Stewart v. Cramer (Etc.)
This has become a huge story, and I think we'll get to it in class. But if you want to see it again, or if you were absent on Monday, here we go.
Here's the video from The Daily Show, last Thursday. (Within this link you can find the unedited video -- but be warned: there are language issues.)
If you go to the bottom of the page, you'll see a bunch a responses to the encounter. Most of them seem to be favorable to Stewart. (I haven't read them all, by any means, but judging from the summaries provided.) This should be no surprise. They are from contributors to the Huffington Post, which by and large comes at things from the liberal (left) perspective. (Ask Bill O'reilly what he thinks of Huffpo. Hint: does the expression "far-left loons" mean anything to you?
To me what was most interesting was not the attack on Jim Cramer. Lots of people admired Cramer for having the nerve to walk into the buzzsaw, and I do, too (even if he mostly just curled up in a little ball. Under the circumstances, a laudable response). No, it wasn't so much an attack on Cramer as on his network, CNBC. In essence, Stewart chastised them for playing cheerleader for the Bear Stearns, and AIG, and Bank of America, when they should have been watching them.
It's a question of motive. Crame wants to be an entertainer, who offers advice on financial matters. Stewart wants him -- or his network in general -- to protect the interests of the little guy, the common investor, who dabbles in stocks, or has a 401k, or a mutual fund. It's a fundamental difference of mission.
This is not the first time that Stewart has gone to bat for the little guy. In 2004 he went after Tucker Carlson and a show on CNN called Crossfire. (Or try here for the same clip on YouTube.)
Interestingly enough, Carlson didn't think much of Stewart's Thursday night spot. He thinks Stewart is a "partisan hack". Hmmm. . . where have I heard that before?
Here's the video from The Daily Show, last Thursday. (Within this link you can find the unedited video -- but be warned: there are language issues.)
If you go to the bottom of the page, you'll see a bunch a responses to the encounter. Most of them seem to be favorable to Stewart. (I haven't read them all, by any means, but judging from the summaries provided.) This should be no surprise. They are from contributors to the Huffington Post, which by and large comes at things from the liberal (left) perspective. (Ask Bill O'reilly what he thinks of Huffpo. Hint: does the expression "far-left loons" mean anything to you?
To me what was most interesting was not the attack on Jim Cramer. Lots of people admired Cramer for having the nerve to walk into the buzzsaw, and I do, too (even if he mostly just curled up in a little ball. Under the circumstances, a laudable response). No, it wasn't so much an attack on Cramer as on his network, CNBC. In essence, Stewart chastised them for playing cheerleader for the Bear Stearns, and AIG, and Bank of America, when they should have been watching them.
It's a question of motive. Crame wants to be an entertainer, who offers advice on financial matters. Stewart wants him -- or his network in general -- to protect the interests of the little guy, the common investor, who dabbles in stocks, or has a 401k, or a mutual fund. It's a fundamental difference of mission.
This is not the first time that Stewart has gone to bat for the little guy. In 2004 he went after Tucker Carlson and a show on CNN called Crossfire. (Or try here for the same clip on YouTube.)
Interestingly enough, Carlson didn't think much of Stewart's Thursday night spot. He thinks Stewart is a "partisan hack". Hmmm. . . where have I heard that before?
posted by Mr. Mac | 4:07 PM
2 Comments:
I have to say, I saw this the first night it aired and I was just in shock. I knew Jon Stewart was an intelligent guy but the way he just owned Cramer like that is a testament to why so many people look to Stewart in the first place. He's a power to the people type of guy and I think people love that. He's genuinely not afraid to call out influential media figures and now networks on fishy behavior. I don't want to give Stewart all the credit, the whole team of the Daily Show does a lot of the work in terms of finding revealing clips that the opposing side cannot dispute.
Anyway, I really do respect Cramer for coming on the show but you would think a man who studied law at Harvard would be able to defend himself better. Either way, it made for great television.
-Kevin Jacobsen
I hate Kevin Jacobsen
-Tyler King-
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