"The Daily Show": Week of 10/27/14

[trow125]

*TDS IN AUSTIN, TX*
10/27: Wendy Davis (State Senator and Gubernatorial Candidate, D-TX, & author – promoting book “Forgetting to Be Afraid: A Memoir”)
10/28: Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX)
10/29: TBD
10/30: Spoon (band – promoting album “They Want My Soul”)

[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

I hope we don't get an all Texas week. Although I'm rooting hard for Wendy Davis, any state that thinks Ted Cruz is Senatorial material is pretty much hopeless.

[ABay]

There are times when I think the idea of a wall blocking off the country is a good idea, but it should be built further north.

[trow125]

TBD filled in:

10/29: Ellar Coltrane (actor - promoting movie "Boyhood")

[Victor the Crab]

Excellent opening to the week in Austin. I hope they keep using the Dallas themed opening credits all week. And man do I miss Aasif.

 

So they'll be doing normal shows in Austin. May not be too bad. Self control with those coffin sticks, Jon.

[peeayebee]

That was a fun show. Obviously I hadn't been paying attention because I didn't know the show was going to be from Austin. I actually started FFing thru the intro because I thought it was some other show.

 

Lots of energy. I think I'll really enjoy this week.

[Sharpie66]

I loved the random appearance of Elijah Wood (WTF?) in the opening credits. Also great to see Aasif again!!

[ganesh]

^ I know. And they went with a ring gag. 

 

I find it interesting that a gun permit is ok for voter ID, but a college ID isn't. I think Davis' claim that it's essentially a poll tax has merit. 

[walnutqueen]

I find it interesting that a gun permit is ok for voter ID, but a college ID isn't.

 

I find it horrifying, ganesh.  :-(

 

I giggled like a girl at the Dallas opener.

[solotrek]

Can I just say I love the Friday Night Lights reference in the intro? Good to see Aasif back and it looks like Al will be around too. Yay!

 

How gross must that meat necklace have been by the time they started filming? I've heard of the amazing Texas BBQ (admittedly thru a lot of Friday Night Lights), but I would not eat any of the stuff around his neck. I assume it'd be like the food they use in Whose Line for helping hands, gross, unapalatable, and likely to make you sick. Also, anyone else thought that they were channeling The Walking Dead when they started munching on the BBQ meat?

 

I didn't know the conditions the nurse was quarantined in were so horrible. I'm all for tents with no showers or heating when I'm out backpacking in the woods or mountains, but that is kind of ridiculous. At least in the woods my poop is not in an open box that is constantly near me.

 

Wendy Davis seemed like a good candidate to me, so I guess she's going to lose since it's Texas.

 

The MoZ cracked me up.

[Fremde Frau]

I wish I knew the basic reference(s) for that opening because I feel it would have been even more hilarious. That said, it was pretty fantastic. Poor Jon looked better in that Hazmat suit than as a cowboy. How did they get all of those people? For the MOZ, I was almost expecting a brick joke involving Elijah Wood, Jon's eye, and a pen, but I'm glad that didn't happen.

 

Aasif, welcome back! I'm so glad that he's still on the show(?). I hope we see him every night this week. It's been too long!

[Latverian Diplomat]

 

 

How gross must that meat necklace have been by the time they started filming?... Also, anyone else thought that they were channeling The Walking Dead when they started munching on the BBQ meat?

 

I didn't know the conditions the nurse was quarantined in were so horrible. I'm all for tents with no showers or heating when I'm out backpacking in the woods or mountains, but that is kind of ridiculous. At least in the woods my poop is not in an open box that is constantly near me.

They are professionals, anything to sell a joke. Aasif was definitely doing a zombie bit.

 

Honestly, I think Christie/Cuomo expected the airport quarantine to be a do-nothing tough-guy gesture. When it accidentally affected a real, sympathetic person, there were  no resources ready to actually implement the policy properly. The tent was clearly a desperate improvisation. 

 

Nice to see some biting humor about the hysteria. It's overdue.

[iMonrey]

Why are they in Austin? Something weird was going on with Jon's hair, maybe the hazmat suit messed it up.

[The Luvly Junkie]

They are professionals, anything to sell a joke. Aasif was definitely doing a zombie bit.

 

Honestly, I think Christie/Cuomo expected the airport quarantine to be a do-nothing tough-guy gesture. When it accidentally affected a real, sympathetic person, there were  no resources ready to actually implement the policy properly. The tent was clearly a desperate improvisation. 

