Culture and Media Institute: 

It was contentious and dramatic. On Sunday, June 19, “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace grilled funnyman Jon Stewart on his obvious liberal bias and Stewart replied, “… there is not a designed ideological agenda on my part to affect partisan change …”

The exchange got heated when Stewart held that line, telling Wallace, “You can’t understand, because of the world you live in, that there is not a designed, ideological agenda on my part to affect partisan change, because that’s the soup you swim in.”

Well, “designed” or not, Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” mocks the right far more than it does the left, and a survey of the 16 broadcasts since the Wallace-Stewart run-in proves it.

CMI found that Stewart went after Republicans and Fox News (which he labels “conservative”) almost four times as often as liberals and Democrats in just two weeks of shows. However the next eight broadcasts proved that Stewart just couldn’t help but show his true, partisan colors.

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There’s a dirty little secret in the entertainment industry (ok, there are a LOT of dirty little secrets, but I’ll just reveal one in this post):  A lot of people have jobs for the sole purpose of protecting others from looking like assholes.

In the inherently egocentric world of entertainment, no one wants to reveal themselves to be the bitchy, obnoxious, catty, vindictive, mean-spirited and selfish person that they really are.  So they hire others to do it for them.  This is especially true with the part of the business revealed by Steven Crowder’s stunning new video that shows how Jon Stewart’s PRODUCER told Crowder’s MANAGER that the Daily Show doesn’t book conservative pundits.  In the extra sensitive realm of hiring or not hiring (especially in such a subjective and sensitive industry as ours) these extra layers are essential to keeping everyone looking like the great guy and gal we are all sure they are.

Think about it: Jay Leno was the nice guy back in the late show booking wars, Helen Kushnick was the monster, right?  And actor’s are never to blame for the outrageous demands their cut-throat agents squeeze from the studios, right?  As a theatrical general manager I handled duties like this all the time.  I was the asshole who had to tell Val Kilmer he couldn’t do all the crap he tried to do, and the producer who hired me came in right behind me and gave Val’s ass a nice air kiss, but make no mistake, if I air-kissed any part of Kilmer that producer would have canned me.  My job was to be the asshole so my boss could schmooze with Val Kilmer.

And so it goes.

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In the 80’s my quest was to see the Letterman show live.  I LOVED his sense of humor. Memorable segments were “the guy under the stairs,” Larry “Bud” Melman, “Fun with Rupert,” and Biff Henderson’s “Map Across America.” I also got a kick out of Dave’s mom going to and reporting on the Olympics as well as her “name that pie” bit on Thanksgivings. My ultimate fav was Dave’s wacky antics with Mujibar & Sirajul.  It was all comic originality; fresh, silly, and sometimes mindless, but really entertaining and funny.

Disappointingly, by the time I finally did see the show in 2004, the bits I loved ceased to exist and most likely had been banished to the “Late Show” archives.  Rather than attending my first show with eagerness, it was just a cheap way to kill an evening during a business trip.  Since I didn’t have a ticket, I knew I’d need to charm my way in.

A friend had told me that to get in the front row they have “audience scouts” outside the theatre looking for people who are attractive, friendly, expressive, and bubbly.  Being an actress I knew how to play that part, so I glammed up and put on my best New York artsy chic and set out to the Ed Sullivan Theatre.  The “audience scouts,” who looked all of about 14-years-old, were out in front waiting for their subjects to approach.  Oh, to be that young making so little money but holding so much power!  Knowing what I must do, I got my “bubble on” and with just the right amount of star stuck enthusiasm I approached one of the 14-year-old keepers of the audience paperwork! (more…)