# Daily Show treatment of tragedy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586 "2005-07-14T22:27:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/1 "2005-07-14T22:27:41Z")
Does the Daily Show ever mention current events like the London bombings, 9/11, tsunami disaster, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/2 "2005-07-14T22:37:50Z")
The Daily Show went off the air for a month or so after 9/11. Jon Stewart didn’t feel it was appropriate. The show tends to avoid making light of terrorist kilings or natural disasters. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/3 "2005-07-14T22:41:09Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > The show tends to avoid making light of terrorist kilings or natural disasters. But they will make fun of stupidity a degree or two away from such events. They were also on hiatus, building a hideous new set when London was bombed. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/4 "2005-07-14T22:52:03Z")
When he came back on the air after 9/11, he gave a tearful speech about the incident, I think it was well received. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/5 "2005-07-14T22:52:15Z")
They made a lot of fun of the way the 24-hour cable networks _covered_ the London bombings, though. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/6 "2005-07-14T22:55:09Z")
> [@The Controvert](#): > > Does the Daily Show ever mention current events like the London bombings, 9/11, tsunami disaster, etc.? Didn’t they mention the London Bombing on Monday night? I could have sworn they did. It prompted me to post about “Will we ever feel safe again?” They’ve usually got a little bit of a lag because they need at least a day to write the jokes. For example, when the president gives a state of the union speech, the coverage isn’t until the next evening because they need to write the jokes, practice, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/7 "2005-07-14T22:58:09Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > They’ve usually got a little bit of a lag because they need at least a day to write the jokes. For example, when the president gives a state of the union speech, the coverage isn’t until the next evening because they need to write the jokes, practice, etc. Actually, the lag is because The Daily Show tapes at 5 pm. The State of the Union and similar speeches are given several hours later. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/8 "2005-07-14T23:02:42Z")
…so actually you’re right if you leave out the specific SOTU example. 😉 They can’t make fun of stuff that happens too close to the time they tape. ---
**Author:** ![Amaranta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Amaranta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amaranta)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/9 "2005-07-14T23:19:56Z")
A [transcript](http://anitasdailyshowpage.tripod.com/transcripts/2001okay.htm) of Jon’s speech on September 20th, 2001, the first show back after 9/11. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/10 "2005-07-14T23:43:18Z")
They did a bit on the London Bombings whey Rob Courdry reported from London and he critized the response to the bombings by the people of London. He was wondering where all the t-shirts with slogans on them were and where was our version of Paul McCartney singing our Freedom. It was pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/11 "2005-07-14T23:55:55Z")
I didn’t get the feeling he was criticizing Londoners’ reaction, so much as he was criticizing how Americans would have responded (country singers writing songs about kicking the towel heads’ asses and such :rolleyes: ). ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/12 "2005-07-15T00:51:39Z")
REALLY! [blinks] ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/13 "2005-07-15T01:13:55Z")
As I recall the jokes about the London bombing (days after the fact as they were indded in hiatus) were about chiding the British for being sensible and getting on with things when America has definatively established hysteria and fearmongering as the only reasonable response to tragegy, and a sound bite from some American pundit commenting that we should be upset about this becausue, gee, doesn’t it make you think it could happen here!! and what else is important, really. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/14 "2005-07-15T03:01:40Z")
> [@yellowval](#): > > I didn’t get the feeling he was criticizing Londoners’ reaction, so much as he was criticizing how Americans would have responded (country singers writing songs about kicking the towel heads’ asses and such :rolleyes: ). "FRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDOOOOMMMMMMM Isn’t FRRRREEEEEEEE, It takes folk like you and me! And if you don’t throw in your buck O’five, who will? " ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/15 "2005-07-15T04:27:46Z")
I would say that his monologue after September 11 marks the beginning of people starting to look at Stewart more seriously as a quasi-real journalist. Sure, he insists that he’s just a comedian, as he should. But when it comes down to it, I believe the Daily Show more than I believe Fox News. And, damn it, that’s just sad. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/16 "2005-07-15T05:59:28Z")
> [@FisherQueen](#): > > I would say that his monologue after September 11 marks the beginning of people starting to look at Stewart more seriously as a quasi-real journalist. Sure, he insists that he’s just a comedian, as he should. But when it comes down to it, I believe the Daily Show more than I believe Fox News. > > And, damn it, that’s just sad. I believe the word you are looking for is _smart_. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/17 "2005-07-15T06:19:49Z")
> [@FisherQueen](#): > > I would say that his monologue after September 11 marks the beginning of people starting to look at Stewart more seriously as a quasi-real journalist. Sure, he insists that he’s just a comedian, as he should. But when it comes down to it, I believe the Daily Show more than I believe Fox News. > > And, damn it, that’s just sad. Reminds me of something I said the other day. I was watching the O’Rielly factor and he was trying to imply the BBC was pro-terrorist. Then he talks about the Guardian and says “They’re about as Credible as the Daily show” And the only thing I could think of to reply was “Bill, that’s still a lot more credible then you” ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/18 "2005-07-15T09:29:50Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > They made a lot of fun of the way the 24-hour cable networks _covered_ the London bombings, though. Especially Britt Hume’s comments about “Time to buy.” What makes Stewart one of the best journalists out there is that he’s a comedian, so he ultimately puts his agenda in second place, and going for laughs in the driver’s seat. Stewart will savagely go after Dems for being idiots just as often as he will the Repubs, most journalists **don’t** have the balls to do the same. They’re more concerned with keeping their “contacts,” so they’re not going to dig heavily on a story, if they think that it’ll upset the powers that be. Because then they might wind up out of the loop, and they can’t stand that thought. Stewart keeps saying that we need a 24 hours fake news channel, and I have to agree with him. Since TDS viewers are better informend than Fox News viewers, we might have a real shot at improving this country with a fake news channel. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/19 "2005-07-15T12:57:48Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > REALLY! [blinks] Well, sorry if your post didn’t exactly make it clear that you understood that. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586/20 "2005-07-15T13:10:46Z")
Rob Corddry’s report last night on the inadvertent pre-selling of a few copies of the new Harry Potter book in Canada, and whether it could “Happen Here” was one of the funniest things I’ve seen on the show in a long time. It parodied the hysterical American-style response to foreign tragedies. IMO, this is when The Daily Show is at its best, satirizing both media and government response to events, not so much making fun of the events themselves. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daily-show-treatment-of-tragedy/312586.md?page=2)