The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 635

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Savor moments of Zen like never before, with our Senior Philosophical Correspondents

The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy is revised, expanded, and updated to probe deeper than ever before the philosophical significance of the quintessential “fake” news show of the 21st century.

• Features significant revisions and updates from the first 2007 edition
• Includes discussion of both The Daily Show and its spin-off, The Colbert Report
• Reveals why and how The Daily Show is philosophically engaging and significant
• Showcases philosophers at their best, discussing truth, knowledge, reality, and the American Way
• Faces head on tough and surprisingly funny questions about politics, religion, and power

Leseprobe

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: From Wiley-Blackwell’s World Philosophy Headquarters in Malden

Segment 1 HEADLINES: FAUX NEWS IS GOOD NEWS

Chapter 1: Rallying Against the Conflictinator

Amusing Ourselves to Death

The Huxleyan Warning

Postman and Television News

The Daily Show and Television News

Conversation and Crossfire

Business News, CNBC, and Jim Cramer

Fox News Sunday and TV’s Entertainment Bias

The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

A Huxleyan Moment of Zen?

Notes

Chapter 2: The Fake, the False, and the Fictional

Is The Daily Show Fiction?

Hilarious Make-’Em-Ups

Sheer Outrageousness and Surprising Truth

The Role of “Senior” Correspondents

Playing Dumb

The Daily Show, Our Government, and Other News Outlets

The Daily Show v. The Onion

Fake News, Real Messages

Chapter 3: The Daily Show

All the Fake News Fit to Print

The Voice of the People

The Fifth Estate as a State of Mind

Notes

Chapter 4: Seriously Funny

The Politics of Laughter

The Dark Side of Mockery

Mockery, Censorship, and the Free Spread of Ideas

The Place of Mockery in Politics

Notes

Chapter 5: Keeping It (Hyper) Real

Baudrillard’s World2

The Walking Talking Hyperreal

Organize a Fake News Broadcast

The “Best F#@king News Team Ever”

The Larger Argument

Notes

Segment 2 LIVE REPORT: JON STEWART (NOT MILL) AS PHILOSOPHER, SORT OF

Chapter 6: Jon Stewart

Why Americans Hate Intellectuals

You Know It’s Hard out Here for a Public Intellectual8

Stewart’s Ironic Blah, Blah, Blah

“Help Us Hebrew One! You’re Our Only Hope!”

Chapter 7: Stewart and Socrates

Here Come the Sophists!

To Scoff at the Sophist in Office

Men with a Mission

A Method to Their Madness

The Audience: Questioning Youths or Stoned Slackers?

The Irony of It All

“Monkey” Idol or Thoughtful Partisan Satirist?

Notes

Chapter 8: Jon the Cynic

Rebel with a Cause

Humor Leads to Truth

A Healthy Dose of Cynicism

Notes

Chapter 9: “Jews! Camera 3”

Really? You’re Jewish?

Team Buber

Passover v. Easter

Earth (The Book)—Mocking the Sacred

The New Jersey Connection

Notes

Segment 3 FIELD REPORT: POLITICS AND CRITICAL THINKING

Chapter 10: More Bullshit

The Essence of Bullshit and the Truth about Lies

Liars, Liars, Pants on Fire

More Bullshit, Piled Higher and Deeper

A New Spin on an Old Art

Was Frankfurt BS-ing about Spin?

PR-ization of the Media

Spin Alley

Truth Matters

Notes

Chapter 11: The Senior Black Correspondent

Satire: A Tradition of Cultural Criticism

Operating at the Border

Heading West

Larry Wilmore’s Jazz Hands

Notes

Chapter 12: The Daily Show ’s Exposé of Political Rhetoric

A Cavalcade of Fallacies

Tugging at the Heartstrings

Spin: The Systematic Use of Persuasive Language

Satirized for Your Protection

Notes

Chapter 13: The Daily Show Way

Civil Disservice

The Red (Herring) Menace

“Diss” Ingenuous Bullshitting: Scapegoating and Leaping to Judgment (Day)

In the Line of Ire: Reframing the Debate

Look Who’s Not Talking Now: Going Beyond Experience

Show Me the Meta

Self-Effacement and Good Faith

Segment 4 INTERVIEW: RELIGION AND CULTURE

Chapter 14: GOP Almighty

Newt Gingrich on a Potato

Pious Politickin’

Thus Saith Pat

No Really, It’s in the Bible

Pat “Gay People Cause Hurricanes” Robertson

Remember, You’re Only Human

Notes

Chapter 15: Profaning the Sacred

Exclusivism! −There Can Be Only One

Inclusivism!−One of Us

Pluralism!−Inter-Religious Harmony (Against Gays) in Jerusalem

A Plurality of Pluralisms

“The God Exchange” Is Now Closed

Eulogy: The Safe Turn to Politics

Notes

Chapter 16: Jon Stewart and the Fictional War on Christmas

There Is No War on Christmas

The First War for Christmas

The Modern War for Christmas

A Wall of Separation between Christians and Christmas

The Original Meaning of Christmas

Notes

Chapter 17: Evolution, Schmevolution

Evolution: The Fundamentals

Why, Then, Is There a Problem?