 

Nice to see some biting humor about the hysteria. It's overdue.

        Yea, I didn't notice at first Aasif's zombie-walk to join the BBQ lei-fest. Looks like Jonny-bun's Ebola coverage proves that this disease is Halloween's most ghastly fear aside from diabetes after a candy hangover. Now I hope someone will bestow me one whenever I fly to Texas for the first time.

 

Why are they in Austin?

       I wondered the same thing, especially after they focused on Ebola (with a tease of Texan seasoning) for the first two segments followed by a midterm candidate who set a record because of last year's floor standoff, which is the only substantial thing related to Midterms. Maybe they made sure to distance the theater's proximity from D.C. and any pompous political establishment by miles. Hundreds of miles. But as an embracer of change, I was very excited TDS took advantage of the Southern culture. It seems that the rage of ISIS, Ebola, and Fangate seem to get in the way of covering an election that seems important. Oh well, at least I can cross off "Dressing up like cowboys" and "Sick Intro" from my list of things I expect from Jonny-bun and company. I hope they can keep that energy when they cover more of the midterms this and next week.

 

       P.S. Yay! Aasif and his rage are back. ^_^

[Victor the Crab]

When I got bloated from eating in Texas, it came from the buffet at Pancho's.

 

Democrats are like Tesla salespeople who tell their potential buyers "We're not really confident these cars can run on electricity", while Republicans are the loud, sleazy used car salesperson that continually sells people obvious lemons without remorse. Rachel Maddow was correct in saying if they can't get behind their ideas, they deserve to lose.

 

They say Don't Mess With Texas, and they're probably correct. It's looks like a big enough mess.

[ZoqFotPik]

 

I find it interesting that a gun permit is ok for voter ID, but a college ID isn't.

To be fair, a gun permit is a state issued ID.

[purist]

 

I wish I knew the basic reference(s) for that opening because I feel it would have been even more hilarious.

 

Fremde Frau, they are referencing the opening credits of the original Dallas TV series.

[peeayebee]

Loved the song that Paisley did.

 

I don't know why Mitch McDonnell's people didn't reshoot that commercial. 

[ganesh]

It's not whether a gun permit isn't a valid form of ID, it's that you can use that, but *not* use a college ID for voter identification. You can't require ID and then limit the form of. There's a clear demo between who would have a gun permit v a college kid voting for the first time, for example. The constitution says you have to be a legal american and 18 y/o to vote. That's it. 

 

I think asking people who they voted for is stupid and pretty weak in terms of journalism. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

Fremde Frau, they are referencing the opening credits of the original Dallas TV series.

 

 

And I LOVED IT! It may be because I grew up watching the original, but I just love that theme song and its three way title thingies!

[stillshimpy]

Wow, I missed Aasif, I was ridiculously glad to see him.  Don't get me wrong, the current batch of correspondents is great, but I thought we had lost Aasif entirely and between John Oliver, Wyatt Cenac, Larry Wilmore all departing within the last year or so, I was not ready for Aasif to be gone too. 

 

 

 

Honestly, I think Christie/Cuomo expected the airport quarantine to be a do-nothing tough-guy gesture. When it accidentally affected a real, sympathetic person, there were  no resources ready to actually implement the policy properly. The tent was clearly a desperate improvisation.

 

Emphasis on desperate, because the Quaker Farm Camp I went to as a kid had better lavatory facilities.   

 

The wisdom behind trying to stop the alleged spread of Ebola by forcing someone to defecate into what amounts to a Hefty Bag cannot have been thought up by anyone who has even a basic understanding of the disease.  Holy shit, I hope that nurse sues New Jersey into the back of beyond and that Chris Christie has to personally pay the fee and make amends by living in that thing for 5 weeks.  

 

She doesn't have a sink.  What the hell?  So crap in a bag and be unable to adequately wash your hands.  Somewhere even Typhoid Mary raised a skeptical eyebrow in the Great Beyond.  

Edited October 29, 2014 by stillshimpy

[dubbel zout]

But she's getting the best takeout in New Jersey! She needs to stop whining.

[Fremde Frau]

Ah! Now, it makes sense. Thank you, @purist!

 

I wish TDS would do an entire show in the Twilight Zone mode. That was rather wonderful. (I had no idea Jon used to smoke. That explains his voice.)
 
