Jon Stewart and the team at “The Daily Show” are never better than when they’re mocking the moronic programming on 24-hour news channels. The show has taken a sledgehammer to all of the networks, from the mindless rabble-rousing on “Fox and Friends,” to whatever the hell MSNBC is doing with their schedule (“Tonight on MSNBC, a hard-hitting report by Rachel Maddow on our unsafe, overcrowded prison system. Then at 11 on ‘Lockdown: Violence Prison,’ someone gets shivved! MAYBE IN THE FACE!”). But last night they took it to a new level in a takedown of CNN’s new morning show “Early Start” — specifically, an idiotic segment where the hosts try to prank call celebrities at 5 a.m.
There’s not much I can add to this that isn’t articulated better in the clip. The whole thing is just so awkward and terrible and fantastic. I know Stewart can rub some people wrong way sometimes, but he’s doing the Lord’s work here. A segment this dumb (on a NEWS NETWORK) deserves to be mocked in the harshest manner possible, if only because you can’t physically grab a television show by the collar and scream right into its face like it’s an unruly drunk. Something to work on, scientists.
via Jimmy Traina
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The Daily Show has taken it to a new level approximately 73 times.
What the hell happened to Ashley Banfield? Who did she stop sleeping with?
Remember when she made her big splash? Was it the 2000 recount? Loved her.
I thought she was dead or retired until I saw this clip. This is the sadder of the 3 options.
The worst thing to happen to our political climate in the past 20 years was 24 hour news channels. When you have to report on something 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you either get idiotic programming (like this) or pandering reports to gin up fear/ratings. I never remember Cronkite calling LBJ a dirty commie Nazi.
The amazing thing is that they have all the time in the world, and yet don’t do a fucking thing with it.
They could have in-depth reporting, they could explore the ins and outs of actual policy matters that impact their viewers’ lives. I loved it during the health care debate when CNN continually had stories about how people weren’t really sure what was in the health care bill, so all these crazy rumors were floating around about it.
Imagine that. If only we had some sort of news channel out there that could report on the facts of the matter.
Or in other words, the cable news networks are like a phone book sized edition of Us Weekly. Sure, we could’ve used all that space to write a masterpiece novel, but instead, here’s forty stories about the Kardashians and Today’s Missing Pretty White Girl.
Didn’t they technically just impersonate a federal agent (a federal crime that can get you three years in prison) live on television?
This is why I now only get my News from blogs that Photoshop dogs into their headline images.
“Hey, when your father was brutally murdered in the prime of his life, did you BABA BOOEY BABA BOOEY HOWARD STERN’S PENIS!”
I wonder when the studio heads are going to realize that a 24 hour news network isn’t sustainable and finally decide to reformat? I’m guessing 5 years too late.
Jjjjjeeesus, CNN.
All they need a a couple of wacky morning dj names.
Crazy Ira and The Douche.
El Chupacabra and The Baby
Oops, that was supposed to be in response to UU.
Jon Stewart is making his absolute best “Jon Stewart” face right there. It edges out the “squinted eyes, questioning smirk” look he does when interviewed by news magazines.
There is a simple fix for CNN’s early morning blunders. Boycott any advertiser that has ads on these ridiculous “news” programs. Money talks. Even CNN will have to listen if sponsors pull away from these travesties that call themselves “news” shows.
If this is anyone other than Steve Allen, you’re stealing my bit.