missing half the joke?
Jon Stewart’s on Fresh Air today. He’s not as good a guest as he is an interviewer, but it’s still worth a listen.
Every time I hear him speak “off air,” I’m reminded that The Daily Show is intended to not only skewer the news, but also the major networks’ coverage of the news. Now, this is probably obvious to anyone who actually watches any of the major news networks (either in 24 hour or 30 minute form). But thanks to the glory that is Tivo, the interweb and the grueling 880 commute, my news intake these days consists of wsj.com, nytimes.com, news.yahoo.com, NPR and, of course, The Daily Show.
The thought that I’m missing half the joke is somewhat stressful. Are there Paula Zahn jokes I’m not getting? Are they inserting sly references to Wolf Blitzer’s beard? Is Steven Colbert supposed to be imitating any one of those trench coated, tough jawed correspondents in particular? Heck, for all I know the entire show could be some kind of underhanded parody of Anderson Cooper, and I’d be none the wiser.