Stewart Now Channeling Mencken?

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on October 19th, 2004

In a Hollywood Reporter piece entitled “Daily Show Host Gives Satire a Serious Look,” Paul J. Gough writes:

It may be a funny role for a man who anchors a “fake” newscast, but Jon Stewart seems to be channeling H. L. Mencken these days, casting himself as a fierce critic of the journalism establishment that he skewers so mercilessly on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show.

Channeling Mencken now, is he? The spin and the damage control begins. We take it that Stewart’s email was decidedly negative after his Crossfire hissy fit. The effort to portray Stewart as serious-minded and equate him with Mencken and Edward R. Murrow is laughable. Here’s a quote from his recent commencement speech to William & Mary’s class of 2004, in which Stewart said:

We declared war on terror– it’s not even a noun, so, good luck. After we defeat it, I’m sure we’ll take on that bastard ennui.

Of course, both “terror” and “ennui” are indeed nouns, but that, of course, is not the point. The point is that Mr. Stewart makes a fine comedian and a fine anchor of a “fake” news program, but, in his effort to recast himself as a crusader for truth and the man who will single-handedly save public discourse, we fear he may have jumped into water that’s way over his head. We rooted around SHECKYmagazine HQ, but we couldn’t locate our Mencken biography. (We know a bit about the dude. We even comandeered the television in the Atlanta Punchline greenroom to watch an hourlong C-Span interview with P.J. O’Rourke on the subject of the legnedary Baltimore Evening Sun editor.) We did manage to dig up a couple of gems on the WWW (courtesy of brainyquote.com):

A society made up of individuals who were all capable of original thought would probably be unendurable.

and

The worst government is often the most moral. One composed of cynics is often very tolerant and humane. But when fanatics are on top there is no limit to oppression.

and

I never lecture, not because I am shy or a bad speaker, but simply because I detest the sort of people who go to lectures and don’t want to meet them.

Compare these pithy quotes to Stewart’s gems from his recent CNN appearance:

Stop, stop, stop, stop hurting America.

and

No. No. I’m not going to be your monkey.

and

You know what’s interesting, though? You’re as big a dick on your show as you are on any show.

As mean and cantankerous as Mencken was known to be, we’re certain he wouldn’t have had to resort to calling someone a “dick.” I guess a job on the Daily Show writing staff is totally out of the question now.

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