For a guy who's considered a media darling, Jon Stewart is becoming awfully controversial. First, during an appearance on CNN's Crossfire on Oct. 15, Stewart lambasted the show for ''hurting America'' by turning news into a theatrical spectacle. Cohost Tucker Carlson bristled at being accused of ''partisan hackery'' by an interviewer he had accused of lobbing softballs at John Kerry during the candidate's recent interview on The Daily Show. Stewart replied that CNN should hold itself to a higher standard than a Comedy Central humorist whose lead-in show features ''puppets making crank phone calls.'' Stewart even went so far as to call Carlson a ''d--k'' on the air, in response to Carlson's complaint that Stewart wasn't being funny.
Last week, Wal-Mart stores nationwide canceled their order for copies of the new best-selling book by Stewart and the Daily Show writers. The reason? America (The Book) contains a picture that appears to depict the Supreme Court justices without their robes and with their, um, Tucker Carlsons hanging out. ''We felt a majority of our customers would not be comfortable with the image in our stores,'' Wal-Mart spokeswoman Karen Burk told the New York Daily News. Wal-Mart customers who want to see a simulated picture of naked Supreme Court justices can still buy the book at the walmart.com website, however.
Is Stewart's criticism of the talking-head shows valid? Is he justified in feeling alarmed that many viewers find his Daily Show a more reliable news source than traditional news programs? Is Wal-Mart being hypocritical by selling the book on its website but not in its stores, or is it right not to stock the book on open shelves? Does Wal-Mart have no sense of humor, or is it Stewart who's lost his? Discuss below, but please, no partisan hackery.
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