The Daily Show: Insightful Commentary or Lowering the Standard

[TheBig3]

I'm wondering what your opinion of the Daily Show is. I happen to enjoy the show but I'm wondering if its corrupted the national dialouge.

I feel as though thoughtful exchanges has decresed while snarky one-liners that are more obviously clever, than funny have increased. I think its become harder to have a debate of ideas with most folks more interested in getting the zinger in that actually coming to the root of something.

Is the Daily Show to blame? Am I out of line? Has this always been around? Is there another source to point fingers at?

Discuss.

[Freebase Dali]

I fall into the category that's more interested in comedic value than political value when it comes to political shows airing on a comedy channel.
I both agree and disagree with political points being raised on the Daily Show, but I don't really look at the show as any type of source material to fuel my internal fires regarding politics.
It's funny, I laugh, I go on with my life.

[boo boo]

Fox News and MSNBC have been just as guilty of it for just as long, but the difference is they're supposed to be serious journalists.

If you consider The Daily Show your news source, than that's your problem. It's a comedy show, and it's funny. That's all that should matter. God forbid these Stewart and Colbert guys have the nerve to poke fun at the ever so pompous world of politics.

Political satire has always existed, but now overly self serious douchebags are acting like it's total blasphemy.

It's ridiculous.

Stewart and Colbert don't try to be real journalists, but they at least invite intelligent guests onto their programs every now and then, that's more than I can say for anyone else. Like this Mark Levin idiot whom FoxNews are pretty much in love with at the moment.

[TheBig3]

But you wouldn't say that you've experienced a "snarkification" (coined!) of issues?

[lucifer_sam]

i think i got past the stage where i'd consider the Daily Show a legitimate news source in seventh grade. now it's just more of a contest to see how quickly i groan.

[dac]

I used to think Daily Show was funny, then I saw Colbert Report. It's overly liberal though, and never offers any sort of unbiased coverage.

[boo boo]

Originally Posted by dac

I used to think Daily Show was funny, then I saw Colbert Report. It's overly liberal though, and never offers any sort of unbiased coverage.

It's a comedy show.

Since when is comedy ever supposed to be unbiased?

If you're expecting serious journalism from shows that air right alongside a cartoon which features characters like a pot smoking towel and an anthropomorphic piece of fecal matter in a Santa hat, then you have problems you need to deal with.

[Freebase Dali]

Originally Posted by boo boo

It's a comedy show.

Since when is comedy ever supposed to be unbiased?

I summed that all up in my response to the OP.
We need an "I agree" smiley so people can just stop typing things.

[dac]

Originally Posted by boo boo

It's a comedy show.

Since when is comedy ever supposed to be unbiased?

If you're expecting serious journalism from shows that air right alongside a cartoon which features characters like a pot smoking towel and an anthropomorphic piece of fecal matter in a Santa hat, then you have problems you need to deal with.

It's a comedy show with a specific agenda. And the idea of the thread was "Insightful Commentary or Lowering the Standard." I was agreeing with the latter.

[boo boo]

How can you even debate that it's a satire? OF COURSE it's a satire.

Originally Posted by dac

It's a comedy show with a specific agenda. And the idea of the thread was "Insightful Commentary or Lowering the Standard." I was agreeing with the latter.

Comedy is supposed to have a specific agenda, observational and satirical comedy is inherently done from a subjective and simplified point of view, for it to be objective is impossible.

Yes it's geared towards young liberals, but comedy has to be geared towards somebody, it's hard to laugh at something you don't connect with or agree with in any way.

You're demanding way too much from these shows, I mean for crying out loud, I thought all the d*ck jokes made it clear enough that they're not trying to convince anyone they are serious journalists.

You can't blame the creators if people are too stupid and lazy to fact check what they hear. If you're gonna blame the creators for how some idiots end up interpreting their work. Then you should be doing your part in burning books and rock cds. Because that's what this is starting to sound like to me.

And once again. It's a show that pokes fun at the news, it's not trying to BE the news.

It's on Comedy Central, the home of Drawn Together, Mind of Mencia and Blue Collar TV, they're not trying to fool anyone into thinking it's serious politically correct journalism.

If anything, Daily Show has helped me become more politically aware, when they cover a story I'm interested in, I look it up, I check the sources, I do my research. And I'm sure a lot of people do that. If you just let stupid people spoil everything for you, THEY WIN.

Jesus Christ, get a sense of humor and just laugh at what's meant to be laughed at.