Stewart vs. Cramer: Would he do the same thing to Brian Williams?
It was brutal. And all of it needed to be said. It was, however, hard to watch at times. I don't hate Jim Cramer. I love Jon Stewart, for all the reasons we all watch The Daily Show as our source of real news in America. It's so on-the-money. But I couldn't help feeling, and I know I may be skewered for this, that Jon Stewart is big coward.
Many big name, network news personalities have appeared on The Daily Show. Many men and women who used their air time to promote and defend George W. Bush and the disaster that is Iraq and now our economy. His treatment of them is dramatically different then what he did to Jim Cramer. I'll use one example, though I think there are many: Brian Williams. Mr.Williams, when he was primarily on MSNBC routinely mocked Al Gore, the MSM favorite whipping boy during the 2000 Presidential campaign. Later, along with many of the other network/cable talking heads, he cheered on the lead up to the war. We all know the rest with how these people became surrogates for Bush's crimes.
When these people have appeared with Jon it's playful back and forth, with some bite but very little bark. It's safe, and within the rules. Everyone comes away still able to be invited to the same parties. These MSM people have as much blood on their hands as George W. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, go down the list.
Jim Cramer is an easy target. Stewart was right. But he has not and will never do the kind of brutal, evisceration to big name news personalities that he did to Mr. Cramer. Just think what could have happened if a Brian Williams, a Tom Brokow, a Tim Russert, a Barbara Walters, a Charlie Rose, stood up and said on the air, this is madness, what are we doing. You know, pulled an Ed Murrow. They didn't. But they get the playful treatment. Cramer got ruined. Jon Stewart, I still love you man, but I think you play the game.
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You're right to some extent, but when Stewart makes light fun of some of those big names, they don't go on as many television programs as possible to bitch and moan about it, so it stays teasing. If Cramer had kept his mouth shut in the first place, realizing that the first CNBC bit was both funny and accurate, it wouldn't have escalated. He deserved what he got.
The smartest emperors know they don't have clothes.
March 13, 2009 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink