As you may know, Jon Stewart, who hosts "The Daily Show" on the Comedy channel, has emerged as the devoted critic of Fox News. And this is no small matter in the liberal media.
"The Daily Show's" a key component of left-wing television because Mr. Stewart is a smart guy who has big-time credibility with younger Americans. What he says is cool; it's hip. He is in the know. So Jon's a big time player in the current media war we're seeing in America.
Now as "Talking Points" has said before, I like Stewart. He's the second most talented guy on cable TV. But there is no question that Jon Stewart's a committed liberal. He lives in Tribeca for crying out loud.
Although to be fair, he has mocked far-left loons on occasion. But I think I noticed a tear in his eye when he did it.
Apparently Stewart's main beef with FNC that we are hypocritical, that we slant the news to make the Obama administration look bad, and we generalize all day long about the American left. Enter Bernie Goldberg, a frequent Stewart target. Bernie says the comedian himself is the one embracing hypocrisy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNIE GOLDBERG, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Clearly you want to be a social commentator, more than just a comedian. And if you want to be a good one, you better find some guts. How about those black columnists who play the race card and generalize about Tea Party people being racists? Why don't you go after them by name, and do it with the same passion and gusto that you use when you're going after Fox people?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Well, after hearing that, Mr. Stewart devoted 11 minutes of his show last night to mocking Bernie, me and Fox News in general.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Look, I'm sorry I told you to go (EXPLETIVE) yourself last week and that other time like six months ago I told to you go (EXPLETIVE) yourself. I know that I criticize you and Fox News a lot, but only because you're truly a terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization.
Oh, wait, you know what? No, that's the wrong approach. That's the wrong approach. That's not — I'm not going to do this. I'm not going to be confrontational. I'm going to take a minute to talk directly to Bernie Goldberg. Baby, I don't want to fight, baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Sure he does. Sure he wants to fight. A brawl with FNC gives Stewart and his 600 writers great material, just like it gives me, the sole writer on "The Factor," great material.
But there are two serious points here. First, why are there no conservative comedians with their own TV programs? The success of the Fox News Channel shows there's a huge audience for non-liberal presentations. And second, I'm now convinced that Jon Stewart likes us. He really likes us. Sally Field told me that.
And it makes sense. A guy like Jon would be bored out of his mind watching CNN or NBC News. He'd bang his head against the wall listening to that predictable stuff.
But here, here, we have all kinds of views, all kinds of debates, and we're not boring. That's why Jon Stewart loves us, and, yes, needs us, especially Bernie Goldberg.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
A sad situation in Haiti. It's out of the headlines, but some celebrities are still helping out over there.
Actress Demi Moore recently returned from a visit to a children's hospital in Port-au-Prince, where many young victims of the earthquake are still recovering. The 47-year-old mother of three spent some time with the children there and brought supplies to the suffering people of Haiti. For this, Ms. Moore is a patriot.
On the pinhead front, how much is too much personal information, Matthew McConnaughey?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW MCCONNAUGHEY, ACTOR: After the show last year, my lady and I, Camilla, we went back to the hotel and conceived the little lady who's now our daughter, Vida Alves McConnaughey. That's a true story. Now I'm back. I'm having a good time again. I promise you me and Camilla are going to try and not get so lucky this year. Two is enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OK, Matt, might be a little bit more than we need to know there, pal. Putting you in the pinhead category.
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