In the big scheme of things what Jon Stewart says about me or what I say about him doesn’t amount to much. It doesn’t really amount to much in the small scheme of things, either. But this is the United States of Entertainment, after all, so here goes.
The other night Jon Stewart played a few clips of Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and me, condemning the Left for tarring Tea Party protestors as a bunch of racists, because of what a few people might or might not have said at a rally in Washington.
Stewart said he agreed with us. Generalizing like that, he said, was wrong. Then he fired the heavy artillery. He ran a montage of Fox News commentators making broad generalizations about liberals, including one of me saying that Democrats and liberals think people who live in the middle of the country are a bunch of jerks.
Get it? We’re condemning generalizations then what do we do? We generalize about liberals, proving that we’re nothing more than a bunch of right-wing hypocrites.
End of story? Not quite.
O’Reilly asked me to go on his show and tell his audience what I thought about Stewart’s take. What follows is a transcript of what I said:
“I am pleading guilty. And that’s a sincere plea of guilty. I said that liberals think people who live in the middle of the country are a bunch of jerks, and obviously all liberals don’t think that. But I will tell you what, an awful lot of liberal elites think that. I worked with these liberal elites for 28 years at CBS News, and they were always throwing around the term white trash, by which they meant poor southerners who didn’t go to Harvard. I’m not sure why that makes them trash. As far as the middle of the country is concerned, you know, this was flyover country where people flew the flag on the Fourth of July and went bowling and ate at Red Lobster. You know, they were a bunch of hicks. But even all liberal elites don’t think that. So I am saying I was wrong, Jon Stewart is right.”
That’s not something you hear on cable television very often. A commentator saying, I was wrong. But that wasn’t the end of the story, either. I then went on to make another point, looking straight into the camera.
“But let me speak directly to Jon Stewart for just a few of seconds, because I know he watches. He is a big fan of the show. And Jon, if you have an ounce of introspection, you may want to take this seriously. If you just want to be a funny man, who talks to an audience that will laugh at anything you say, that’s okay with me, no problem. But if clearly you want to be a social commentator, more than just a comedian and if you want to be a good one, you better find some guts because even though you criticize liberals as well as conservatives, congratulations on that, when you had Frank Rich on your show, who generalizes all the time about conservatives and Republicans being bigots, you didn’t ask him a single tough question. You gave him a lap dance. You practically had your tongue down his throat. And how about those black columnists who play the race card and generalize about Tea Party people being racists? Why don’t you go after them by name and do it with the same passion and gusto that you use when you are going after Fox people? And how about Bill Maher? Bill Maher generalizes about people who go to church being a bunch of dopes. Is there some rule that says a comic can’t go after another comic?
“Here is my final word, Jon, you can do whatever you want. But if you don’t do that [take on your fellow liberals – with gusto!] guess what? You are not nearly as edgy as you think you are. You are just a safe, Jay Leno with a much smaller audience, but you get to say the f-bomb, which gives your incredibly unsophisticated audience the illusion — the illusion — that you’re courageous and that you’re a renegade. But it’s only an illusion.”
No, there’s no big message here. No great moral of the story. Slandering the tea partiers as racists is still wrong. And implying that all liberals think Middle Americans are dopes is wrong too. But you know what, it’s not nearly as wrong — because, as I said on O’Reilly’s show, way too many liberal elites look down their noses at “ordinary” Americans. So here’s one more generalization Jon Stewart won’t like: Liberal elites think they’re not only smarter and more sophisticated than the kind of Americans who live in Kansas or Mississippi and like to bowl or eat at Red Lobster – they think they’re … better! And if you don’t believe me, just ask those libs. They’ll tell you how wonderful they are.