What Is Intelligent Design, Anyway?

So, Evolution or Schmevolution?

Postscript: After (and Before) Dover

Segment 5 YOUR MOMENT OF ZEN: BEYOND THE DAILY SHOW

Chapter 18: America (The Book)

Humor with a Point

Reversing Democracy Inaction

Government of, by, or for the People?

Mediating the Media

Putting Knowledge to Work

Postscript: Earth (The Book)

Notes

Chapter 19: A Tea Party for Me the People

We the People

Anti-History

Notes

Chapter 20: Neologization à la Stewart and Colbert

Humpty Dumpty and the French Academy

Wordplaying by the Rules

Your Moment of Zen

Notes

Chapter 21: Irrationality and “Gut” Reasoning

A Little Background

Truthiness and Problems of Irrationality

Wishful Thinking and Self-Deception: What Are They?

The Paradoxes of Irrationality

One Solution: Divide the Mind

An Alternative Account

Truthiness and Self-Deception

Feeling the Truth: Can Our Guts Get Us Justified Belief?

A Tip of the Hat

Notes

Chapter 22: Thank God It’s Stephen Colbert!

Ironists: People Destroying America

Colbert Nation-Building

Proust-Spouting, Atheist Gay Truck Mechanics

Speaking Truthiness to Power

Better Know an Ironist

Notes

Senior Philosophical Correspondents

Index

The Blackwell Philosophy and PopCulture SeriesSeries Editor: William Irwin

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, and a healthy helping of popular culture clears the cobwebs from Kant. Philosophy has had a public relations problem for a few centuries now. This series aims to change that, showing that philosophy is relevant to your life—and not just for answering the big questions like “To be or not to be?” but for answering the little questions: “To watch or not to watch South Park?” Thinking deeply about TV, movies, and music doesn’t make you a “complete idiot.” In fact it might make you a philosopher, someone who believes the unexamined life is not worth living and the unexamined cartoon is not worth watching.

Already published in the series:

24 and Philosophy: The World According to JackEdited by Jennifer Hart Weed, Richard Brian Davis, and Ronald Weed30 Rock and Philosophy: We Want to Go to ThereEdited by J. Jeremy WisnewskiAlice in Wonderland and Philosophy: Curiouser and CuriouserEdited by Richard Brian DavisArrested Development and Philosophy: They’ve Made a Huge MistakeEdited by Kristopher Phillips and J. Jeremy WisnewskiThe Avengers and Philosophy: Earth’s Mightiest ThinkersEdited by Mark D. WhiteBatman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the SoulEdited by Mark D. White and Robert ArpBattlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Knowledge Here Begins Out ThereEdited by Jason T. EberlThe Big Bang Theory and Philosophy: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Aristotle, LockeEdited by Dean KowalskiThe Big Lebowski and Philosophy: Keeping Your Mind Limber with Abiding WisdomEdited by Peter S. FoslBlack Sabbath and Philosophy: Mastering RealityEdited by William IrwinThe Daily Show and Philosophy: Moments of Zen in the Art of Fake NewsEdited by Jason HoltDownton Abbey and Philosophy: The Truth Is Neither Here Nor ThereEdited by Mark D. WhiteEnder’s Game and PhilosophyEdited by Kevin S. DeckerFamily Guy and Philosophy: A Cure for the PetardedEdited by J. Jeremy WisnewskiFinal Fantasy and Philosophy: The Ultimate WalkthroughEdited by Jason P. Blahuta and Michel S. BeaulieuGame of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper Than SwordsEdited by Henry JacobyThe Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy: Everything is FireEdited by Eric BronsonGreen Lantern and Philosophy: No Evil Shall Escape this BookEdited by Jane Dryden and Mark D. WhiteHeroes and Philosophy: Buy the Book, Save the WorldEdited by David Kyle JohnsonThe Hobbit and Philosophy: For When You’ve Lost Your Dwarves, Your Wizard, and Your WayEdited by Gregory Bassham and Eric BronsonHouse and Philosophy: Everybody LiesEdited by Henry JacobyThe Hunger Games and Philosophy: A Critique of Pure TreasonEdited by George Dunn and Nicolas MichaudInception and Philosophy: Because It’s Never Just a DreamEdited by David JohnsonIron Man and Philosophy: Facing the Stark RealityEdited by Mark D. WhiteLost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its ReasonsEdited by Sharon M. KayeMad Men and Philosophy: Nothing Is as It SeemsEdited by James South and Rod CarvethMetallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain SurgeryEdited by William IrwinThe Office and Philosophy: Scenes from the Unfinished LifeEdited by J. Jeremy WisnewskiSouth Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something TodayEdited by Robert ArpSpider-Man and Philosophy: The Web of InquiryEdited by Jonathan SanfordSuperman and Philosophy: What Would the Man of Steel Do?Edited by Mark D. WhiteTerminator and Philosophy: I’ll Be Back, Therefore I AmEdited by Richard Brown and Kevin S. DeckerTrue Blood and Philosophy: We Wanna Think Bad Things with YouEdited by George Dunn and Rebecca HouselTwilight and Philosophy: Vampires, Vegetarians, and the Pursuit of ImmortalityEdited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy WisnewskiThe Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy: More Moments of Zen, More Indecision TheoryEdited by Jason HoltThe Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for MugglesEdited by Gregory BasshamThe Ultimate Lost and Philosophy: Think Together, Die AloneEdited by Sharon KayeThe Ultimate South Park and Philosophy: Respect My Philosophah!Edited by Robert Arp and Kevin S. DeckerThe Walking Dead and Philosophy: Shotgun. Machete. Reason.Edited by Christopher RobichaudWatchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach TestEdited by Mark D. WhiteX-Men and Philosophy: Astonishing Insight and Uncanny Argument in the Mutant X-VerseEdited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski

