Aggressive politicking and jumping into the verbal war (like this is becoming) is not comedy. Its political commentary and thats not what I originally signed on for with this show. It takes a lot for politics to be humorous. The bitter sarcasm and exaggeration makes me queasy even when its true. Its ugly. It belongs somewhere else. The best comedy to me is less biting and more silly and fun.

Sure take on the right wing talk shows, sling mud and call people liars to their face. But its not comedy.

Save Ferris, let me summarize what you just wrote in a few words: you don't like satire. Correct me if I'm wrong.

That's fine, but don't criticize "The Daily Show" because it doesn't have your kind of comedy. It's like dissing "Benny Hill" because it never touched on the issues of the day.

"The Daily Show" got gradually more satirical and political when Stewart took over. But it's been at it's current level for about three years or so, so I'm not sure why you've waited this long to complain.

Has anyone claimed Hannity, Coulter, et al are balanced? No one in their right mind has. So I don't see what your comments have to do with anything I wrote. In fact, your knee-jerk defense (along with those of others) merely helps prove my point. I didn't crucify The Daily Show for being liberal. I "crucified" it for becoming smug, unimaginative, and a one note crusade posing as a balanced comedy show, and doing an ever worsening job of it. Oh, and to ease your mind, apart from periodically checking in I have turned it off for several years now. The thread topic, in case you missed it, is "Is The Daily Show getting lame?" My point is that it's already there, and has been for a long time now.

I love satire. Political satire, not so much. Thinly veiled political commentary even less (even if I agree with it--honest!).

TDS was better at balancing various KINDS of satire (not 100% political). Honestly I hadnt watched a whole episode until recently so yep, thats why I asked if this is the norm now.

Im glad to hear a few posts up that maybe I caught them in a bad episode. Ill continue to try to catch a few shows if I can to see what its like. I really miss Beth Littleford she was funny.

TDS when Craig Kilborn was hosting was a lot more mean spirted - Steve Carell even said this during an interview with The Onion AV comparing Jon's show to Craig's - to people who didn't deserve it. They would regularly interview weirdos out in the middle of nowhere who strange, but weren't hurting anybody. And they would just run them into the ground.

The pieces now are still somewhat biting, but the people they are interviewing deserve it to an extent. They are usually activists, local politicals or people trying to get a freebie from a corporation undeservedly.

Listen, it's political satire. If you don't like it, don't watch it. I don't watch Bill O'Reilly for that reason. Also, Beth Littleford wasn't the greatest person on the show ever so cool your jets.

Well someone seems to have forgotten Jade

Should I have forgotten Jade?

Beth Littleford hasn't been on the show in FIVE years.

This is not your father's Oldsmobile, and this is not Craig Kilborn's Daily Show.

Apparently, you want The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to be The Daily Show with Jon Stewart playing the part of Craig Kilborn.
Hell, even Kilborn isn't on TV anymore.

They've traded Maxim cover girls and B-list celebrities for Newsweek reporters and presidential candidates.
And I say: Kudos to them!


With Jon Stewart at the helm, the show is more popular, more respected, and more influential on the public discourse than it ever could have hoped to be with Kilby.

Then sign off.

At least we now know that Bill Needle does not believe the people running FOX News are in their right minds.

As one of the "others," I'll respond. Of course, we here all have valid opinions of The Daily Show. You feel it's smug, I don't. You feel it's unimaginative, I think it's often one of the most imaginative shows on TV these days. I'm still confused by your use of "balanced" comedy show. What on earth is a balanced comedy show, and how is The Daily Show on "a one note crusade posing as a balanced comedy show?" I'd have more respect if you'd just say that you could care less about Jon Stewart's "left" slant on things and move on. I've seen no evidence where the Daily Show is trying to be balanced on any level, in fact it could be said that comedy is "unbalanced" by its very nature.

It is if people are laughing.

