In the days of kings and queens and courts, the jester (or fool) was not just the silly tights-wearing, trick-pulling clown we think of today, but he had a vital role: to criticize the master and his policies. By making himself out to be a fool or idiot, the jester could get away with biting commentary that was important but could be shrugged off as the ravings of a madman.
Salon ran a wonderful piece today continuing with the theme I've noted a couple times in Ridiculous Video of the Day: that Jon Stewart's commentary through humor is both fair and necessary. Matt Zoller Seitz writes of Stewart:
He continues:
When George W. Bush had his run of things, the media painted Stewart and his viewers as bitter hacks, looking for every excuse to criticize the President simply because he was a Republican and every "liberal" hates every Republican. Lately, however, Stewart has shown that he criticizes the President when he's wrong- no matter what his party and that, though he may be bitter, it's not over an election but over particular policies and actions taken by the administration.
Political satire lends an important piece to social discussion. It allows us the freedom to say what needs to be said, the ability to point out glaring problems and also the ability to laugh at our misfortune or at how ridiculous some news story is. Stewart has proved himself to be more than the champion for the "liberal agenda" he was so beat up for in the Bush years, but a champion of the every-man and the truth.
Salon ran a wonderful piece today continuing with the theme I've noted a couple times in Ridiculous Video of the Day: that Jon Stewart's commentary through humor is both fair and necessary. Matt Zoller Seitz writes of Stewart:
He's a true satirist who can take aim at anyone but reserves particular scorn for those who reawakened his sense of hope just long enough to exploit it.
He continues:
What "The Daily Show" is doing here -- as it does so often and so well -- is attacking not just a particular action or policy but the shyster packaging that surrounds it, packaging that's meant to deflect our attention away from the unfortunate reality that certain crises explode out of nowhere, illuminating blind spots and delusions that we had collectively refused to admit we had and that we can't wave our hands and make it go away.
When George W. Bush had his run of things, the media painted Stewart and his viewers as bitter hacks, looking for every excuse to criticize the President simply because he was a Republican and every "liberal" hates every Republican. Lately, however, Stewart has shown that he criticizes the President when he's wrong- no matter what his party and that, though he may be bitter, it's not over an election but over particular policies and actions taken by the administration.
Political satire lends an important piece to social discussion. It allows us the freedom to say what needs to be said, the ability to point out glaring problems and also the ability to laugh at our misfortune or at how ridiculous some news story is. Stewart has proved himself to be more than the champion for the "liberal agenda" he was so beat up for in the Bush years, but a champion of the every-man and the truth.
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