Why Are TV's Court Jesters Making the Most Sense? And The Most News?

Tyson's the man.

yes he is...

while technically true, I think their production would generally be to blame.

They don't (or at least didn't when they started their show) have real reporters that investigate stories, the money or production capabilities to have a white house reporter, a correspondent in major cities, legal consultants, etc. so they used footage from other sources.

then they either report their own take, which I find they try and use CNN's footage because they have the most vanilla video; or they mock the story, and for this they go to the agenda leaning MSNBC or FOX videos.

They don't seem to be giving us news because they aren't on 24 hours a day and because Comedy Central doesn't treat them as news so they don't interrupt programming for a Daily News update. But how is what they're doing different than nightly news?

Newspapers used to get you the same stories the next morning, local news has always sucked, Brian Williams and Diane Sawyer give you stories at 6pm that you may have heard on Headline News could have reported at noon, which they almost certainly didn't break. then Nightline at 11:30pm offers more "news" that is also just more analysis of the days news.

They don't do it as quickly as the cable news channels, and some episodes are filled with day old stories that they make fun of, but they also do news in the (old) conventional way, where they cover the days news...

...at leat I think so.

yes but people like bill maher tend to talk about the other side of the story

i think you might be missing the point. the networks actually send out their own people to discover new stories, and turn those stories around for viewers. the anchors may make commentary, but the networks behind them are searching, gathering and paying people to report news. they are journalists. john stewart, stephen colbert, and bill mahr will not call themselves journalists: they're comedians....who have opinions. now like the anchors ON the networks, the comedians can sway their audience's opinion -

they're "correspondents" are working on their own stand-up, not finding new information about a new story or a developing story.

i watch the comedy shows too and like them: but understanding journalism, there is a difference in what they do, and what they are going for and what they are presenting to their audience. none of them have the intention to do what network or even local news does.

it's obvious you have no idea what journalists do at all.

all those photos, video and interviews are done by people in the field - who while it's not easy to do: do their best to report the jist of the town hall meeting they just covered, or the old woman in a house who was saved by a soldier (which you wouldn't know, and which the comedians wouldn't know if the network correspondent, hadn't gone out and gotten that story)...sure network buys from ap or reuters, but their taking those stories and presenting them the unknowing public and their own people are out there too.

anchors, like o'reily or maddow take what the correspondents gave them and commentate on it.

then the comedians take what the networks gave them all day long, including the commentating anchors- hash through it- and make fun of it, b/c that's their job.

on the latter two accounts- you have a similar process. but it all starts w/ the guys - who give their material from the field to the paying networks, so they can get an audience.

however, since you can't see the difference....there's no more point in trying to explain. enjoy your night

lol they all kick ass... what more do we need to say :D

It's just so darn hard to tell whether they're on "Team Stupid" relying on "Survival of the Fittest" to weed out those without a brain (instead of trying to save them from themselves). Or, if they are actually on "Team Evil" and try to find a way to exorcise them from our plane of existence.

As they say "Follow the Money" the way to tell the difference, is if they are profiting off of the fear-mongering like Team Evil does, or if they are acting against their own interests by endorsing things that are actually damaging to them like Team Stupid does.

Evolution eventually will take care of both

genius, yes! 1^d yay...

i kid saladin, respect.
I can't help but chuckle when I come back here. Nice to see someone worth listening to still posts here.

Maher is just more directly combative.

I like when he's directly combative. Sometimes his jokes just don't land. But now that I'm writing this, his show is live, largely unscripted, and an hour long. Their shows are scripted and half as long. So maybe i'm being too hard on old Bill. The other guys do have it a bit easier.

stop spamming!

Damn dude, spam much?

Are you still here? Stop spamming, Nazi!

Is a "so called Jew" different than an actual Jew ?
And are you an Asshole or a "so called Asshole" ?

uhhhhh put the crackpipe down and step away from the keyboard...

no Im your creator pale boy. but the so call jews are the ones who call themselves jews your bible tells you that in deutronomy. the ones who say they are jews them are not. And im no hater of no one but Im trying to wake you brain dead people up before its too late. You think america is this great country, You been had. Its a nationalist zionionist country. which means NAZI. and im not talking bout the skinheads, Im talking bout the real deal the ELITES/masonic ones who wants to destroy us all. Oh yes your mr obama is too. go check the facts before you hola back.

you must be a zionist, what the truth hurts, well it should you blood sucker of hummanity.

