Jon Stewart finally gets it, I think

On last night's episode of TDSWJS, it finally dawned upon him:

That narrative of conservative victimization is the true genius of what Fox News has accomplished 

Bingo! FOX "News" is conservative propaganda pontificated from the bully pulpit while being nailed to the cross. As I have often mentioned--as has Stewart too, to his credit--they have a few warm bodies that exude a veneer of beguiling sincerity. They are only there to provide instant counter-examples when FOX "News" is accused of being biased.  The facade of balance. Or fairness. Remember Alan Colmes on the hit show "Hannity and Colmes"?  Anyone thinks that Colmes contributed anything to the ratings?  Really?  Have you see the ratings "Hannity and no Colmes" enjoys?  Colmes was never a journalist. He was a failed stand-up comedian who stumbled bass-ackwards into being an awkward, but willing liberal doormat at FOX "News".


Shep Smith, Brett Baier, and on a good day, Chris Wallace. That's basically it. The painful struggles of Greta with her conscience are usually losing efforts, and other than that, it is all propaganda all the time.

Stewart wants to believe that while ridiculing them is par for the course, condemning them as dishonest fucks is beyond the plea of sanity he advocates.


The sequence goes as follows:

• FOX "News" goes absurdly overboard in their propaganda.
• Stewart skewers them on his show.
• A blowhard dismisses it, doubles down, or continues going absurdly overboard in his dismissal.
• Stewart skewers them some more.
• If the blowhard is O'Reilly, a visit follows. Superficially congenial, genuinely disingenuous with some biting retaliation masquerading as comedy.
• Stewart praises O'Reilly for being different, being bold enough to "discuss and defend" his views. (Since when does a shameless blowhard have to be brave to come as a guest on a show?)
• Blowhard, safely back in the confines of his propaganda cesspool, resumes pontification, and life goes on.

The cycle repeats. But occasionally, the skewering is making the blowhards look really, really douche-nozzle-y.  They send in the serious folks. Brett Baier. Or invite Stewart on Chris Wallace. Either way, the idea is to convey to Stewart that he is being unfair, since "opinion" shows are different from "serious news".  Stewart softens, agrees, takes a few more comedic potshots, and moves on.  All's well again.


Serious host then returns to the FOXhouse and goes on a blowhard's program, or invites one to his show. Blowhard then accuses Stewart of being a liberal hypocrite hiding behind the shield of a comedian, attacking conservative media but being soft on liberal media. Serious host does not disagree, tries to appear neutral, but never defends Stewart.


The cycle repeats. Each time with a little more smearing of Stewart.  


Over time, FOX "News" viewers continue as they are, resenting one more "librul media icon". Inevitably Stewart makes a relatively minor mistake, which he concedes immediately, even as he points out the ridiculous disparity on the scoreboard.


Does not matter!  Stewart's mea culpa is bull-horned over the FOXwaves, and Stewart is righteously crucified as another in-the-liberal-pocket news anchor.


Finally, Stewart sees the light. I think. The man who was calling for dignified disagreements, who was cutting needless slack to the propaganda, realizes the game he is losing.


And the best he can do is call them crybabies.  Actually no, he does not even do that.  He merely suggests it. 


Crybabies, Jon?  Seriously?  What's next? POOPIHEADS?

I can't wait for his "Rally to say FUCK YOU to insane bigotry and or...". Actually I don't have to, it is never coming.