Stewart crushes Rube Goldberg and Fox News is collateral damage. I love it!

Thanks for the clip. This was great. Some of the best television in years.

Stewart has an uncanny ability to get to the heart of things. This is some keen analysis:

Not all of us have your guts Bernie. It takes a tough man to walk into O’Reilly’s lion’s den to criticize liberal elites. And two, to say that comedians have to decide whether they are comedians or social comentators…uh, comedians do social comentary through comedy. That’s how its worked for thousands of years. I have not moved out of the comedian’s box into the news box. The news box is moving towards me.

In before “who cares, he’s just a comedian!!1!!1″

So, your avatar is the Erdinger logo/label. Is there some story there? Have you ever had the seasonal Erdinger Schneeweisse? Is that smoother than cream soda, or what?

Absolutely love it! And their Weiss is my favorite mass-market Bavarian wheat — Paulaner and Franziskaner are a little too much on the citrus-y side for my taste. Not the easiest thing to find – and honestly no Weissbier on this side of the Atlantic is really good out of a bottle anyway…

(There’s not that much of a story, it’s just something I had on hand to replace the blank avatar.)

God, that was an hilarious ass-whooping.

I don’t think Bernie will be sparring with Jon again anytime soon.

For the record, Bernie Goldberg was a member in good standing of the mainstream media for nearly 30 years when he published an editorial saying, in essence, “we’ve got a liberal bias; we need to admit it and do something about it.” He lost his job and his career of nearly 30 years shortly thereafter because he spoke an obvious truth to power. That took more guts that John Stewart or any of the sycophantic liberals who comment around here will ever have.

It should also be noted that when Goldberg published his famous 1996 editorial, he was working for Dan Rather at CBS News, the same Dan Rather that approximately eight years later was forced to step down from his job in disgrace because he: (1) published falsified documents defaming a sitting President just a few weeks before an election; and, (2) vouched for the source of those documents as “unimpeachable” when, in fact, that source was a certifiable nutcase who had been caught lying and maliciously defaming Bush on two prior occasions.

Maybe if Dan Rather et al. has listened to Goldberg in 1996 instead of ruining his career, Rather would still have a job today.

Rather does have a job, AF, a series known as “Dan Rather Reports,” and he is extraordinarily fond of it. He gets to do some in depth reporting, the type one can’t do on broadcast news and the type cable “news” seems to view as an anathema, for some reason. So, at 75 years old, he is getting to do what he loves. Seems to me to be a most desirable life.

As for Goldberg, he may well raise some important, valuable points, but I see him as little more than a scorned “wannabe” who feels he was somehow cheated out of a real news career, and a colossal whiner.

RRK:

Your claims get weirder and weirder all the time. If Rather is so self-fulfilled and doing what he loves, why is he continuing to sue CBS for wrongful discharge in a $70 million lawsuit? Rather isn’t doing “Dan Rather Reports” by choice. He was forced out in disgrace and is still trying to get his old job back.

Notably, Rather’s suit was dismissed at the trial court, which was subsequently affirmed on appeal by the intermediate appellate court. He is now appealing to the New York Court of Appeals (which is New York’s Supreme Court).

Yep Goldberg has been getting it good for turning on he friends on the Left. This is why a lot of liberals are afraid to admit they are conservative.

Your claims get weirder and weirder all the time. If Rather is so self-fulfilled and doing what he loves, why is he continuing to sue CBS for wrongful discharge in a $70 million lawsuit?

Principle?

—

Rather isn’t doing “Dan Rather Reports” by choice. He was forced out in disgrace and is still trying to get his old job back.

You know this, how?

—

Notably, Rather’s suit was dismissed at the trial court, which was subsequently affirmed on appeal by the intermediate appellate court. He is now appealing to the New York Court of Appeals (which is New York’s Supreme Court).

Yes, he should have allowed CBS to fire him. His grounds would be stronger.

—

Who the hell is talking about Dan Rather? It looks like the same old pivot going on here. Jon delivered an epic ass whooping of Goldberg and fox. Facts don’t change just because you come off looking like an asshat! Bravo Jon!

But Jon, you could not dispute that Goldberg was right about your frank Rich interview!