Here are the extended interviews with Davis and Castro, if anyone is interested.

[The Luvly Junkie]

Ah! Now, it makes sense. Thank you, @purist!

 

I wish TDS would do an entire show in the Twilight Zone mode. That was rather wonderful. (I had no idea Jon used to smoke. That explains his voice.)

 

Here are the extended interviews with Davis and Castro, if anyone is interested.

        Oh yea, I'm interested, especially Castro's. What got my attention was at the very end, and why there is a lack of political guests this week. I guess the Republicans are too scared a comedian will ruin their chances of winning a seat in the Senate. Jon's right; "Chicken F@^K'D" best describes how the Republicans feel. I hope Mr. Castro remembers to memo Louie Gohmert about being a guest.

[Fremde Frau]

Yeah, I love this conservative notion that Jon is unfair and edits interviews to make his guests look foolish. No, those are the field interviews. If you look foolish when Jon interviews you, then you've done that work all on your own. Instead, he's criticized by some on the left for being too nice, and I think they probably know that, but it's a comfortable, convenient story to keep using.

 

Speaking of red states that are trying to swing blue, this is killing me. It looks like 2014 could be a record turnout, though. C'mon, Georgia!

[ChelseaNH]

Seriously, Scott Brown?  You might want to live in a state for a few years before you volunteer to "represent" it in the Senate.

[cattykit]

 

Seriously, Scott Brown?  You might want to live in a state for a few years before you volunteer to "represent" it in the Senate.

Well, it worked for Hillary Clinton.  I'm always disappointed when carpetbaggers run, and win.  Doesn't say a whole lot for the electorate.

 

Really liked Jason's piece.

[dubbel zout]

I'm always disappointed when carpetbaggers run, and win.  Doesn't say a whole lot for the electorate.

 

There are a lot of candidates who are natives of their states who win and are terrible. 

[Latverian Diplomat]

Yeah, I love this conservative notion that Jon is unfair and edits interviews to make his guests look foolish. No, those are the field interviews. 

Yeah, Jon spent the whole interview hinting around about how shouldn't the President and the Democrats also be faulted a little bit, couldn't they reach out more, etc. Then he slips that hey, the Republicans won't even return his calls. Put the pieces together there Jon.

[Fremde Frau]

He puts those pieces together pretty regularly and rather emphatically; in this interview, he said that Republicans are petulant, chickenshit assholes who are content to fuck over the country if they can't get their way. Asking also if there were something Castro wished the Democrats could have done better is pretty mild criticism, all things considered.

[Victor the Crab]

Jon and company sure do love to pander to the Austin audience.

 

Do the white people Al interviewed ever stop to think about the shit that's about to come out of their mouths? Danny Trejo is awesome!

 

The Kochs have a lot of balls advertising on TDS. Perhaps, in his next mock advertising, Jon can say "Koch Industries. Making Arby's really, really good since 1980".

[Fremde Frau]

The show last night was a grand slam for me. Al was excellent, the Koch ad was perfect, the interview was pleasant, and Danny Trejo(!!) was icing on the cake. Since coming to Austin, they've all been so full of energy and an elevated sense of mischief. It's been great fun.

[Latverian Diplomat]

He puts those pieces together pretty regularly and rather emphatically; in this interview, he said that Republicans are petulant, chickenshit assholes who are content to fuck over the country if they can't get their way. Asking also if there were something Castro wished the Democrats could have done better is pretty mild criticism, all things considered.

Why waste all that time asking a question that he already knows the answer to? There is nothing that the Democrats could do differently that would change Republican behavior in any way, and Jon knows it and Castro knows it. But we have to wander through all that BS about how Louis Gohmert is a nice guy in person (because mean-spirited liars don't know how to be polite?) and the one trenchant observation by Jon is saved for the end in a throwaway joke. 

 

There was nothing better to talk about than the same "why can't both sides work harder to get along" BS that fills the "non-fake" news?

[peeayebee]

Loved this ep. All the bits about Austin were great. It sounds like the Portland of Texas. Just a lot of fun.

 

Al Madrigal's piece was great, too. I just couldn't believe what those women were saying. I expected it to be a joke. And then that sheriff or whoever he was. Incredible. Loved Al as a "typical" Latino. So funny.

 

The interview was enjoyable because that young actor is so down-to-earth and well-spoken. I haven't seen Boyhood yet. I'm waiting for the DVD. 