Forthcoming:

Sons of Anarchy and PhilosophyEdited by George Dunn and Jason EberlSupernatural and PhilosophyEdited by Galen A. Foresman

This edition first published 2013© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy : More Moments of Zen, More Indecision Theory / edited by Jason Holt. pages cm. – (The Blackwell Philosophy and PopCulture Series) Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-118-39768-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)1. Daily show (Television program) I. Holt, Jason, 1971– editor of compilation. PN1992.77.D28D35 2014 791.45′ 72–dc23

2013006643

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Cover image: Jon Stewart © Kristin Callahan/Rex Features; Socrates © thegreekphotoholic/iStockphoto; Jean-Paul-Sartre © Bettmann/CORBISCover design by www.simonlevy.co.uk

To Megan

Acknowledgments

Thanks to everyone at Wiley-Blackwell, especially Series Editor Bill Irwin, for making this book possible. Thanks also to the contributors, whose patient hard work made it actual. Thanks to The Daily Show (and The Colbert Report) for continuing to give so much to write about, and to those of you fan enough to buy this book.

Introduction

From Wiley-Blackwell’s World Philosophy Headquarters in Malden

Welcome toThe Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy. I’m your editor, Jason Holt, and let me just say first off, thanks for not being deterred by the title. How brash to dub this the “ultimate” with the show still in production, popular as ever. Ultimate indeed! Other modifiers—“more,” “2.0,” “TNG,” and such were considered, but here we are at “ultimate.” If you thought the first edition was ­amazing, or pretty good, or just adequate, brace yourself. This one’s, well, better.

I think we’re okay with the subtitle:More Moments of Zen, More Indecision Theory. Everyone who’s seenThe Daily Show knows its practice of ending each show with a clip, the so-called moment of Zen. What could be more philosophical than a moment of Zen? When putting together the original volume in 2006, I supposed one of the contributors would explain moments of Zen, perhaps even devoting a chapter to the subject. Didn’t happen. But, when the call came to put together this “ultimate” edition you now hold in your hand, or “on” your digital thingamabob, or listen to as an audiobook, it didn’t ­happen either. So, I guess I’ll have to saysomething about it here. It’s a matter of conscience. So what are moments of Zen? Short video clips, usually of politicians or other public figures, which encapsulate an implicit yet evident point: be it the hypocrisy of the speaker, an obvious truth that’s gone unsaid, criticism that’s been marginalized, and so on. What do such often-poignant clips have to do with Zen? Well, not much, really. At most there might be a kind of loose ­acknowledgment byThe Daily Show of the importance of simplicity, and of not trying to explicitly utter what perhaps can only, or best, be gestured at. Seems a bit “Zennish,” even if it’s not Zen.

As for “indecision theory,” fans of The Daily Show are familiar with their longstanding election coverage tag: “Indecision 20__” (there having been Indecisions 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012, plus ­midterm Indecisions 2002, 2006, and 2010—although “Democalypse 2012” seems to have proved a more popular label, at least up until Stewart and Colbert’s joint election-night coverage). There’s a branch of philosophy that studies how principles of rationality apply to ­decision-making: decision theory. As this book is—yes—philosophy, it only makes sense to combine the two, especially as one of The Daily Show’s ongoing concerns is how to critically evaluate information sources in making rational political choices.