Stewart was brilliant here. Witty and funny and sarcastic. But he never responded to Goldberg’s question, which was: Does he want to be simply be a clown? Or does he want, as he intimates, to be occasionally a serious or semi-serious commentator on public matters?

His answer was: I’m a liberal clown. I’m not fair, I don’t want to be fair. I want to promote liberal views while wearing the clown nose.

Okay. But when you complain about others using hyperbole, when you complain about others not being fair, forgive me if I become cynical. Because, y’know Jon? You don’t really mean it.

Yeah, there’s too much cynicism in America. But you ain’t helping reduce it.

Very funny piece, though. Just keep that clown nose on and you’ll be fine.

The painful truth remains….nothing either of these two people do will change anything…anywhere….any time. It’s just background noise. They are doing their jobs. They are going to work every day just like most of us….making money. To pretend that they are providing anything but a little entertainment is silly. Stewart is on TV to make money and get ratings. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. Goldberg is on TV to sell books and to get ratings…..again, nothing wrong with that. To elevate either one to some kind of iconic status, or to take what either says to heart seems a little silly too.
There is very little difference in what Stewart and Goldberg do to what the regular visitors to these very threads do every day…..they just get paid boatloads of money to do it.

I criticize you and Fox News a lot, but only because you’re truly a terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization.”

Talk about generalizations Jon and that “faint” liberal influence in TV networks?

Yes, Jon, that one had me laughing my ass off!

I criticize you and Fox News a lot, but only because you’re truly a terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization.”

Yeah, he really did answer Goldberg’s question: “Yes, Bernie, I’m a liberal clown who really doesn’t mean what I say about unfair commentary or generalizations unless they’re directed at my side.”

Talk about cynical and disingenuous.

He then puts the clown nose back on and goes about his day.

roxsteady says:
April 21, 2010 at 10:25 am

Who the hell is talking about Dan Rather? It looks like the same old pivot going on here. Jon delivered an epic ass whooping of Goldberg and fox. Facts don’t change just because you come off looking like an asshat! Bravo Jon!

—

You’re correct, Rox. I’m afraid I allowed myself to be pulled into the old rightist diversionary tactic. Mention Ensign, Gingrich, Sanford or Vitter, and you’re countered with Bankhead, Eaton, Hays and Mills.

Good call!

I think Stewart answered the question effectively, Steve:

And two, to say that comedians have to decide whether they are comedians or social comentators…uh, comedians do social commentary through comedy. That’s how its worked for thousands of years. I have not moved out of the comedian’s box into the news box. The news box is moving towards me.

No, King, I prefer Clinton, FDR, LBJ, and all 3 Kennedy brothers- they are so representative of liberals.

Off topic diverson, Snacker.

uh, comedians do social commentary through comedy.

Ahh, but he tries to have it both ways. I.e, “I’m a clown and a commentator”. When his commentary is shown to be unfair, he puts the clown nose back on. “Look, I’m just a comedian!!”

He revealed to me in this very funny bit that he really doesn’t care about generalizations or unfair reporting or lousy commentary. He only cares about those problems when it’s directed at his side.

So all of these complaints about the lousy journalism by Fox News isn’t really about lousy journalism. It’s about lousy journalism directed at his side.

And he has the temerity – when he takes the clown nose off – to worry about cynicism in America?

Okay, he is what he is. A cynical commentator/comedian pretending to worry about public matters in America.

Fine.

“The Real Royal King says:
April 21, 2010 at 11:22 am
Off topic diverson, Snacker.”

A favorite tactic of Snacker’s. Picked up on it last night in a long irrelevant thread where Snacker and Finch compared the apples of McVeigh to the oranges of Ayers.

” SteveMG says:
April 21, 2010 at 11:26 am…

Okay, he is what he is. A cynical commentator/comedian pretending to worry about public matters in America.

Fine.”

As opposed to what? A cynical commentator/pundit/ex – journalist pretending to worry about public matters in America? Stewart is dead on right about comedians doing social commentary through comedy, from cartoons to commentary. And he’s damn good at it. The difference and distinction is that Rube Goldberg displays none of the ethic touted by journalists and appears on the disinfotainment schedule of Fox Not News.

