Jon Stewart Breaks the News
Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, is one of the funniest and smartest people on the planet. He is a best-selling author, his show has won 14 Emmy awards and, according to a Time magazine poll, he is considered the most trusted newscaster in America.
The irony is that The Daily Show isn't really a news program and Jon isn't really a newscaster. He's a comedian who hosts a half-hour news satire that pokes fun at politicians and the professional journalists who cover them.
Now, Jon is taking a break from his riotous commentary on the news and is making headlines of his own. He recently announced his Rally to Restore Sanity, set to take place in Washington, D.C., on October 30, 2010.
Jon says he wants the event to highlight what he calls the "busy majority"—those who don't care about the partisan ideological battles that drive 24-hour news channels. "Seventy to 80 percent of the people in this country are reasonable, nice individuals, may disagree on principle on things, but could come up with rational compromises, could accomplish things, could get things done, could live with the results. And then the other 15 to 20 percent of the country run the place," Jon says. "People don't have time to take sides and to shout. 'Crazy' gets on television, but 'normal' has to make dinner."
Jon says he knows the rally won't actually solve anything but hopes it offers an alternative to the angry Americans typically seen on cable news channels. "They're scaring the hell out of everybody. This country is not a fragile country. Look how far we've come. We have had our issues. We had a Civil War. We had slavery. Now we're arguing about whether or not Glenn Beck is too hyperbolic?" he says. "We've come a long way."
The irony is that The Daily Show isn't really a news program and Jon isn't really a newscaster. He's a comedian who hosts a half-hour news satire that pokes fun at politicians and the professional journalists who cover them.
Now, Jon is taking a break from his riotous commentary on the news and is making headlines of his own. He recently announced his Rally to Restore Sanity, set to take place in Washington, D.C., on October 30, 2010.
Jon says he wants the event to highlight what he calls the "busy majority"—those who don't care about the partisan ideological battles that drive 24-hour news channels. "Seventy to 80 percent of the people in this country are reasonable, nice individuals, may disagree on principle on things, but could come up with rational compromises, could accomplish things, could get things done, could live with the results. And then the other 15 to 20 percent of the country run the place," Jon says. "People don't have time to take sides and to shout. 'Crazy' gets on television, but 'normal' has to make dinner."
Jon says he knows the rally won't actually solve anything but hopes it offers an alternative to the angry Americans typically seen on cable news channels. "They're scaring the hell out of everybody. This country is not a fragile country. Look how far we've come. We have had our issues. We had a Civil War. We had slavery. Now we're arguing about whether or not Glenn Beck is too hyperbolic?" he says. "We've come a long way."
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