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Joshua says:
April 21, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Listen, I’m conservative and proud of it. The majority of youth throughout history tend to favor Liberalism and a world they feel “ought” to be. If the world currently favors you and your own then wouldn’t you also want to keep it that way, hence CONSERVE things the way they are! That’s why I’m a conservative! DUH! What’s worse is that the youth of today, as well as Liberals in general, have people like Jon Stewart on a soap box telling them how to think critically, which is never good for people trying to conserve societal norms. It’s good to know that the youth are easily distracted with consumerism today and will never group together again the way they did in the 60’s, thank God for that, could you imagine how many things they’d really want to change if they did, LOL.
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Claudia says:
April 21, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Joshua,
So true….however, a thought to ponder…where are those 60’s folks now? Most of us have become part of the Establishment we wanted to change…so did we enact the change we wanted in 1968? History is still sorting that out….
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Lunchbreak says:
April 21, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Yes! Progressiveness is a cancer in the brain! Women shouldn’t vote! Blacks should be slaves! … wait a sec …
Reply
o
Joshua says:
April 21, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Claudia/Lunchbreak,
The Liberal Activist Youth of the 60’s changed many things in the good ol’ US of A from education and laws to entertainment and American culture in general. Look, I’m not stupid nor am I ignorant enough to think that the changes involving social justice were happily handed down to them, shoot, many of these activists were jailed or killed for their activism.
Yes we have become the Establishment, we’re the Good ol’ Boys now, it’s a practical matter of “if we can’t beat em’, join em’”. Yes some issues of the 60’s we’re conceded but only the issues that drew mass activism.
We’re lucky to know that today, the activism of the 60’s will NEVER be repeated, sure the LIBERALS have “Cyber Activists” who may make a vulgar comment on a message board, but do these “Cyber Activists” shut their laptops and actually march in the streets and demand change for their perceived injustice? Do they even vote in a percentage that matters? The answer is no, they do not and will not, but they are quick to leave “COMMENTS”, LOL, because it’s convenient and all they have to do is “pause” the XBOX for a moment to do so. This is simply the reality of our world today and the youth are too cozy with consumerism to really do anything about it. This is the AGE OF CONSERVATISM : )
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George, may I inquire as to your age? The only reason I ask is this is the kind of stuff I hear from teenagers trying to act tough, but hides behind mommy when the going gets rough.
Claudia/Lunchbreak,
The Liberal Activist Youth of the 60’s changed many things in the good ol’ US of A from education and laws to entertainment and American culture in general. Look, I’m not stupid nor am I ignorant enough to think that the changes involving social justice were happily handed down to them, shoot, many of these activists were jailed or killed for their activism.
Yes we have become the Establishment, we’re the Good ol’ Boys now, it’s a practical matter of “if we can’t beat em’, join em’”. Yes some issues of the 60’s we’re conceded but only the issues that drew mass activism.
We’re lucky to know that today, the activism of the 60’s will NEVER be repeated, sure the LIBERALS have “Cyber Activists” who may make a vulgar comment on a message board, but do these “Cyber Activists” shut their laptops and actually march in the streets and demand change for their perceived injustice? Do they even vote in a percentage that matters? The answer is no, they do not and will not, but they are quick to leave “COMMENTS”, LOL, because it’s convenient and all they have to do is “pause” the XBOX for a moment to do so. This is simply the reality of our world today and the youth are too cozy with consumerism to really do anything about it. This is the AGE OF CONSERVATISM : )
Dear Mr. Goldberg,
I am a good christian woman that lives in Ennis, Texas and follows The Reilly factor daily. I saw the segment about the back and forth with yourself and Jon Stewart. I’m sorry that you have to go through this nonsense. Mr. Stewart really crossed the line with the show, in particular staff dressed in choir outfits spewing such fowl language. This is not acceptable for anyone…. not even comedian’s. I have already written my opinion to Mr. Stewart. Somehow, I don’t think he cares.
Sincerely,
Martha Trees
I am a viewer of the Daily Show and I was offended by your comments about the type of people who do watch it.
You were offended by the truth?
Hang in there Bernie, when you are right you can go a long way.