Stewart has the Best job ever. He pushes his opinion using “comedy”. If you agree with him, You adore him. And if you don’t, you shake you head and wonder WTF? He disagrees with Conservative policies, and due to the “Comedy and Variety” nature of his show has unrestrained creative control.

To all those that agree with Stewart he is a meretricious flag to wave. Unfortunately because he has zero acountabilty to anyone other than MTV, he he free to present whatever material in whatever way he choses. Its just pitiful that Mediaite acts like it is the evening news.

I have not moved out of the comedian’s box into the news box.

Which is why most comedians interview former Presidents, government officials, international figureheads, and so on. Oh wait a minute… they don’t.

Stewart has been running from the fact that he’s more news player than comedian, for years. And the claim is so stupid, so obviously false, I’m not sure why anyone allows him to say it over and over again. The shear amount of people who say, “I get my news from Stewart,” just goes to show that he’s not necessarily a “comedian,” he’s an information provider. And as such, he should recognize his responsibilities.

His insistence that he’s “just a comedian,” is his excuse to be misleading, misrepresent, and say things that others would get called out for. In other words, he insists he’s “just a comedian,” so that he can do whatever he wants… ethics be damned.

You like to pretend, Bernie Goldberg, that the relentless conservative activism Fox News is the equivalent of the disorganized liberal influence you find on NBC, ABC and CBS.

Now that’s interesting… and Stewart may have something of a point here. FNC is very clear about their opinion host’s biases… there is no doubt you know where those folks are coming from. Yet, the other networks tilt left… yet don’t acknowledge, don’t admit, and pretend that they’re “down the middle.” Even Stewart acknowledges that they’re biased… the problem is that FNC is more open, and better organized about their opinion.

So it seems that this isn’t actually a flaw of FNC… rather, a better more truthful strategy. While the other networks attempt to trick you… FNC makes no bones about it. Interesting to see Stewart (in an attempt to disagree with Goldberg), essentially agree with Goldberg.

_________

The Real Royal King says:
April 21, 2010 at 8:03 am

Not all of us have your guts Bernie. It takes a tough man to walk into O’Reilly’s lion’s den to criticize liberal elites.

Yes, it’s clearly Bernie’s fault that other networks won’t let him speak, and have blacklisted him at the request of CBS. Clearly, his fault.

The Real Royal King says:
April 21, 2010 at 11:15 am

Actually, you were the one who brought it up. Finch went over Goldberg’s bio, to explain from whence he came. Everything he said is based upon fact and history.

YOU, on the other hand, decided to debate whether or not it was “fair” that Rather was fired… and whether or not he’s enjoying his new (unseen) life. There’s a difference.

‘His insistence that he’s “just a comedian,” is his excuse to be misleading, misrepresent, and say things that others would get called out for. In other words, he insists he’s “just a comedian,” so that he can do whatever he wants… ethics be damned.’

And then he complains about the lack of ethics in the American commentariat.

I’m not accusing him of hypocrisy. I’m accusing him of fueling the same cynicism that he says, when he takes the clown nose off, he’s disgusted with.

lebowitz=comedy channel. Nuff said. Bernie hammered that tool. Rightly so!

Bill Adkins says:
April 21, 2010 at 12:07 pm

Hey, everyone, Bill Adkins whose hero is Bill Ayers has arrived- Bill thinks Ayers set the bombs to blow out windows!

LOL

He pushes his opinion using “comedy””

No, his 32 writers WRITE his opinion.

Heaven must be missing an angel….

And good thing, Munch, that Glenn Beck, Hannity, O’Reilly, an company don’t employ writers. Not one of them! You’re a national treasure, friend.

Glenn Beck, Hannity, O’Reilly,

LOL

They write there own stuff, troll! Where do their shows list writers in the credits like Stewart’s does?

How many angels can dance on your head?

Ha. Can I take this one, fellas??? This is too easy.

I know you’re not hip to the world of television/radio (or if you’re simply being an idiot for being the sake of being an idiot), but all these shows have writers. In fact (I hate myself for knowing this) but Beck has a HEAD WRITER names Stu AND he posted an add to find another writer to join his “team”…

http://gawker.com/5253393/glenn-beck-lord-of-the-stupid-trolling-craigslist-for-a-writer

You made my day, Munch. LOLZ!!!

