Jon Stewart addressed head-on the specter of censorship looming over U.S. late night talk shows with an over-the-top portrayal of a politically obsequious television host.

Jon Stewart addressed head-on the specter of censorship looming over U.S. late night talk shows on Thursday with an over-the-top portrayal of a politically obsequious television host under authoritarian rule.

Stewart hosted the Comedy Central program one day after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely following comments he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and two months after CBS said it would cancel the show hosted by one of President Donald Trump’s fiercest critics on TV, Stephen Colbert.

The show opened with a voiceover promising adherence to the party line.

“We have another fun, hilarious administration-compliant show,” it said.

Stewart lavished praise on the president and satirized his criticism of large cities and his deployment of the National Guard to fight their crime.

“Coming to you tonight from the real (expletive), the crime ridden cesspool that is New York City. It is a tremendous disaster like no one’s ever seen before. Someone’s National Guard should invade this place, am I right?” Stewart said.

“The Daily Show” set was refashioned with decorative gold engravings, in a parody of gold accents Trump has added to the fireplace, doorway arches, walls and other areas of the Oval Office.

Stewart fidgeted nervously as though he was worried about speaking the correct talking points. When the audience members reacted with an “awww” he whispered: “What are you doing? Shut up. You’re going to (expletive) blow this for us.”

He took on a more stilted tone when he started describing Trump’s visit to the United Kingdom, calling the president “our great father.”

“Gaze upon him. With a gait even more majestic than that of the royal horses that prance before him,” he said.

Stewart’s featured guest was due to be Maria Ressa, the journalist and author of “How to Stand Up to a Dictator.” Ressa also shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for freedom of expression in her home country of the Philippines.

  • mhague@lemmy.world
    15·
    4 hours ago

    “Why won’t you fight back!?” said the people not fighting back. “Sacrifice your career to stick it to the Nazis!”

    And then the people went back to their day jobs.

    See, if people were going out and picking up trash, then I could see getting pissed when some rich fuck doesn’t help out. But pointing to some lone wolf picking up litter and acting like that’s you is weird.

  • hotdogcharmer@lemmy.world
    403·
    9 hours ago

    Yeah, funny, clever. But the time for funny and clever might have passed. I think I would’ve honestly found this more impressive had he gone on there and plainly said what needs saying, presumably resulting in being taken off air.

    What needs saying being “The Trump admin is using the murder of Charlie Kirk as an excuse to get rid of the first amendment.” along with other dry but important truths about Israel’s ongoing genocide, ICE raids, etc.

    • Rivalarrival@lemmy.todayEnglish
      2·
      3 hours ago

      more impressive had he gone on there and plainly said what needs saying,

      “I announce my candidacy for President of the United States”

    • Localhorst86@feddit.org
      21·
      8 hours ago

      I am a big fan of how Jon Stewart usually conducts himself about divisive political topics. While I get what they tried to do with the bit, it didn’t feel fitting.

      I think his interview with Maria Ressa was more impactful than the news-anchor bit.

      • warbond@lemmy.world
        7·
        5 hours ago

        Same, it wore thin quickly, and I found myself looking forward to a pivot that never came. I would have rather seen some no-bullshit “wtf is wrong with you” type rhetoric from him after the satire.

  • piyuv@lemmy.worldEnglish
    181·
    9 hours ago

    Not bad I guess, but I was hoping he’d not pull any punches and would get taken off air as well. We need more hosts to get censored, imo, so the point is really driven home. Slow censoring gives people enough time to accept the unacceptable.

    Lets see what John Oliver will do.

    • Eldritch@piefed.worldEnglish
      7·
      3 hours ago

      What punches do you think he pulled?He himself highlighted the absurdity of what Trump wanted while at the same time he and his correspondents, basically called Trump a greasy, discolored, micro-dick, moron. Then going on to have an extremely relevant And intelligent conversation with an an appropriate guest. What is it that you would have had him do differently?

        • Eldritch@piefed.worldEnglish
          2·
          3 hours ago

          Announce what? He called out the problem directly. Skewering and ridiculing him.

          This was never about Kirk. Trump announced months ago that Kimmel was next. And will you look at that.

            • Eldritch@piefed.worldEnglish
              1·
              52 minutes ago

              It would be foolish to announce that more than three years out. When we’re not even sure if there’s even going to be an election. It would give Trump three straight years to slander and target him. Possibly getting him killed or arrested. As the fascists stir up their packs of lone wolves. Stewart shouldn’t announce until the start of the Democratic primary at the earliest.

        • Eldritch@piefed.worldEnglish
          2·
          3 hours ago

          He is addressing to the overarching issue. Kirk is just the latest distraction and side circus. The fascists want you to engage and rail against every little thing. In the next week or two. There will be a whole new outrage. Anyone still talking about old, fashy Kirk. will be out of the loop and irrelevant. Even Donald Trump doesn’t care about ballroom Kirk.

          The most attention we should give Charlie Kirk is looking for an oversized latex Charlie Kirk head with a blown out neck to wear as a mask for Halloween. And the new holiday we now have celebrating a fascist every year. pelting each other with bullet-shaped candy corn.

          A quick post script. Kimmel was not fired because of what he said about Charlie Kirk. Go watch what he said about Charlie Kirk. It was about the most milquetoast and minimally respectful thing you could say about Charlie Kirk. He was calling out Donald Trump and has been calling out Donald Trump for a long time. Donald Trump announced two months ago that Kimmel was next. Kirk was just the excuse.

    • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.caEnglish
      41·
      6 hours ago

      Oliver will quit, and move to an online resource. There is no other option for him. It’s amazing he hasn’t been deported already.

    • Hector@lemmy.world
      94·
      9 hours ago

      There is nothing stopping these late night guys from self publishing a show. It is not like it is that expensive.

      Maybe youtube could be leaned on to remove the content too though idk but there are other platforms.

      Colbert needs reuptake his satire schtick. He should have maga conversion, quit network early, and self publish the colbert reported. Or colberted report or something, new character.

        • Hector@lemmy.world
          46·
          8 hours ago

          Homemade 3 for a gallon of whole milk, 2 for 2 lbs brown sugar, maybe 8 or 9 now for a pound of midshelf coffee, all at aldi of course

          At starbucks it is what, 5 for every 16 ounces or more. About 16 servings of half coffee half milk. Idk 80 bucks minimum savings minus 14 so 66 saved.

    • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
      40·
      12 hours ago

      At first I thought having a woman who’s won a Nobel Peace Prize 🏆 was just a great dig because Trump wants one so badly. But as she talked I realized how significant and prescient everything she said was. Damn, she’s right.