And you are RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Bernie, I’m going to say something I’ve never said to anyone, “Go F–k Yourself.” You just insulted me and my family and you don’t even know us. We watch The Daily Show because it is funny. If you don’t think its funny then you’re obviously not very sophisticated. Vado futuō, vestri!
Anonymous (who hides his real name) early talks about hypocracy, and now post one of the most unsophisticated insulting immature comments I’ve read. Definately has planks in his eyes and can’t see his own hate and hypocracy.
Jimmy-Those little red squiggly lines means you are making up words.
Jon Stewart is moron
It seems that the teacher that taught you to write complete sentences is a far larger moron. Go back to school and please do not reproduce.
Nothing more needs to be said he is a smuck.
That would ‘schmuck’ sophisticated Fox viewer.
And Iron Eagle is a PUTZ, a schmo or a shmo. His choice. Since Bernie’s a Yid, he’ll understand.
If you think so my Communist friend,
At least I can think for myself James.
The Daily Show is a comedy show on a comedy network. Get it? It’s not news, unlike Fox it does not pretend to be news.
Unlike Bernie and Bill O, Jon doesn’t pretend to be ‘fair and balanced.’ It’s called satire. I don’t watch the Daily Show to get my news. Like Fox News, I watch Comedy Central purely for entertainment value, but at least Stewart is trying to be funny.
I laugh with him and at Fox. I would gladly debate any Fox News viewer on political issues of the day.
Nobody wants to hear America is bad 24/7 and want the truth that is why FOX is on top right now. You got that Pete!
So what you’re saying is that you tune into the Murdoch Comedy Network for daily dose of positive propaganda…?
There’s an old sayin’, perhaps you’ve heard it…”Just ’cause a million files buzz around a dung heap don’t mean you gotta eat it…”
Im a fox viewer and don’t watch MSNBC, lets go if you want to debut
James I believe Pete gets his info from keith Olbersmuck, madcow and matthews is my guess…. not saying much
What are you debuting James?
Iron Eagle-Clearly you are among the ‘sophisticated’ Fox viewers. I get my news from about 30 sources throughout the day.
Pete, I don’t just watch FOX myself but I now when to weed out the B.S. shows like the daily show which is pure crap.
Its a comedy show, not news. Fox is too, of course, but it sells itself as the real thing, unlike TDS.
Ok, I give you choice pick a topic Pete.
I’m debuting my new screenplay next week.
Your move Jimmy.
Ha, debut. Solid.
Bernie,
The reason the negative remarks toward you have become “vulgar and insulting” is quite simple. We have nothing left for you except utter contempt. Stewart doesn’t pretend to be anything more than he is, a comic who lampoons the so called “fair & balanced” cable media, hypocritical conservative politicians and the sycophants who eat your garbage up with a spoon.
Is the mainstream media fair? No. Is Fox fair. What, are you kidding? But Comedy Central doesn’t pretend to be part of mainstream media, let alone professional journalism. Apparently neither are any of you and I think that’s what is upsetting you when you’re attacked. They’re blowing your cover! Perhaps you folks on Fox would be better served to give up the charade and let everyone else in on the gag. Nah, that might hurt your ratings with your sophisticated viewership. They probably wouldn’t take too kindly to you admitting they’ve been duped by The Murdoch Comedy Network all these years.
I love how you call the Stewart audience “unsophisticated”. That is rude, you are talking to people who just want to get a laugh about whats going on in our country. I’m not going to go to your low level tactics but you want to talk about who is “unsophisticated”. I’m pretty sure it’s not John Stewart who justs makes people laugh, I don’t know why you have a problem with him expressing his political views on television because that should be in your job title. So, I speak for millions of Americans who watch John Stewart, your comments were rude and offensive.
Bill O’Reilly is moron with an audience of drones who believe his propaganda.
I least they can think for themselves Pete
What a pity they choose not to, James.