I don't consider the opinions of people who admit to rarely watching the show, or not watching the show for months/weeks at a time, as valid.

lol you're right, Im sorry for being such an ass about it. As I said before, I'll continue to try to catch shows when I can, I must of seen an off episode. I agree Beth wasnt the *best* but I get the guys with dark hair mixed up (Mo is great as well). While my opinions arent valid in many peoples eyes, I still am glad I can come here and ask (yes I was a bit sarcastic at first, I apologize) how the show has been going.

Im glad to see many people come to defend a comic classic and encourage newcomers or past fans with a few kind words to once again enjoy the show and see whats new. Although I expressed many partisan ideas contrary to Mr Stewart himself, I warmed up to the loudest opinions. I guess I never expected politics to bring about the best of human nature.

This thread has been eye opening. Both my wife and I lean towards conservative beliefs and there isn't much on TV that makes us laugh like This Week In God or just about any of their prepackaged reports. I mean, sidesplitting laughter. The graphics that make air have some of the wittiest phrases (Messopotamia, etc.). I'm not offended at all when they make fun of something I like. I always thought SNL was at their best when they did political humor that was spot on... although it's been awhile since I've seen them be half as funny as TDS is almost every day.

This Week in God is LAME compared to the old segment they used to run that mocked televangelist. That, my friends, was pure comedic gold!

Ok, so I don't know if This Week in God is lame or not (I don't watch anymore, but I'm willing to be it's pretty funny), I just wanted to contrast it against my major major love of that old segment (who's name I can't remember: though I think it might of been called Jesus Talk). I wish I had some of those on tape. Does anyone remember the name of this segment?

I stopped watching around election time. That's about when the show gave up being fair to ridiculing both sides. And when I talk to a bunch of college students who claim to get all their political news from The Daily Show, I simply

I don't agree with Stewart on a lot of things, but I've always thought "funny is funny" and I dig the Daily Show. And as funny as Stewart is, I am sick of him trying to always have it both ways, though. His "we follow a puppet show" defense got old really fast. He may not think it's a good thing (and he'd be right), but I wish he'd at least acknowledge that there's a chunk of people (mostly young, I'd assume) that get their news solely from this show.

Seriously! There's one that's stuck with me for years - I think it may have been Kilborn era. The story was about a protest against a gay cruise or something like that and the graphic said "Cayman, My Ass."

Have you read the majority of posts here? The show doesn't claim to be fair...at least not in the way that you mean it.

It's primarily a comedy show.

And the only thing stranger than college students only getting their politcal news from a show on comedy central, is the idea that you come across a bunch of the students and either ask where they get all their political news or you simply overhear them talking amongst themselves about where they get all their political news.

It sounds crazy, but there are actual things that The Daily Show points out that are often missed by the 24 "news" networks (probably because the pundits are too busy screaming at each other.)

I can't recall off the top of my head, but I watch both "real" news constantly as well as Jon Stewart and there have been clips that the Daily Show has ran that I never saw elsewhere.

Oh I thought of one example. The Daily Show, I recall, was the first place that "broke" the story about the White House making fake news reports(about their prescription drug plan) and that local news stations were airing the clips as if it was one of their own reporters filing a special report. I think it was a week later that I saw this reported by CNN and the other "news" networks.

Based on your comments you are not one of the "others" at all. You see the show for what it is. What I find humorous are those who insist it is not that way at all as part of the proof of the show's greatness. That is, of course, a ridiculous position to take. But they actually believe it and it's really upsetting to them to have someone point out just how obviously wrong they are. It's about that time that the red herrings start jumping into the boat.

I'm not laughing at you, I'm actually laughing at myself.

No, that was a lie, I am laughing at you.

I've stopped watching the Daily Show every day because the guests usually suck. Each week, he has fewer celebrities, comedians, entertainers, etc. and more politicians, political writers, etc.

In that respect, the show is less funny than it used to be.

I'm not really looking to get into the debate, because I think the debate is ridiculous.

But chalk me up as one of the folks who love TDS...love everything about it. We live in surreal times, and nobody is better at cutting through the silliness than JS.

And I don't think what he does is "satire". What he does is "sarcasm", and he does it brilliantly.

One word....

"NutCam"

Nuff Said.