# Jon Stewart vs. Chris Matthews: Who pwned whom? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 8, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004 "2007-10-08T22:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004/1 "2007-10-08T22:48:21Z")
I’m surprised there isn’t already a thread about this. There has been somewhat of a kerfluffle regarding Jon Stewart’s recent interview of Chris Matthews on “The Daily Show.” In review, Matthews has written a book saying that people can apply lessons learned from political campaigns to improve their lives. Stewart basically said that this seemed to him absolutely wrong. Matthews, I guess, felt like he was being sandbagged in what was supposed to be a fluff book promotion interview. So what do people think? Who came off looking bad? Stewart or Matthews? Also, at one point, Matthews challenged Stewart to come on “Hardball” and Stewart said “I don’t troll.” I’m not sure I understand what Stewart meant. Any help? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004/2 "2007-10-08T22:51:56Z")
“No, I’m attacking your philosophy of life!” Priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004/3 "2007-10-08T23:03:13Z")
> [@OP](#): > > Matthews, I guess, felt like he was being sandbagged in what was supposed to be a fluff book promotion interview. Honestly Matthews didn’t seem that angry, and Stewart was just cracking jokes, granted they were more aggressive then normal, but I think he figured Chris Matthews could handle some barbs better then the uptight politicians, starlets and awkward academics that are usually interviewed on TDS. In other words, it wasn’t really much of an argument so much as a “spirited exchange of views” (also, I think there was already a thread about it in Cafe Society). No one came up looking bad. Now Stewart interviewing Kermit the Frog. There was an awkward interview! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004/4 "2007-10-08T23:05:46Z")
Well there [was a thread about this TV show in The Café](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=438797). I believe neither came off too bad. Chris handled it well and Jon got the better of the exchange. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004/5 "2007-10-08T23:06:41Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] Also, at one point, Matthews challenged Stewart to come on “Hardball” and Stewart said “I don’t troll.” I’m not sure I understand what Stewart meant. Any help? [/QUOTE] I think there were two meanings. The obvious meaning was “I’m not coming on your show just to provoke a reaction and some e-mails from your audience” Secondly “I normally give fluff interviews, but this book is a stinking pile of dogshit and if you, the author, actually believe what you wrote then you are a worthless human being. My outrage is not faked, it is entirely genuine” Of course, I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004/6 "2007-10-08T23:08:27Z")
I don’t think either of them came off looking bad. Matthews was just surprised that Stewart panned his analogy of life to a campaign in much the same way Matthews surprises his own guests. It didn’t appear he actually took offense. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004/7 "2007-10-09T02:07:33Z")
The main thing I took away from it was that Matthews has the most annoying laugh\* ever\*. I’m not sure Stewart actually made any fantastic points. It just didn’t sound like all that good a book. But hey, it’s better than _The Prince_\*, so who am I to judge? \*Possibly the book with the worst press ever, but that’s just a pet peeve. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004/8 "2007-10-09T07:11:20Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] Jon Stewart vs. Chris Matthews: Who pwned whom? [/QUOTE] Neither, since they are both adults and adults don’t use silly teener terminology like “pwned”. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004/9 "2007-10-09T11:17:06Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Neither, since they are both adults and adults don’t use silly teener terminology like “pwned”. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Jon Stewart might, given his audience. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-vs-chris-matthews-who-pwned-whom/422004/10 "2007-10-09T12:16:10Z")
As noted, this discussion already had a thread in **Cafe Society** and I don’t really see a debate, here. Closing the thread and directing all interested parties to [Daily Show 10/02/2007 Chris Matthews interview.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=438797) in the other Forum. [/Moderating]