To say that Stewart’s fan crawl out of the sewers is absolutely absurd. I have never been in a sewer and I have never had anything negative to say to you until now; I believe you are both insulting and uneducated. Stewart hosts a comedy show on a comedy network, you however supposedly host news on a news network. Thank you for proving that Fox News is hardly news at all.
Jon Stewart is moron with an audience of drones who believe his propaganda.
1-Liberals live in Middle America too.
2-Stewart schooled you.
PS-OT (Torah) God says eating a Red Lobster is a sin and an abomination.
You call that foul mouth pre-school act schooling someone?
Yes I do. (And did).
Hey Bernie, if you can’t take a joke, stay off the air. You can dish it out, but you can’t take it. If you’re concerned about broadcasters being biased, you show it in a strange way by being on Fixed News. At any time of the day, there is a story on Fixed News about how President Obama and the Democratic Congress are destroying America. However, Fixed News never points out that the people of the nation voted to put Obama and the Democrats in control of Congress. I’m still waiting for Fixed News to broadcast a story that since Obama was elected the Dow is up 3,000 points. While W was in office it plunged. Maybe if you grow a pair you can point that out the next time your handlers let you on the air.
Individuals who watch Jon’s show do not have a propensity for being unsophisticated. As someone with a PhD, MA, BA and three minors, I find it funny to be called out as “stupid” for watching Jon’s show. Also, isn’t it interesting that Jon was recently ranked as the most trusted news anchor in America. That’s a big kudos to someone who’s not even in the news business.
Ayup. He rips on Obama for breaking his campaign promise, on all media outlets for their general incompetence, and on Fox News for being outright spinsters rather than journalists… I love his show, as a registered independent. Humor is universal.
Well done Bernie. Whenever your foe resorts to cursing, you win the argument.
Stewart does not have the ammunition to debate your points, nor do most liberals; because they are facts, so he resorts to cursing.
Thanks for saying it straight and forward. Keep up the good work.
Korey
Montana
Can’t we all just get along?
Hi Bernie- you just don’t get it. We don’t expect you to get it and that’s ok, my dear old friend.
i have no problem with you critising sterwat but to insult his viewers like you did was wrong .am one of those viewers and i can asure you am not a pot head . i like sterwat not because he is a liberal though he is, but because he shows the stupidity that is cable knews granted he targets fox knews more ,but that is because unlike cnn and cmnbc that still pretend to be serious news org , fox has completely abandoned all pretense.
What are you? Six years old? I bet somebody saying “neener neener” or “pants on fire” insults you too! Try growing up for a change!
Listen, I’m conservative and proud of it. The majority of youth throughout history tend to favor Liberalism and a world they feel “ought” to be. If the world currently favors you and your own then wouldn’t you also want to keep it that way, hence CONSERVE things the way they are! That’s why I’m a conservative! DUH! What’s worse is that the youth of today, as well as Liberals in general, have people like Jon Stewart on a soap box telling them how to think critically, which is never good for people trying to conserve societal norms. It’s good to know that the youth are easily distracted with consumerism today and will never group together again the way they did in the 60′s, thank God for that, could you imagine how many things they’d really want to change if they did, LOL.
Joshua,
So true….however, a thought to ponder…where are those 60′s folks now? Most of us have become part of the Establishment we wanted to change…so did we enact the change we wanted in 1968? History is still sorting that out….
Yes! Progressiveness is a cancer in the brain! Women shouldn’t vote! Blacks should be slaves! … wait a sec …
Claudia/Lunchbreak,
The Liberal Activist Youth of the 60′s changed many things in the good ol’ US of A from education and laws to entertainment and American culture in general. Look, I’m not stupid nor am I ignorant enough to think that the changes involving social justice were happily handed down to them, shoot, many of these activists were jailed or killed for their activism.
Yes we have become the Establishment, we’re the Good ol’ Boys now, it’s a practical matter of “if we can’t beat em’, join em’”. Yes some issues of the 60′s we’re conceded but only the issues that drew mass activism.
