Jon Stewart and Jesus’s Tomb
March 6, 2007, 7:46 am
Posted by Cathleen Kaveny
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is the Colbert Report’s parent show–Stephen Colbert got his start as a “reporter” on the Daily Show. It’s enormously popular with younger people–in fact, a substantial proportion of younger people say they get their news just from the Daily Show.
The styles of the hosts are different; whereas Colbert plays a character, Stewart is himself–taking an ironic, gently mocking stance toward the madness of the politicians and newsmakers.
Here he deals with James Cameron “discovery” of the tomb of Jesus. And Bill Donohue.
Bill Donohue is to Catholics what Ann Coulter must be to Republicans.
It’s enough to make you want to attend Mass with a bag over your head.
And Jon was right….first time I’ve ever heard the word “Lenten” spoken with the same inflection as an expletive.
That was very funny. The part that gets to me is the statement that 48% of identified female names on tombs are Mary, Mariam, or the third beginning with an S. This is such an obvious statistical dodge — if 47% are that S name and only 1% are Mary or Mariam, the point is still literally true while it is, for all intents and purposes, totally false as it pertains to the actual point being made (that lots of families included a Mary and Jesus). Jon Stewart is a class act to so succinctly put Bill D into perspective — angry hypocrite — without being mean about it. Maybe Amanda Marcotte can intern with him to learn how to insult people by letting their own words hang them.
Yeesh. I could only imagine some kid saying, “Don’t toy with me, pal. My Dad is God (or my Granddad is God)”. if/when he got pulled over for speeding.
Yo, Bill! As many a Southern lady says, “Bless your heart.”
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert make all this nonsense bearable. Since many apparently only get a take on the news from them, we do well to appreciate their wit and skepticism. Will belief survive irony? I sure hope so.
I think belief needs irony to survive..