Its OK now Jon, you got your big raise, you can go back to being irrelevant as the King of Comedy on Comedy Central. Wow! such genius!

This whole topic is funny. Stewart has no viewers except the left-wing press and ignorant college students.
I have NEVER watched his show. I only get to see clips when O’Reilly plans them.
Stewart thinks he is Mort Saul but he is just another Dice Clay. Where is Clay today? I think he lives with Bill Adkins.

tjl – not his TV show, cretin!

Well, since Blower has never seen it, Stewart’s show must me irrelevant.

Munch, you are adorable. Precious, to say the least. Feel free to frame the argument as you see fit. However neatly it fits into your tea bagger world. Smooches!

Riiiiiight Repugs… you keep telling yourself that nobody watches fox. I’ll ksit back and watch Obama dominate young adults again in 2012. Hell what do I know senior citizens live forever right? Stewart destroyed the hypocritical communication arm of the republican party last night. AKA FOX NEWS. The right has no answer to this. Kelsey Gramer The “right Network”? What you idiots don’t understand is that the liberal Hollywood people you hate are artist first and yes some it’s politics first but most of the time it’s money and art. So they make the art, you don’t like what it says so it must be liberal biases. Repugs start off trying to make Right wing agenda driven art, organizations and in this case a news outlet. You’ll never win at this because it isn’t in your genes. Go back to smearing, it’s what you do best…

Riiiiiight Repugs… you keep telling yourself that nobody watches STEWART {Insert In Previous Post}

Poor tjl, some day you will learn the difference between a radio and TV program, but , hey, if ignorance is bliss, you must be the happiest person alive.

I don’t know what makes you so stupid, but it really works!

Haha. You are making my day! Me and my elitist friends get a kick out of ignorance!

You claimed that Stewart had writers who form his opinion for him. No where did you mention TV or radio specific. But what’s that matter. You are the king!

“I don’t know what makes you so stupid, but it really works” HAHA! Is that a sentence? Care for me to send you some papers on sentence structure, or is education not your thing?

I am the happiest person alive! I have no cares in the world! Thanks to people like you, of course… smooches again!

You claimed that Stewart had writers who form his opinion for him. No where did you mention TV or radio specific. ”

Sorry, tjl, Stewart’s program is a TV show- ya lose!

And yes, poor boy,“I don’t know what makes you so stupid, but it really works.” is a sentence.

So now you don’t understand English?

LMAO!

I never knew Bernie Goldberg was the face of Fox News.

Too cute for words! Thanks for the good laugh today! I don’t know people like you, so this was fun!

“ya lose!” Wonderful! We should do this more often.

I don’t understand primitive “English” — I’m an educated man. Thanks again!

Wait, how do I do this…. LMAO! … did I do that right?

tgl, next time , learn the difference between radio and TV commentary programs, child.

“I’m an educated man.” Really, please show evidence of that next time!

ROTFLMAO!

I don’t know people like you, so this was fun! ”

Yeah, people who have money!

LMAO again!

Right cause saying that Beck and company don’t have writers you meant specifically for their tv program — though you didn’t need to say that.

People with money? (what does ROTFLAMO mean, by the way… seriously… I guess my only defense is that I’m not a child, so I don’t speak “Internet”). People with money don’t declare on message boards that they have money. Trust me. It’s only those who feel so insignificant that they need to make that “known.” I don’t buy it. You don’t strike me as an educated man. But that’s just my opinion — and I have to say I’m pretty good when it comes to pointing your type out. You know, those with dinosaur avatars! So money!

I love the caps lock thing! You really are like no one I know — and by that, sweetie, I don’t mean people with money. I mean the uneducated class with pie-in-the-sky cap-locked “insults.” LMAO! I feel so primitive! Thanks pal. I mean, THANKS PAL ROIKLSFGJLMAO!!! I feel so alive!!