We’re lucky to know that today, the activism of the 60′s will NEVER be repeated, sure the LIBERALS have “Cyber Activists” who may make a vulgar comment on a message board, but do these “Cyber Activists” shut their laptops and actually march in the streets and demand change for their perceived injustice? Do they even vote in a percentage that matters? The answer is no, they do not and will not, but they are quick to leave “COMMENTS”, LOL, because it’s convenient and all they have to do is “pause” the XBOX for a moment to do so. This is simply the reality of our world today and the youth are too cozy with consumerism to really do anything about it. This is the AGE OF CONSERVATISM : )
I hate to utilize the age card in reverse as I’m roughly in the middle, but … dude, really, how do you disregard “Cyber Activists” after the last election?
http://techcrunch.com/2008/02/04/obama-sets-record-with-january-donations-online-donations-88-of-total/
Bernie, you are doing a great job. These idiots wanted change, now we have it. Hard working people are loosing their homes, people getting laid off. Yea, he was the change we needed.
You go Bernie!!!!!
What article did you read again?
The same one everybody in this country read. Another Lefty missing the point. Jon Stewart sits there every night and wants people to think that Fox News never tells the truth. Give me a break. I went from making 200k to 100k and he thinks thats funny. Does he really think that Obama is leading this country in the right direction. Jon Stewart is a fool and a joke. At least he is on the right channel.
I think you are the one missing the point, my fine fellow.
He has never stated that Fox News lies to people. He has stated that they are hypocrites and biased against liberals. Where has he stated going from 200k to 100k was funny?
The rest was pure opinion.
o boo friggin hoo ur making less money, go cry to somone who cares u bit*h
Try watching the Daily show before making idiotic assumptions. I’ve seen Stewart take just as many rips at Obama that he has at fox. Has the Daily show supported Obama before? Sure, when Obama gets something right… has the Daily show insulted Obama before? Of course, whenever Obama screws up (which just happens to be more often). I have also never heard Stewart make a joke about unemployment unless its ripping on people saying it “isn’t a problem” or “its getting better!” nor has he ever said everything fox says is a lie. Hell, if you watched the Daily show ever, the first thing he said was “ok, fox has this right, people should NOT make generalizations about the tea parties based on their most extreme members”. Anyway, before you start making generalized assumptions… do a bit of research on what you’re making assumptions about. Otherwise you make yourself look like an uninformed idiot that has no idea what he’s talking about. Kthnxbye.
I will bet everyone of you are still living home with Momma or your girlfriend is paying the bills or boyfriend. Oh Sorry, i am suppose to Share the Wealth with you Shawn. Why dont you watch Fox Brian, you might change your mind about it. This is my first time on here and now I see why I dont get on here. But, again he is on the Comedy Channel and that is where you boys belong. TOO FUNNY!!
I didn’t see anything challenging what he or I said.
So I guess you must agree to our counterpoints. Checkmate, pal.
Again, thanks for making assumptions. I live on my own paying my own bills, but go ahead and make yourself look even more uninformed and irrelevant. And where did i give you any opinions about fox? I was merely defending the weak arguments against Jon, never did i say anything bad about fox. I quoted Jon making insults for the purpose of shooting down your weak arguments, but i didnt’ say anything. Do i typically watch fox news? No i don’t, but thats why i don’t make myself look like an uninformed tool by making idiotic assumptions about it. Again big rip, i’m not asking for you to come up with hard facts and figures, but try not to make assumptions based on your own personal bias if you want your opinion to be taken seriously. If you are representing fox news… then i think you are definitly making them look horrible.
George W Bush is the reason your income went from 200k to 100k. You should thank Obama for preventing it from going to 0k.
Here we go again. Blame Bush. Colbert you are a Idiot also. How is the President now? This country is going to let everyone know come November. Get ready. Some people are going to have to go back to work!!!! Instead of me paying for it.
