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Thursday, April 27, 2023
Never a Good Idea to Throw Down with Jon Stewart
Comments are open, but will be monitored.
Posted by Steve Lubet on April 27, 2023 at 04:13 AM | Permalink
Comments
"do you think other Western democracies regularly have entertainers testify before their national or federal legislatures?"
Glad the rest is cleared up.
As to this, yes, though I'm more familiar with various entertainers who joined the government. If entertainers worldwide could join the government, it would seem strange to me that they would not also testify.
Celebrities worldwide often are involved in causes and testify about them. It is not just something "Yanks" do any more than only Americans who once were entertainers are voted into office.
I think this thread has run its course. Thanks for leaving the comments open.
Posted by: Joe | Apr 28, 2023 11:21:51 PM
Joey, do you think other Western democracies regularly have entertainers testify before their national or federal legislatures?
Posted by: Anonymous Bosch | Apr 28, 2023 3:14:48 PM
A remark was made about supporting a "cult of entertainers" by "you Yanks."
(1) There is nothing unique about the U.S. having a "cult" of some sort regarding entertainers.
(2) Various entertainers regularly do other things, including serious causes such as advocating for victims of 9/11 and veterans who suffer from the effects of toxic chemicals. Two causes for which Jon Stewart has strongly advocated for and working closely with the people involved.
Jon Stewart's work as a whole does lead people to respect him. He also directed material of a serious nature, including a film involving a victim of Iran's tyranny. He is not just some trivial "entertainer."
(3) I also don't know what "propaganda" adds to the conversation. It is not assumed that the blogger here thinks he is some totally neutral reporter. Then again, any number of media sources are not totally neutral. They have a point of view. He's promoting a cause. Not denied. What does that add? Does his claim of hypocrisy suddenly lose any force? Not seeing it.
Posted by: Joe | Apr 28, 2023 2:45:41 PM
'Jon Stewart has done serious stuff'.
Jesus Christ... although I suppose that makes sense in a context like this blog, given that around ninety percent of American legal academics aren't even trained to be scholars.
You appreciate that, in every other Western country, Stewart's work product is rightly called 'propaganda', yeah? That info-tainment programmes, like Stewart's television show was, ARE propaganda.
Posted by: Anonymous Bosch | Apr 28, 2023 3:59:45 AM
Little clips can be somewhat misleading but one thing he did do is have the guts to actually be interviewed by Jon Stewart. Obviously, that guy is likely to have views Stewart doesn't like. Stewart isn't polite about such things.
On the specific issue, "drag show" has no magical quality that makes sense to ban children from going. And, if this guy is fine with children being near guns, can see it sort of like shooting fish in a barrel. Which I don't literally support.
Kidding Yanks is fine but nothing special about "Yanks" here and it is not "celebrities," full stop either. Jon Stewart has done serious stuff.
Posted by: Joe | Apr 27, 2023 8:31:55 PM
Oh! Here's another one: drag queen shows for kids versus the Dalai Lama's tongue-gate.
Posted by: Anonymous Bosch | Apr 27, 2023 4:01:51 PM
This issue -- along with the very issue-framing -- is clearly a form of distraction for the masses from America's more pressing concerns. Still, an apples and apples comparison would have been more interesting, ie views on drag shows for kids and DEI statements for job applications.
Besides, given the current political climate and disturbing governmental developments, why would anyone on the right even dream of giving up their guns now? They need them more than ever.
By the by, are you Yanks still committed to utilising the cult of celebrity and treating entertainers as epistemic (let alone moral) authorities? Haven't y'all seen through that yet?
Posted by: Anonymous Bosch | Apr 27, 2023 2:55:27 PM
Oops! John Locke:
https://www.britannica.com/summary/John-Lockes-Important-Works
Posted by: N.D. | Apr 27, 2023 2:10:54 PM
The failure to adequately treat those who are suffering from emotional and mental health disorders has certainly contributed to the fact that both gun control and the accommodation and celebration of the sexual objectification of the human person are out of control, due to a deficiency of Love and the failure to respect the inherent Dignity of every beloved son or daughter from the moment of conception to natural death. Certainly guns can be used to protect us from harm, but shows that demean the essence of being, in essence, a beloved son or daughter only cause harm and have no redeeming value.
This does not change the fact that we must come up with gun laws that will protect us from those who desire to do us harm, while addressing the underlying issue of lack of respect for the inherent Dignity of the human person. One can only respect the inherent essence of the Dignity of the human person as a beloved son or daughter, from the moment of conception to natural death, by recognizing our inherent Unalienable Right to Life, to Liberty, And To The Pursuit Of Happiness Is Endowed to us from God, not Caesar, King John, or John Lock.
Posted by: N.D. | Apr 27, 2023 2:03:47 PM
Why shouldn't kids be at drag shows?? Have you been to a drag show? What happened that children shouldn't see? Does that happen at *all* drag shows?
Some drag shows are pretty raunchy--many people probably wouldn't want their kids there. But some comedy shows are raunchy, too. The fact that you might not take a six-year-old to...I dunno...Andrew Dice Clay, doesn't mean you won't take her to see Jim Gaffigan. Heck, you might not want the kid to see any Seth Rogen movies at all, but he has standup for kids that's just great. There's nothing wrong with letting kids watch that.
The same goes for drag shows. Don't bring your kids to the late night drag show at the gay bar. Simple enough. What does that have to do with a low-key charity drag fundraiser or with Drag Story Time at the public library????
The mere fact that men are wearing clothes normally worn by women is not REMOTELY inappropriate for kids. Hell, we grew up on Tootsie and Mrs. Doubtfire. Stop trying to make anything associated with queer people into perverted sex. They do other things, too, you know.
Posted by: Nuanced like a rock | Apr 27, 2023 11:11:41 AM
Is it acceptable for me to say it's kinda weird to bring children to drag shows if I also believe that gun culture in the United States is out of control? I seriously feel like I'm taking crazy pills when I see this kind of discourse. Yes, mass gun ownership mixed with poor education, increasing economic hardship/frustration, lack of community, property obsession, fearmongering media, and laws that give people way too much leeway in practicing "self-defense" is terrible and should be fixed through policy. However...why is it wrong to acknowledge that kids probably shouldn't go to drag shows? You can recognize both, even though the former issue is clearly far more important.
On a side note, I hate that TikTok has caused other platforms to push for more vertical-oriented videos.
Posted by: Nuance | Apr 27, 2023 9:38:19 AM
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