Very wise analysis Argon...thanks for this.

And as Steve Allen(?) once observed, all comedy is based on tragedy.

hmm! very interesting comment from one of my favorite currenteers...i'd like to add that along with the "honing" opportunity presented by Bush's incompetence, the Stewart/Colbert juggernaut is not just a comedy performance, it's a veritable testament to not only the voting power of this country's youth culture, but the moderation, sanity, and inclusiveness that these kids possess...

...and that's where the "comedy" material hits home, and becomes something more.

I would put more of the blame on our political system itself (and the politicians). Just look at it, look at the characters in play. My god, it's full of bizzarro!

that was a ZAP. yep. +^d

a very good video editorial. ouch.

roflmao! 1^d

Maybe it makes a difference if it's not an "offical" Current badge? I guess they figure that if anyone who is not "authorized" to give them out can do it, then there will be no end to the number of them regardless of the "taste" or "appropriateness" of them.

Could very well be.

i love how it says... (+0 points)!!!!

it should be like this.......... (-50 points)

+^d

Perfect. can I use that when needed?

Projecting are we?

what a pest. (not bothering to -Vd this,.....it provides it own testimony against itself.)

Ditto my internet friend. i too make some dumbass comments now and then I try my best to be polite to all but every now an then I say some dumb shit.

I wouldn't put it past them since people voted for Christine O'Donnel and even an actor that was in "Bedtime for Bonzo" isn't that much different than Cartman.

Since Team Stupid is firmly on board and ready to accept anything popular, nothing is too "wild" after all South Park has GREAT ratings and Cartman has fantastic name recognition.

dude your not fooling anybody. i dare you to put your real picture up there.

"whats next?? cartman for president?"

Sorry that guy left office in 2008. "RESPECT MY AUTHORITI"

Just think if the news organizations invested in that kind of research department instead of just keeping the profits? They would certainly do a whole lot better than the horrible failure they're doing now.

But fear-mongering is a whole lot more popular and cost effective like a good slasher feature, that is a lot more important to the revenue stream than any petty concerns over reporting facts.

With all due respect to Jon, his research department doesn't really have to be great. Most of the info they dig up is already out there on the internet. Or in his words "Don't they know we record this stuff?!"

Thats so good it's like you really know what's going on in the world. All this time I thought I was the only one that saw it like that.

^+1

Well put, voted up!

team Evil , team Stupid... narrated by team Silly, who short of a few jugglers and red noses; illuminate connective threads the mainstream media openly attempts to influence and/or omit.

which one of any of the politicians have recently said that they need to check with their constituency before taking a position.. sadly stink finger politics has become so convoluted it develops it's own comical narrative ...

I just love the way they chopped this all to hell and back and He still made the guy look like a putz

can I be on Team Silly?

Well put sir, you took half the words out of my mouth & added another half that were beyond me. Where can i get those Team Evil / Team Stupid T-shirts ?

I have a foil hat:) does that count?

Uniform optional, as long as you find the silly facts, we can't all understand the silliness. May you know many pies in the face as you stumble...team Silly!

Some people on TDS web page were asking that too, I looked and apparently Comedy Central didn't think to do it.

I can make one for you if you REALLY want to get one

Thank you I shall do my best.

I'm not gay but i would hold his balls off the hot sand while He bangs my sister. With a glove on my hand of course.

Like OH MY GAWD! I wish I was as good as John Oliver. I would pee myself if I was that good.

Well that's what separates the jesters from those that only wear tin hats. Nothing is perfect against a perfect fool that's why they are professionals at it.

I truely wish I was able to go into a public forum and say what I do here.

What kind of forum do you mean? Why can't you? It would be just as much of a fart in a windstorm as it is here, it doesn't change anything or is even listened to.