[Fremde Frau]

Castro was the one going on about how nice Gohmert is. And how could Jon know the answer to what Castro wishes they had done differently? Maybe something to do with campaigning on success stories rather than joining the attack ad format that Republicans have perfected? Maybe something to do with issues like the Trans-Pacific Partnership or the use of drones? Not everything is about their relationship with Republicans. That the Republicans are dicks is the answer everyone already knows, so why bother with that topic when he has a Democrat on, aside from acknowledging it, as he did? 

[dubbel zout]

Loved Al as a "typical" Latino. So funny.

 

I loved the guys who told Al not to talk and dress like that. Hee.

 

Why did Al interview a sheriff from Ohio for his piece? Everyone else was from Texas.

[attica]

Having seen the other day the video the MoZ referred to, and knowing about Jessica's attention to the topic, I expected TDS to showcase it somehow. I didn't expect to lose my breakfast watching that Foxhole leer, however. The universe gives and takes away, I guess.

[futurechemist]

The Kochs have a lot of balls advertising on TDS. Perhaps, in his next mock advertising, Jon can say "Koch Industries. Making Arby's really, really good since 1980".

And I think Jon has a lot of chutzpah calling out 1 of his sponsors like that.  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he did.  But hopefully there isn't too much blowback from CC / Viacom because of it.

[attica]

Eh, if the Kochs don't already know TDS's opinion of them, their media buyer is an ass.

[dubbel zout]

The Koch ads remind me of the Veridian ads in Better Off Ted. I can't take them seriously because of that.

[attica]

Or the U-North commercial in Michael Clayton.

[ganesh]

Do the white people Al interviewed ever stop to think about the shit that's about to come out of their mouths? Danny Trejo is awesome!

 

In the montage, what got me was the lower right of him carrying the old lady's groceries and chit chatting. Those women were horrible though. It's amazing they were so clueless.

 

The Koch ads remind me of the Veridian ads in Better Off Ted. I can't take them seriously because of that.

 

Oh, good call. Totally. 

[ChelseaNH]

Or the U-North commercial in Michael Clayton.

 

I call them "please don't sue us" ads, because they always show up when a company is getting bad press for doing something wrong.

[ABay]

God damn it! DirectTV chose last night to malfunction and not record the show! Or Colbert or @midnight. I won't have a chance to watch until I'm home on my own computer and can get to Comedy Central.

[Victor the Crab]

Texas turning blue? Between district gerrymandering, voter restriction laws making it difficult for certain people to vote, and apathy among target Democrat voters, most of America isn't going to turn blue for a long time. And the right, with Citzens United and the corporate media behind it, will see to it the Republicans have an excellent shot at retaining power.

[dcalley]

I think I saw beans in the chili Jason was stirring with a gun. Most Texans would tell you that Texas chili does not contain beans. It's just something I noticed. I grew up in Austin and have been enjoying the shows, but Texas makes me mad and sad and I'm glad I got out.

[LADreamr]

Me too.  I lived in Dallas and various cities in Texas for many years, and spent a lot of time in Austin, as my dad lived in Bastrop for a while, and I think the credit the show is giving Austin is a little over the top.  There are parts of Austin that are great, just as there are in Dallas, but you don't have to go too far in any direction to find the polar opposite in opinions and attitudes.  

 

The mention of the bats at night was funny, though.  If they like that, they should go a few miles south to San Marcos, where the bats are joined by a flood of crickets every fall.  That was fun to go to school in the middle of.

[Fremde Frau]

Victor the Crab, that's depressing, but I think you're unfortunately right. And why the hell is gerrymandering legal? I understand that many aspects of politics in this country are terribly broken, but that's one case where I just don't understand how it legally ever saw the light of day. Do other countries with First Past the Post voting systems have the same problem with gerrymandering? (Setting aside the question of whether or not it is even possible for a FPTP system to ever accurately represent what a true majority wants.)

 

Sam's segment didn't do anything for me. I just wanted it to end. Oh, well.

 

I enjoyed Spoon's first song. It was soothing after a stressful day.

[ThomasAAnderson]

So Jon Stewart never heard of Ann Richards. Glad I only watch this crap off and on now. Mr. Stewart gets it wrong as often as he gets it right so the love of all things TDS died a long time ago.

[attica]

And why the hell is gerrymandering legal?

 

Because the people it benefits are the ones writing and passing the laws?