Love Stewart, can't stand Beck.

[infinix]

On last night's The Daily Show, Stewart went way over-board in making fun of Beck. By dedicated that much of the show to someone who has such extreme ideals, who incited blind anger, who doesn't really deserve the attention, I feel like Steward actually validated Beck's existence.

I am a little bit disappointed. What are your thoughts?

[Gaith]

Haven't seen that segment, but he's done it several times before. I think it's clear that the main reason he does it is to have some fun, and get out from behind the desk.

It's not my favorite mode of his, but I don't begrudge him the occasional fun, and he does do a pretty funny satire. If Beck actually believed his own craziness, I'd tend to agree with you, but I think Stewart does a pretty good job of showing that he's just making shit up, almost at random - notice how he doesn't give anywhere near the same attention to the Phelps Klan.

[auntiehill]

That was freaking HYSTERICAL. It's obvious why he spent so much time on it; Beck has been the easiest, biggest, loudest target for a comedian like John. He had to give that blowhard, John's biggest source of wonderful jokes, a worthwhile send-off.

[diankra]

Unfortunately, I can't see it, as the weblink says 'Dear Great Britain, you can't download, go to Channel 4'. That's the Channel 4 that's dropped the daily Daily Show since January and only runs the weekly Global Edition (swearwords!).
I'd almost be tempted to try other means if I knew how to do it, but as I don't I'll have to remain law-abiding and just never see it.

[Trekker4747]

He's done this Beck performance before and his previous gos at it were, IMHO, much better than this one but I still LOL'd.

[JiNX-01]

infinix wrote:

---

On last night's The Daily Show, Stewart went way over-board in making fun of Beck. By dedicated that much of the show to someone who has such extreme ideals, who incited blind anger, who doesn't really deserve the attention, I feel like Steward actually validated Beck's existence.

I am a little bit disappointed. What are your thoughts?

I thought it was hilarious. And as Jon pointed out, The Daily Show has lost a great source of material. I doubt very much that Beck was flattered.

[J.T.B.]

Personally, the Beck parodies fall a little flat. For one thing, Beck is like fish in a barrel, he's so over the top he's practically a parody on his own, so it's no big accomplishment to lampoon him like that. I prefer Stewart when he's methodically taking someone's hypocrisy apart or building up a rage at the desk, not doing "character" performances. And it went on too long, one segment was enough. But a slightly "off" Daily Show is still better than most stuff that's supposed to be funny on TV.

--Justin

[Trekker4747]

Stewart's first full-on Beck parody was classic, he didn't go too over the top with the parody. I'm sure everyone here notice the Star Trek badge as one of the icons at the top of one of his chalk boards.

Glenn Beck Parody

I believe that's the first time Stewart "did" Beck and I think he was a bit on the nose then.

This one was a bit more broad but also another one I loved:

Glenn Beck Parody #2

Now the previous time Jon did his Gleen Beck shtick he had trouble with the chalk boards, he knocked out the pin and couldn't find it to replace it thus preventing the chalkboard from rotating. In last night's episode I notice they put "stops" on both sides of the boards so that they would stay in place under their own weight without the need for the pin.