No one is out there defending Helen Thomas’ remarks, but I’ve heard some people cut her some slack because of her age. I think that’s completely unwarranted. For one, as a reporter, she is capable of clear thought. She hasn’t “lost it”—well, not anymore than she had already. Actually, Helen Thomas’ old age actually makes [...]
Having Your Cake and Eating It, Too: Heaven Without God
June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Lisa Miller, author of Heaven, appeared on The Colbert Report last night and touched on something I’ve wanted to write about for awhile. I am a committed Christian, one who believes it is possible to have a personal relationship with God. My friends and I frequently discuss this (there’s nothing funnier to them than a [...]
The Media’s Coverage of the Flotilla Raid Makes Me Want to Wreck My Face with a Hammer
June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Last night, Jon Stewart, who I view as honorable, joined the chorus of people criticizing the justified-as-much-as-something-can-be-justified raid by the Israelis on the flotilla carrying “aid” to Gaza, the home of Hamas. First, he referred to the people involved in the shipment as “activists” and then showed video of some of the ship’s contents—the non-violent [...]
Ahhh, Refreshing—-A Respectful Intellectual Debate
June 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Say what you will about Jon Stewart—his interviews, especially the extended ones hosted on the Daily Show website, are a gift to the country. For the most part, he allows his guests time to explain their thoughts, and the discussion goes far beyond the typical, predictable partisan blood sport that Stewart once famously criticized Crossfire [...]
A Different Take on Gay Marriage
May 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The websites for The Daily Show and The Colbert Report don’t have video of an episode from last night, so I’ll assume they are on vacation. The Daily Show website is hosting a montage of clips about gay marriage, which is offering me an opportunity to give my own unconventional thoughts on the issue.
The montage [...]
China Will Defeat Itself
May 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Ian Bremmer, the author of The End of the Free Market, was on Thursday night’s episode of “The Daily Show.” He argued that the free market in the U.S. needed more regulation so as to better compete with China. The biggest threat to our economy, he said, was “state capitalism.”
China does not have a free [...]
Are We Really Supporting the Troops?
May 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Sebastian Junger, author of War, was on The Daily Show last night discussing his stay with soldiers in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan. Jon Stewart and he relayed how our troops truly embody the best of America—no, the best of mankind—in the worst of situations. The stories of brotherhood, integrity, humanity and professionalism that [...]
Gary Johnson 2012: Mainstreaming Marijuana Legalization?
May 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
No, I won’t vote for him, but the former two-term Governor of New Mexico is going to shake things up in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Every candidate runs as a “true” conservative and struggles to define himself, especially if they have low name recognition. That will not be a problem for Gary [...]
The Third World Will One Day Send Evangelists Here
May 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Covering the National Day of Prayer, Stephen Colbert last night pulled up statistics about how many blacks, Hispanics, and whites pray before bed. The poll found that 71% of blacks, 45% of Hispanics, and 32% of whites pray before going to sleep.
Colbert then remarked that whites were being “out-prayed” and that if this didn’t change, [...]
Journalism Isn’t Dying, It’s Just Modernizing
May 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Last night on The Daily Show, the editor of Newsweek was the guest where he passionately commented on the importance of this magazine and traditional journalism in general to stopping our democracy from falling into ignorance. You couldn’t help but feel bad watching the interview, but I really don’t think that the rise of the [...]
