Less than two weeks ago, Jon Stewart absolutely ripped apart his interview subject, Bernard Goldberg, for writing a book about the people ruining America and including too many trivial targets such as entertainers and celebrities rather than politicians and people in actual positions of power. Tonight, Stewart had one of these people who are in a true position of power and who is actually doing ill to America. Regretably, he gave Santorum a free pass on everything. He allowed himself to be on the defensive, backed off of any point he attempted to make, and let Santorum interrupt at every turn.
The one moment of the interview which stands out as representative of the entire segment was when Santorum said that a mother, a father, and children are absolutely required to have a family over and over again, Jon Stewart seemed to do his best impersonation of Milton from "Office Space" and mumbled "I...I come from a...a one parent home..."
Stewart has had this problem before with politicians. He consistantly makes fun of the White House press briefings during which the journalists make no attempt at actual journalism, and then when he has a politican on he does the same. Now, granted, he is not a journalist and doesn't claim to be one. However, when he goes out and attacks a guest who is just writing a book about which nobody will care and then 12 days later lets a politician who is promoting his book completely control the flow of the interview, it is rather disappointing.
He did the same thing when John Kerry was on the show last year. He sat in the back of his chair and made a half-assed joke about whatever insignificant point was made, and then let Kerry direct everything.
I enjoy the Daily Show, and to hope for it to give anything other than simple entertainment is likely a mistake. But Jon Stewart has made a living out of calling politicians for their bullshit, and he just won't when he meets one face to face.
This was far too long-winded and I didn't really make any points, but I typed it up already so fuck it. I live in PA and feel particularly disgusted with just about everything Santorum does, and would have liked to see him actually confronted on something, anything.
The one moment of the interview which stands out as representative of the entire segment was when Santorum said that a mother, a father, and children are absolutely required to have a family over and over again, Jon Stewart seemed to do his best impersonation of Milton from "Office Space" and mumbled "I...I come from a...a one parent home..."
Stewart has had this problem before with politicians. He consistantly makes fun of the White House press briefings during which the journalists make no attempt at actual journalism, and then when he has a politican on he does the same. Now, granted, he is not a journalist and doesn't claim to be one. However, when he goes out and attacks a guest who is just writing a book about which nobody will care and then 12 days later lets a politician who is promoting his book completely control the flow of the interview, it is rather disappointing.
He did the same thing when John Kerry was on the show last year. He sat in the back of his chair and made a half-assed joke about whatever insignificant point was made, and then let Kerry direct everything.
I enjoy the Daily Show, and to hope for it to give anything other than simple entertainment is likely a mistake. But Jon Stewart has made a living out of calling politicians for their bullshit, and he just won't when he meets one face to face.
This was far too long-winded and I didn't really make any points, but I typed it up already so fuck it. I live in PA and feel particularly disgusted with just about everything Santorum does, and would have liked to see him actually confronted on something, anything.
Daily show global edition.