"The Daily Show": Week of 9/1/14

[ruby24]

Maybe he'll take the opportunity to say something about the both of them, since her sudden passing can be grouped with his (a lot of people are mentioning them both today)

[trow125]

It's pretty rare, I think, for Jon to SAY something about a departed celebrity, but I love the MoZ tributes. They usually manage to hit just the right note of being respectful without being maudlin.

[alexvillage]

I could never stand her. Don't think she deserves the recognition. She was vile when called on her disrespectful ways.

[Victor the Crab]

I'm impressed Michael didn't call that disdainful pile of shit Jim Gilchrist a racist right in his face, because that's what he is. After watching that, I'm pretty certain he'll complain (to one of the Fox News dipshits) that what he said verbatimly was taken out of context. And that TDS are the real racists.

[Wax Lion]

At her peak, Rivers was an amazing comedian and one of the earliest groundbreakers in comedy. There are so many ways that her influence can be felt on The Daily Show, at the very least she (with Phyllis Diller) opened the door to Jessica Williams and Sam Bee.

 

She eventually became a hack comedian, going for the obvious and tired insult instead of something with a little bit of insight. I think there's a place where impertinence is key in comedy but Rivers lost track of that fine line.

[Fremde Frau]

It was so satisfying to see Gilchrist fumble through his own logic like that. First, it's that the children are making it up about being in warzones, and then he says they can't escape death. So, basically, his point of view boils down to "I've got mine; fuck you. Because freedom." That's at the heart of so much that is wrong in this country, as though having independence is the same as living outside of the very society that benefits you. It's so fucking embarrassing as an American to watch the debate on this, while other, poorer, more vulnerable countries welcome refugees despite the difficulties. Because humanity.

[marceline]

Michael Che's deadpan works very well with assholes like Gilchrist. Just sit, stare and let him keep digging.

 

I was never a fan of Rivers. There was always too much of the mean girl in her humor but I have to admit that I've been touched to hear all the stories of how supportive she was of up and coming comedians. I suspect it had a lot to do with the way Johnny Carson treated her. And nobody can say that she didn't open doors for women in the business. She deserves credit for that.

[dusang]

I could never stand her. Don't think she deserves the recognition. She was vile when called on her disrespectful ways.

 

At her peak, Rivers was an amazing comedian and one of the earliest groundbreakers in comedy. There are so many ways that her influence can be felt on The Daily Show, at the very least she (with Phyllis Diller) opened the door to Jessica Williams and Sam Bee.

 

She eventually became a hack comedian, going for the obvious and tired insult instead of something with a little bit of insight. I think there's a place where impertinence is key in comedy but Rivers lost track of that fine line.

 

I appreciate that she had a history in the industry before I became aware of her, but I could never understand the appeal.  And, as one of my Twitter friends said "Joan Rivers was gleefully racist, wished death on Palestinians, a rampant transmisogynist, generally an all around hateful & horrible person" so... there's that.

[attica]

I'm impressed Michael didn't call that disdainful pile of shit Jim Gilchrist a racist right in his face, because that's what he is.

 

I loved his ongoing expression of contempt, though. A thing of beauty, it was.

[marceline]

It's pretty rare, I think, for Jon to SAY something about a departed celebrity, but I love the MoZ tributes. They usually manage to hit just the right note of being respectful without being maudlin.

 

Same. I'm always interested to see which clip TDS uses as a remembrance.

[LADreamr]

 

I appreciate that she had a history in the industry before I became aware of her, but I could never understand the appeal.  And, as one of my Twitter friends said "Joan Rivers was gleefully racist, wished death on Palestinians, a rampant transmisogynist, generally an all around hateful & horrible person" so... there's that.

 

My sentiments, exactly.  I don't wish anything bad on her, or her family in their grief, but I had no emotional response to her passing.

[ganesh]

After watching that, I'm pretty certain he'll complain (to one of the Fox News dipshits) that what he said verbatimly was taken out of context.

 

Talk about just giving the guy enough rope to hang himself. Wow. 

 

It was so satisfying to see Gilchrist fumble through his own logic like that. First, it's that the children are making it up about being in warzones, and then he says they can't escape death.

 

I think this is the go to thing now. On PBSNews, there was a sheriff from MA who said basically the same thing. "Change the law so we can send them right back." I don't see what's wrong with giving *kids* a fair hearing to see what's what. 

 

I think the thing with Joan Rivers is that all her early work just isn't really known and it's hard to really get what an impact she's had on comedy. You're talking upwards of 50 years of work to take in. 

[ABay]

Or pick up a copy of We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy. It begins with a chapter on Rivers and her contemporaries, like Phyllis Diller.

[formerlyfreedom]

Okay, folks, let's return to the topic at hand here. Thanks.

 

ETA: We did remove some posts; one post a piece to comment on the subject of the MOZ is fine, BUT getting into a debate over the subject of the MOZ is not appropriate for this topic.

Edited September 5, 2014 by stacey

[Fremde Frau]

Michael Che's deadpan works very well with assholes like Gilchrist. Just sit, stare and let him keep digging.

I loved his ongoing expression of contempt, though. A thing of beauty, it was.

 

Michael Che is really coming into his own as a correspondent. I wish they would give him some sort of series, like John's Australia gun control series or Jason's many adventures across the globe. His deadpan is glorious.

[dubbel zout]

I think Che needs a bit more seasoning. He's improving, but I think he's still a bit awkward.