a COVID lab leak was a fascinating example of where their recent career choices have taken them. As Kyle Smith wrote, Stewart showed that part of him is still a real comedian, with the comedian’s eye for the absurd wherever he finds it. Colbert revealed himself to be merely a partisan entertainer whose highest priority (higher than humor or truth) is to make sure his audience never feels like it is taking a justified L.

Stewart was also a partisan entertainer, and did more than his share to make mainstream topical comedy as predictable and stale as right-wing talk radio, but he retired before the audience expectations of total partisan conformity had become entirely crushing. Meanwhile, Colbert forced himself to do night after dreary night of feeble Robert Mueller jokes and it has broken his spirit.

The live audience obviously like Stewart’s material, and gives at most tepid reaction to Colbert’s repeated attempts to rebut Stewart and to throw off Stewart’s comic timing. And above all, Colbert spends the entire segment desperately disassociating himself from Stewart. At one point he cracks that Stewart must be working for Republican Senator Ron Johnson. The message is simple: It doesn’t matter if the stuff you are saying is funny. It doesn’t even matter if the stuff you are saying is true. What matters is you are putting me and my show on the wrong side and that’s a problem.

That’s because Colbert is terrified of his Very Online fanbase. In the wider America, the vast majority either believe in the lab-leak theory or are agnostic on the subject. But for the Very Online Left, the lab-leak theory isn’t about true or false. It’s about in-group vs. out-group, and anyone who volunteers that the lab-leak theory might be true is part of the out-group.


And for the Very Online Left, if you’re part of the out-group, you are fair game for any kind of harassment and condemnation, because they define themselves by their expressions of hatred and contempt for out-group figures (e.g., cops, gunowners, Israel, children in MAGA hats). The Very Online Left is a minority of the country and probably even a minority of Colbert’s own audience, but its overrepresentation in media circles that live on Twitter means they can threaten to make serious trouble for Colbert. Dave Chappelle was willing to face them down, but you have to be willing to take the flak. Colbert, in every word and gesture, desperately tried to pander to Online Left and direct all of their read the rooms, not a good looks, and do betters (as well as any accusations of racism) to Stewart.

It is ironic because, 15 years ago, Colbert was a more original comic than Stewart, but the demands of nightly doses of craven partisanship for year upon year have ruined him.



Source

© Copyright Original Source

I don’t know why any Democrats would claim to know the origin of the virus for sure. We simply don’t know.

Republicans well claim to know things they don’t. Bad form.

[Sparko]

I don’t know why any Democrats would claim to know the origin of the virus for sure. We simply don’t know.

Republicans well claim to know things they don’t. Bad form.

They aren't claiming it DID escape from the lab, but that it is a likely scenario and should be investigated. I mean while joking, Stewart wasn't far off. You have a level 4 virus lab studying such viruses in the very same location that the disease starts in? Logic alone says that the likely scenario is that the lab is involved somehow and needs to be checked out.

[rogue06]

They aren't claiming it DID escape from the lab, but that it is a likely scenario and should be investigated. I mean while joking, Stewart wasn't far off. You have a level 4 virus lab studying such viruses in the very same location that the disease starts in? Logic alone says that the likely scenario is that the lab is involved somehow and needs to be checked out.

01F8DK7RCZ7YCC4QFYHMMVHJ4R.jpeg

Even when it became increasingly apparent that the lab was the chief suspect and needed investigating (fat chance of that ever happening) we still had those on the left diligently denouncing even bringing up the idea as racist.

For example, NYT's lead "investigative" reporter on the entire Chicom coronavirus issue, Apoorva Mandavilli's response after the Wet Market story started to collapse was a Pavlovian one of decrying racism as the motive for any doubts. So much for her investigating anything. The NYT should have removed her for that position immediately and put her somewhere else.

Mandavilia_Tweet_lableak_racist.jpg

[Ronson]

Colbert, blech! Can't stand that toadie.

Stewart was OK; a little to the left but that's fine so long as they dish it out to both sides. And he did so much of the time.

[Mountain Man]

They aren't claiming it DID escape from the lab, but that it is a likely scenario and should be investigated. I mean while joking, Stewart wasn't far off. You have a level 4 virus lab studying such viruses in the very same location that the disease starts in? Logic alone says that the likely scenario is that the lab is involved somehow and needs to be checked out.

Then Colbert pushed back suggesting that the reason the lab was there is because that's where the virus is. Stewart immediately snarked, "Because coronaviruses don't exist anywhere else in the world."

[Mountain Man]

Colbert, blech! Can't stand that toadie.

Stewart was OK; a little to the left but that's fine so long as they dish it out to both sides. And he did so much of the time.

Stewart was reasonably balanced until W. Bush was in the running for president, then he developed a distinct lean to the left. The Daily Show became more bitterly partisan and less fun to watch after that until Stewart eventually resigned. He seems to have drifted back towards the center.

[rogue06]

Colbert, blech! Can't stand that toadie.

Stewart was OK; a little to the left but that's fine so long as they dish it out to both sides. And he did so much of the time.

I always preferred Stewart myself. I liked the way he could focus in on a subject with such intensity and eviscerate it with razor-sharp ridicule. Colbert, to his credit, was much more enthusiastic and his energy always shone through. But his humor was more superficial. Far more likely to go for the cheap shot or even low hanging fruit than Stewart (who was exactly a choirboy).

[Mountain Man]

I always preferred Stewart myself. I liked the way he could focus in on a subject with such intensity and eviscerate it with razor-sharp ridicule.

I never understood why Bill O'Reilly regularly tried to engage Stewart in debate, because O'Reilly got destroyed every single time. It was like watching an amateur featherweight step into the ring with Mike Tyson.

[rogue06]

I never understood why Bill O'Reilly regularly tried to engage Stewart in debate, because O'Reilly got destroyed every single time. It was like watching an amateur featherweight step into the ring with Mike Tyson.

I assume O'Reilly's immense ego prevented him from realizing it, or maybe it was a form of penance.

For the sarcastically impaired the following is said in jest

Oh Father I have sinned...

Do 100 Hail Marys and a segment with Stewart this week.

[CivilDiscourse]

I always preferred Stewart myself. I liked the way he could focus in on a subject with such intensity and eviscerate it with razor-sharp ridicule. Colbert, to his credit, was much more enthusiastic and his energy always shone through. But his humor was more superficial. Far more likely to go for the cheap shot or even low hanging fruit than Stewart (who was exactly a choirboy).

The political comedy show that Stewart really ushered into the mainstream has become straight propaganda for democrats and the left.

[Sparko]

Then Colbert pushed back suggesting that the reason the lab was there is because that's where the virus is. Stewart immediately snarked, "Because coronaviruses don't exist anywhere else in the world."

all someone has to do is show all of those new coronavirus outbreaks that occured before they put the lab there, then. After all if they put the lab there because they were studying a glut of new coronavirus outbreaks then there should be a record of them, right? I mean Sars came from China too, but it didn't come from Wuhan. I believe it started in Zhongshan City.

[Starlight]

A lot of projection happening in the OP piece, as well as bitterness that the right-wing can't do comedy.

I used to enjoy watching the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as they would daily point out all the lies that had been on Fox News that day, and I've mostly enjoyed watching the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, though sometimes Colbert bends too far backwards to be nice to conservatives in order to make sure they do come on his show rather than critiquing them in the way they deserve.