It has been gratifying that in the years since the original edition was published there has been a palpable increase in scholarly interest in The Daily Show and its increasingly significant role in contemporary culture—whether this is seen through the lens of the alleged “Daily Show effect” or, more optimistically, that of acknowledging what is truly special—even profound—about the particular humor of the show. You know that The Daily Show is funny, really funny, and that the performers and writers are pretty sharp. You also know that it’s much more than run-of-the-mill late night entertainment. In its over fifteen-year run The Daily Show has remained topical, and has achieved an undeniable cultural significance, as fit for ranting blogs as for academic treatises.

Why philosophy? Not only does The Daily Show tackle issues that interest philosophers and that matter in many people’s daily lives, it does so in instructive ways that deserve and are well-served by philosophical treatment. Contemporary philosophers have even appeared as guests on the show. Each chapter in this book shows why and how The Daily Show is philosophically engaging and significant. If you’re hoping that The Colbert Report also gets a going-over, you won’t be disappointed.

Like the show itself, this book is divided into five “segments.” We start by focusing on fake news: what’s distinctive about it, what it does, how it works (“headlines”). Then we segue into discussions of Jon Stewart as a (kind of) philosopher figure, reflecting deep concerns some of which have existed for—literally—millennia (“live report”). Next comes politics and critical thinking (“field report”), followed by religion and culture (“interview”), and finally topics like The Colbert Report that are “Daily Show adjacent” (“moment of Zen”).

On behalf of all the Senior Philosophical Correspondents here—and it’s a cliché, I know, but it’s also true—we hope you enjoy reading the book as much as we did writing it.

Segment 1

HEADLINES

FAUX NEWS IS GOOD NEWS

Chapter 1

Rallying Against the Conflictinator

Jon Stewart, Neil Postman, and Entertainment Bias

Gerald J. Erion

While The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is certainly entertaining, it can also deliver a deeper analysis of our contemporary media environment. Indeed, hidden within many of host Jon Stewart’s funniest jokes are implicit critiques of the way television tends to conduct its public discussions of important issues. For instance, Stewart’s opening rundown of the news as covered by the 24-hour cable networks doesn’t merely ridicule the day’s major players and events; often, it goes even further, making fun of television’s most basic reporting and presentation techniques. In this way, over-the-top visual and audio elements, attractive but superficial “Senior Correspondents,” and all the other trappings of TV ­newscasts become fodder for The Daily Show’s writing staff. Not simply a “fake news” program, then, The Daily Show offers a rare brand of humor that requires its ­audience to recognize a more serious and philosophical criticism of ­contemporary television journalism.

From time to time, Stewart takes these implicit criticisms of contemporary media and makes them explicit. Such was the case during his October 2004 appearance on CNN’s Crossfire, during which he begged his hosts to “stop hurting America” with their substitution of entertaining pseudo-journalism for serious reporting and debate. Through this bold, format-breaking effort, Stewart highlighted the difference between thoughtful discussion and the theater of today’s vapid television punditry. Subsequent exchanges with CNBC’s Jim Cramer and Fox’s Chris Wallace allowed Stewart to further advance his argument. And as we will see, Stewart’s analysis echoes that of the celebrated New York University media theorist Neil Postman, whose discerning insights seem to ground some of The Daily Show’s sharpest comic bits.

Amusing Ourselves to Death

Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death is a book that aims to show how the media we use to communicate with one another can influence the content of our conversations. Postman acknowledges a significant intellectual debt to Marshall McLuhan, and sees his own thesis as something of a revised version of McLuhan’s famous pronouncement that “the medium is the message.”1 However, Postman extends McLuhan’s ideas in ways that are both distinctive and significant.

For example, consider Postman’s discussion of smoke signals. While the medium of smoke might be an effective way to communicate relatively simple messages over intermediate distances, many other types of messages can’t be carried this way. Philosophical arguments, for instance, would be especially difficult to conduct with smoke ­signals because, as Postman puts it,

Puffs of smoke are insufficiently complex to express ideas on the nature of existence [or other philosophical concepts], and even if they were not, a Cherokee philosopher would run short of either wood or ­blankets long before he reached his second axiom. You cannot use smoke to do philosophy. Its form excludes the content.2

So, the medium of smoke has a significant influence on the kinds of content it can convey. At a minimum, smoke signaling restricts both the complexity and the duration of the messages it carries. Likewise, we shall see that television influences its content, and that ’s jokes often poke fun at these effects.