{"id":1070,"date":"2011-07-29T07:27:36","date_gmt":"2011-07-29T11:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithmediaandculture\/?p=1070"},"modified":"2011-07-29T08:51:10","modified_gmt":"2011-07-29T12:51:10","slug":"why-jon-stewart-and-greg-gutfeld-are-funny-and-bill-maher-and-tracy-morgan-arent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/2011\/07\/why-jon-stewart-and-greg-gutfeld-are-funny-and-bill-maher-and-tracy-morgan-arent.html","title":{"rendered":"Why Jon Stewart and Greg Gutfeld are funny and Bill Maher and Tracy Morgan aren’t"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here are today’s dispatches from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.<\/p>\n

1. HBO renews crappy show.<\/strong> From Hollywood Reporter<\/a>: HBO kicked off Wednesday’s Television Critics Association Tour session by announcing it has picked up Bill Maher’<\/strong>s show, Real Time With Bill Maher, for a 10th season.<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Maher mocks Beck’s Israel speech.<\/strong> From The Blaze<\/a>: On this week\u2019s coming episode of Real Time, Maher will reportedly dedicate one of his \u201cnew rules\u201d to Israel, a country Maher thinks must change its motto to \u201csave us from our friends.\u201d Obviously a jab at Glenn, coming on the heels of his CUFI address.<\/em>
\nMaher, who snidely labeled Beck a \u201cboneless baby-man with the emotional maturity of Polly Pockets,\u201d insinuated Beck is delusional for counting himself a Jew who is willing to defend Israel, saying: \u201cWell, sorry tubby dearest, but spending the weekend in Israel doesn\u2019t make you a Jew, it\u2019s like going to Disneyland and\u00a0announcing\u00a0you\u2019re a duck.”
\n<\/em>Comment:<\/strong> Nasty, but actually pretty mild stuff for Maher who seems to conflate name calling with comedy.<\/p>\n

Compare him to the Daily Show<\/em>‘s Jon Stewart, an actual comedian, who employs pointed humor and satire without resorting to desperate and childish name calling and the comparison isn’t pretty. I disagree with them both politically but Stewart is clever . Even when he’s targeting my side on a particular issue, his comments usually have the ring of, at least, some truth.\u00a0 Plus, he does actually recognize and occasionally skewer the excesses of the left.<\/p>\n

Some conservatives attack Stewart for being unfair. I think that in itself is unfair because comedians aren’t required to be fair. They’re allowed to have a point of view. It is fair, however, to ask that they be actually, you know, funny — and that their humor be rooted in something resembling truth (Stewart’s is even when I disagree with him) and not be flat out mean.<\/p>\n

I don’t care if it’s Maher attacking Bristol Palin and her mom (“The s–t doesn’t fall far from the bat”<\/em><\/a>) or Tracy Morgan thinking stabbing a gay child to death is a punchline (he’s since apologized)<\/a> or Morgan cruelly mocking the mentally handicapped (\u201cthem young retarded males is strong \u2026 they\u2019re strong like chimps<\/em>.\u201d) mean isn’t funny, never will be. (BTW, as far as I know, Morgan’s latter comment went unapologized for. I can only guess that advocacy groups for the mentally handicapped aren’t politically powerful enough to warrant an apology, much less a full-fledged apology tour.)<\/p>\n

True comedy lies in truth, not cruelty. Stewart gets it. Maher doesn’t.<\/p>\n

One more thing:<\/strong> Funny as Stewart is, he could use some conservative competition. My suggestion would be taking Fox News’ Red Eye w\/ Greg Gutfeld<\/em><\/a> and running it either on FX or as a syndicated show on Fox broadcast affiliates at 11:00 PM. Like Stewart, Gutfeld and his panel are opinionated and funny without resorting to schoolyard-like bullying and name calling,<\/p>\n

The show could still be replayed at 3:00 AM (or whatever unworldly hour it appears on Fox News). The move would draw viewers to Red Eye<\/em>\u00a0 while\u00a0 providing viewers with real comedic choice. The Daily Show<\/em> vs. Red Eye<\/em>. May the funnier show win. And may Bill Maher grow up.<\/p>\n

3. Simon Miller<\/em> arrives on NBC next week.<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VxkKBqj_3UM<\/p>\n

The family adventure Who is Simon Miller?<\/em>, the seventh in the Walmart-P&G Family Movie Night<\/em> series, premieres next Saturday night (Aug. 6) at 8:00 PM (ET).\u00a0 I’ve seen it and I can tell you that it’s a really good ride that the whole family can enjoy.\u00a0 I’ll have more next week.<\/p>\n

4. Tough times hit the Tooth Fairy.<\/strong> From The Denver Post<\/a>:\u00a0 The economy is so tough that it has taken a bite out of what kids get for losing teeth. Compared with a year ago, youngsters reaching under their pillows have found an average of 40 cents less per tooth, according to a recent Visa Inc. survey.The going rate nationally per tooth is down to $2.60 from $3.
\n<\/em>Comment:<\/strong> That’s why they Tooth Fairy is diversifying her portfolio with into gold tooth fillings.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Encourage one another and build each other up \u2013 <\/em>1 Thessalonians 5:11<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here are today’s dispatches from the crossroads of faith, media and culture. 1. HBO renews crappy show. From Hollywood Reporter: HBO kicked off Wednesday’s Television Critics Association Tour session by announcing it has picked up Bill Maher’s show, Real Time With Bill Maher, for a 10th season. 2. Maher mocks Beck’s Israel speech. 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He has written over 100 children's novels based on episodes of the Cartoon Network series \"Ben 10\", \"Ben 10: Alien Force\", \"Ben 10: Ultimate Alien\", \"Ben 10: Omniverse\" and \"Generator Rex\" among others. He also writes Beliefnet\u2019s \"Faith, Media & Culture\" blog. Previously, he has produced successful news and talk programming for CNN, Fox News, Pax TV and SiriusXM. Specialties: Script Writing, Movie\/TV Novelizations & Adaptations, TV Content Creation and Development, Creative Consultation, Producing and Booking News and Talk shows. 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