Implying now that now you are the only one that works.
Social commentary through comedy has been around much longer than Bernie Goldberg. Does anyone remember George Carlin? What about political cartoons? It just goes with the territory. Bernie is either really bad at what he does or he is simply blinded by FOX News.
But it’s not just “social commentary”. Stewart routinely drops the “comedy hat” to throw out personal insults at individuals. When he does that, he should be fair game to receive criticism. Should he not?
Yes. Yes he does.
But maybe more planned and intelligible than the knee-jerk retaliatory we all saw on the media.
Educate yourself. Google “Jester”. Read.
Jon receives criticism just fine… defending yourself =/= saying “DON’T MAKE FUN OF ME!” Its just like somebody earlier said, when you receive criticism you have 2 choices… ignore it or reply. Jon chose the “reply” route. Nobody is saying they aren’t allowed to criticise stewart… just that if they are going to do it… dont’ do it about being fair and balanced when he has no obligation to do it. Also, the “i’m a comedian” defense was in retaliation to bernie saying something along the lines of “if you are going to be a comedian, then be a comedian, if you are going to do political satire… then do political satire” and stewart saying “i’m a comedian… i do satire THROUGH comedy”. Stewart does satire through comedy because he’s a comedian… His defense wasn’t that he’s a comedian so therefore he is innocent, its that bernie was trying to retaliate against jon for not being fair and balanced when thats fox’s tagline, not stewarts.
Basically what stewart is saying is… he’s a comedian, he’s not obligated to be fair and balanced. If you want to retaliate against stewart… dont’ start ripping on the fact that he isn’t being fair and balanced or that he’s trying to do comedy… he isn’t OBLIGATED to be fair and balanced, and he is a COMEDIAN… his job IS comedy. He does his comedy through political satire. If you are going to try to rip on stewart, atleast find a legitimate thing to rip on him for.
Bernie…
Here is how this educator with 36 years of experience handles the F Bomb.
“Thank You for wishing me so much pleasure! I haven’t thought about that in ages!”
The offending student is shocked long enough to shut up and be sent up to the office, those that got it are roaring in the aisles, those that didn’t get it remind one that there are still ‘innocents’ in the world.
Now the next time Jon Stewart drops the F Bomb— use my line. What’s his come back? He certainly is not wishing FNC or Bernie Goldberg pleasure….
Claudia Kerens
Sparta, Illinois
What kind of school are you teaching where that shocks students?
Justin,
Students never think teachers have a come back for their need to shock and awe…
Jon Stewart is an immature Idiot!!!!
Now that it’s settled, I can go back to protesting against gay marriage.
You don’t think Stewart looked a bit emotional in his rebuttal? I think Bernie really hurt his feelings. Poor guy.
Comedy Central. Fox News. One claims to be a comedy-based entertainment channel and one claims to be news. Why are the news reporters inserting themselves into the news? I visited this site for the first time as a result of the news and see a big photo of Jon Stewart alongside images of Bernie on Fox News (and only Fox news); it appears to me that the only way Bernie can get on other networks is by calling out a comedian for using an obscenity. If Stewart is just a soft Jay Leno with an unsophisticated audience why do Fox News or Bernie even care what he says? I’m guessing this is the most hits that this website has seen in a long time. Additionally, why does Bernie say that this fight is over, he’s cool with Stewart and then Tweet, “Tune in to O’Reilly tonight” and hear me try to get the last word in this fight. Finally, Bernie Goldberg admits to being a right wing hypocrite – that should be the headline, not this fake slap fight. Bernie Goldberg, who has made a career of slamming the media elite as liberals now admits to being to being the same thing, only for a different cause. Ouch.
Danny, you are part of the problem and not the solution. You are an uneducated buffoon and you the typical Stewart fan who is a bottom feeding Liberal who wants everything handed to them.
Or is part of the problem looking down upon others with elitist snobbery rather than being constructive?
I don’t know. The lines blur sometimes.