Daily Show host blasts media for treating the “most mundane bulls**t” as “Earth-shattering”

Comedian Jon Stewart on Monday launched into a fiery rant aimed at the media coverage of former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial in the latest episode of “The Daily Show.”

Stewart spent a portion of Monday’s segment lambasting media outlets for their coverage of Trump’s criminal trial unfolding in Manhattan, in which prosecutors have alleged that he falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.

“This trial will obviously be a test of the fairness of the American legal system, but it’s also a test of the media’s ability to cover Donald Trump in a responsible way. A task they have acknowledged they’ve performed poorly in the past,” Stewart said before showing a montage of clips from notable outlets like CNN and MSNBC acknowledging that they need to give less obsessive attention to the former president’s every antic.

    • OpenStars@startrek.websiteEnglish
      56·
      7 months ago

      At the same time, his leaving was also a success story in itself. He had all the money he ever needed in life, he was at the top of his game except just was exhausted working that continual grind, and was feeling his age so unlike e.g. any member of Congress, decided to voluntarily relinquish his power in order to create room for new people to step up, while he went on to blaze entirely new pioneer territory outside of mainstream TV, which was quite a risk even for someone like him. Wow… what a class act! 😍

      • ryper@lemmy.caEnglish
        33·
        6 months ago

        And now that he’s back he’s only working Mondays, so he’s got less risk of exhaustion and new people still get the rest of the week.

        • OpenStars@startrek.websiteEnglish
          11·
          6 months ago

          Unfortunately it’s only slated to last until the election results… though this is one time that I hope things do not go as planned!:-P

        • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
          7·
          6 months ago

          Yeah, seems like a win-win. I remember someone joking with Oliver about how he only does it once a week or something. I like the rotating host thing - when they have people that are not just substituting BEING LOUD for being funny or insightful. Having John for one day of the week and letting others take the helm other days is a nice blend.

          Jordan Klepper needs a LOT more air time. He had his own show for like a hot minute and it was great but maybe it just didn’t have the numbers so it didn’t last long.

          Also - where the heck is Samantha Bee and her husband these days?

      • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
        10·
        6 months ago

        Just that the new people that should have stepped up where mere shadows of Jon, unfortunately

        • rigatti@lemmy.worldEnglish
          22·
          6 months ago

          John Oliver stepped up, although not on the Daily Show itself. I’m always excited to have something new ruined for me every week.

          • OpenStars@startrek.websiteEnglish
            2·
            6 months ago

            Afaict he is the last “investigative journalist” left in America, though he is biased himself, yet who else comes close that amount of depth?

            • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
              61·
              6 months ago

              There are loads of investigative journalists they just don’t have the audience size these satirists have.

              Propublica does insane work. PBS Frontline as well. Amanapour. Many stories break from the likes of WaPo as well.

              • OpenStars@startrek.websiteEnglish
                2·
                6 months ago

                Yeah, and CGP Grey, Ian Danskin’s Innuendo Studios, I enjoy the Crash Course series though more classes than topical, and Kurzgesagt is amazing though has their own type of bias.

                But if I want to know something about e.g. Boeing or train derailments or a deep dive into student loans, or something I did not even know that I wanted to know about e.g. the current status of ethical farming wrt chocolate, or food delivery apps, he has it all covered. So it is not only the depth that is fascinating, but the width and breadth of coverage as well (both wrt a single video and moreover the number of those total).

                Unfortunately it mixes in opinion and interpretation directly integrated alongside the delivery of the facts. So it is funny (juvenile), informative (truly!), and overbearing all at once, and seems designed to leave you feeling more informed than you actually are upon watching.:-(

                Still, they offer so very many videos on so very many topics, and I have never seen anything these days that comes close - e.g. their Boeing video describes more in 10 of its 30 minutes than a typical TV “documentary” these days (at least, of the type my mother watches), and then it goes on to cover essentially what a full length feature film documentary would cover, all in something digestible while eating a lunch (or two). And I respect that so much - that takes effort and skill that is hard to match.

            • OpenStars@startrek.websiteEnglish
              6·
              6 months ago

              Trevor’s standup specials are all really good, both before and after he came to America. He has a strong act, talking about his personal life and responses to that.

              But he wasn’t as good a fit in a team environment talking about mainstream American matters, except ironically when the show was “over” for the day and he talked more in his personal voice again. I strongly hope to see him land somewhere else where I can enjoy him again - I’d definitely keep following his comedy specials.

              Though nothing compares to Jon Stewart being back in the saddle again!!! 🎉 🤩

    • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
      213·
      6 months ago

      I lost respect for him when he took Apple’s money, it’s no secret what kind of company Apple is. I wasn’t surprised when they took China’s side over John Stewart, I’m surprised Stewart didn’t see it coming. Work for one of the most evil corporations, expect evil shit.

      Edit: instead of downvoting, use your words