Reasonable Jon Stewart is Reasonable.

[merrycaepa]

In the great long list of people whose opinions I try to find and digest and hopefully somewhat retain on a daily basis, there are approximately two who can speak - and often do speak - when I am feeling pissy and partisan and really want nothing more than to start yelling at Republicans, libertarians, and anyone who voted for Nader in 2000 - who can make me back down from whatever Unabomber cabin I've retreated up to in my head. One is Rachel Maddow, and one is Jon Stewart. I frequently disagree with both of them, but I think they'd be okay with the fact that I disagree, and they seem like the sort of people who'd be perfectly happy to talk about how we disagree over a beer - and I think this is some of what keeps me listening, and keeps me willing to reconsider my own positions. I don't know what Maddow's response is to the Giffords shooting because I'm so behind on TRMS it's not even funny. I'm actually just as far behind on TDS, but Salon linked to his opening segment from last night's show, and I watched it over my coffee this morning, and damn, that man is just irritatingly reasonable. I want to be angry about the fact that I'm not even angry at this point ('angry' is sort of my homeostasis) but I can't even get my dander up about that. Damn.

(I just figured out how this embed code thing works, in case you can't tell)

Comments

[georginasand]

What does is say about our country that our comedians are the most reasonable voices out there? And while we are at it, ZOMG what does is say about the importance and power of comedy?! (The history/theater major is having a field day).

[merrycaepa]

And then you contrast his and Colbert's roles with what Stewart commented about being able to distinguish between the insane ramblings of a spree shooter with the rhetoric espoused by talking heads, and things get even weirder.

And comedy is so, so important - I have articles about Russian and Egyptian political humor in earlier roundups, and they're just fascinating.