I love Jon Stewart lol.
But he has a point, he never claims to be fair and balanced. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he and Stephen Colbert go after liberals too. Check out Colbert’s interview with Ford Jr., aka King Flip-Flop. And yes, there are commedians, etc. who interview presidents. President Obama has been on late night shows where there are comedians, he was also interviewed by Will Smith. Comedians are in fact social commentators, like it or not, they get their material from real life. Gordonbloyer also gets stewart’s audience wrong, his following’s median age is 35, 54% of which score in the high knowledge range, larger then O’Reilly’s. That was as of 2007, and his viewership has increased even more since then, averaging about 2 million viewers per night at this point, and over 3 million during the election, even beating O’Reilly at some points. Furthermore, with the accusations of bias, according to polls, he is considered the most trusted “news caster” by 44% of people, the closest one to him had 15% and it wasn’t Bill O’reilly.

Gee, Colby, wasn’t it just yesterday that you wrote…

And something tells me that Jon Stewart will realize that Goldberg is benefiting far more from this tete a tete than he (or logic or reason for that matter), so we shouldn’t be surprised if Stewart doesn’t retaliate to this latest salvo. But we can dream.

My response was:

Scuse me? More people watch Goldberg when he appears on O’Reilly Factor than watch Stewart. You know that.

Surpriiiise! Well, surprise to you, Colby. Not to me.

I found it really interesting that you mentioned Goldberg’s mea culpa on the point of generalizing groups of people (which was, after all, THE POINT of Stewart’s targeting of Goldberg) only as an afterthought, focusing on Bernie’s “fighting words” of suggesting he’s just a safe Jay Leno who is allowed to drop F-bombs.

What was Stewart’s response to Goldberg’s intellectual honesty? The ridiculous notion that a liberal streak is barely detectable in the MSM, and that FNC is an overreaction (followed by more F-bombs, natch).

People with money? (what does ROTFLAMO mean, by the way… seriously… I guess my only defense is that I’m not a child, so I don’t speak “Internet”). ”

ROTFLMAO- you are a dense one.

mean the uneducated class with pie-in-the-sky cap-locked “insults.” LMAO! I feel so primitive! Thanks pal. I mean, THANKS PAL ROIKLSFGJLMAO!!! I feel so alive”

LMAO

How many fries did ya sell today?

BTW, t, you didn’t need to go to Craig s list to see Beck uses writers for his radio show; it’s right on his site!

BTW, which writers does O’Reilly use for his radio show?

Oh, that’s right, he doesn’t HAVE a radio show.

I am so happy to educate such a blooter like yourself.

This little tiff is unlikely to do much beyond generate publicity and boost ratings of both Fox and CC. I like Jon Stewart, and think he is rather funny, but sorry Jon, I’m not going to stop watching Fox just because you say so.

Fox News Rocks! And poor Jon Stewart can go eff himself. Loser!

Jon Stewart, once again proving himself to be an intellectual coward.

O’Reilly used to have a radio show. O’Reilly now has the most watched program on cable TV. What does Jon Stewart have? An absence of ratings, that’s what! He’s anangry little punk who wants so badly to be somebody…but he never will make it.

Fox should just run this clip on a loop, as that is what ANY story they report on sounds like post Obama victory to most thinking Americans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COJzR-U1sr0

Ignorant college students? Ignorant how? Lacking in experience is not ignorance, lacking in knowledge is. Just because you lack one doesn’t mean you lack the other. That and college students are making an effort to gain knowledge, so that would cancel out your claim that they are ignorant as it takes knowledge to attend college. Your comment’s ignorant.

IGNORANT COLLEGE STUDENTS? WHO IS THIS DINOSAUR?

gordonbloyershow says:
April 21, 2010 at 1:45 pm
This whole topic is funny. Stewart has no viewers except the left-wing press and ignorant college students.
I have NEVER watched his show. I only get to see clips when O’Reilly plans them.
Stewart thinks he is Mort Saul but he is just another Dice Clay. Where is Clay today? I think he lives with Bill Adkins.

The people that are ignorant are the ones that don’t realize Rupert Murdoch exploits a conservative niche for profit. He publicly admits to having created a “news” source to combat the “liberal” media for money. I will attest there is a “progressive” side of the news, but this is because they HAVE TO in order to keep a youthful audience. Fox “News” is a deliberate attempt to capture young bigots, middle-aged uneducated people, and older antiquated white peoples’ attention. Duh.