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The Daily Show Biased?
- Thread starter Magic Man
- Start date
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
I think it's pretty fair in terms of highlighting the humor of politics. Nobody seems safe when it comes to being fodder for laughs.
It isn't any more biased than any other show. A news show will either lean to the left or to the right, but there are plenty of both to even it out.
Magic Man
Reaper of Conversation
What about that piece of information do you think is relevant? Are you implying comedy can't be biased?
Magic Man
Reaper of Conversation
So you think its coverage of events and people is unfair in favor of the left?
Stewart is smart enough to know that bias is not quite the same thing as inaccurate. The Daily Show is seldom factually inaccurate, however much it might or might not favor one side or another. Of course, if you can't tell the difference between a fact and a joke, the Show might seem more factually inaccurate than it is.
I recall Colbert's famous quip, "Reality has a well known liberal bias".
I recall Colbert's famous quip, "Reality has a well known liberal bias".
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Sure it is biased. No claim differently. It is biased in favor of material that lends itself to a brand of lampooning that is what the show is about.
(Full disclosure: I am not a TV watcher)
From what I have seen and heard about the show, part of its popularity is accuracy. What facts and clips are being skewered actually do represent reality. They "can't make this stuff up". People really said and did it.
I don't have a problem with bias. I expect it. An overtly biased source is more honest and easier to learn from than a biased source that fibs about their bias. That's what I don't like about Fox. Their biases are painfully obvious to anybody who knows the news from multiple sources. But they claim differently, on their news shows at least. I prefer bloggers like Andrew Sullivan who's biases are clear.
Tom
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
No, I wouldn't say "unfair", especially when you're dealing with political comedy. He has opinions as I'm sure you have opinions.
I think it leans a little left, but ALL news is biased to some degree.
I find the Daily Show and Colbert are pretty open in comparison to most, and chase the laughs wherever they might be.
Not their fault it's easier to poke fun at Republicans right now...
(Note, doesn't mean Republicans are all idiots...but laughing at their fringe plays well to the audience)
samosasauce
Active Member
It's biased toward making good jokes about the current political climate, events, and such
Magic Man
Reaper of Conversation
OK, so it's not biased; it just has opinions that lean to the left.
The Daily Show observes homosexual rights, feminism and some other lefty items. To call it 'Biased' would be inaccurate, however; since 'Bias' has connotations of dishonesty, favoring one truth without acknowledging opinions and other views. Its honest about having opinions, that they are opinions and spends the majority of its time lampooning the foibles of news people and political participants. Anyone who does something stupidly is game. For example the Daily Show had a lot of fun making fun of the Mayor of Toronto, despite his leftward political leanings.
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
I would say it is "biased" to the left but I don't have a problem with that, nor would I have a problem if it was biased to the right. Opinions are opinions and people have a right to them.
Magic Man
Reaper of Conversation
Biased - "unfairly prejudiced for or against someone or something."
Bias - "a particular tendency or inclination, especially one that prevents unprejudiced consideration of a question; prejudice."
So, if you think the show is biased, then you're saying it's unfair in favor of the left, and that it's prejudiced.
The point of the thread was to get into this. People seem to think of anything that takes a position as biased, even though the connotation of "biased" is an unfair and prejudiced approach. You can support same-sex marriage and gender equality without being biased. As you say, people have the right to opinions, but having an opinion doesn't mean the person is biased.
So, with that in mind, is The Daily Show biased, or does it merely display some liberal leanings?
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
I'm really not using your definition of "biased" in the manner you cite but more along the line of exhibiting favoritism.
I don't think the Daily Show is unfairly prejudiced for or against any political side. John Stewart and his writers take on absurdity and stupidity wherever they find it.
Draka
Wonder Woman
I've often seen him hammer on Democrats just as hard as Republicans. Now, it may certainly feel like he hammers on Republicans a lot more, but then, he does hammer on the stupid and absurd, as you said. If he's hammering on the Republicans and their actions more often than the Democrats at the time, then perhaps one could just wonder why that may be.