We need a Canadian Daily Show
We just finished a national election here in Canada and did anyone notice? Worst voter turnout ever.
There's not much local political awareness. You can be derisive about American media, but they have a deluge of information on their candidates. Meanwhile our news has done little more than cover our candidates' basic talking points.
Political satire is the most infectious and oddly-informing outlet. It's booming in the U.S. right now and what do we have in Canada?
CBC airs decade-old episodes of This Hour has 22 Minutes. Reruns are worse than nothing at all, it's just confusing. Some people actually think Kim Campbell is still our Prime Minister. CBC needs to take this old junk off the air.
We've got Rick Mercer, leftover from 22 Minutes, he's got the Rick Mercer Report but despite the similarity in the title it's not tongue-in-cheek like the Colbert Report. His blog was blank for the week leading up to the election, and on his show he covered honey bees and motorcross? Even he's bored of our political landscape.
Every episode of the Daily Show starts out with the day's date, so even if an episode is at most a week old, you know where it's at. And the Daily Show covers what's expected, the day's political news.
Oct 15, 2008 6:32pm
I totally agree. I was honestly kind of miffed yesterday when I was searching around the web at some of my daily haunts and NONE of them mentioned at all the Canadian election, just rehashing old American election news. It strongly pissed me off. But to be honest, I'm starting to get fed up with The Daily Show. I love John Stewart, but he's not attacking McCain because he's out of touch, he's attacking him because he's old. Seriously, the only jokes they make about the guy are about how old he is. That and no one can say anything on the show that is even remotely against Obama without getting boo-d out by the audience. I thought that John would be a little more even-handed, like he used to be, but he's not and I'm disappointed.
Just as I'm disappointed with the low voter turnout. Seriously Canada? WTF? I voted at least, and I'm happy that my riding is staying with Peter Julian.
Oct 18, 2008 7:13pm
I'd agree the jokes have been one-sided lately but I think that's related to the material they've given them. I'm seeing more than just age jokes lately, I'm definitely still laughing. The "monster you've created" bits from the 14th had me both smiling and disappointed at the overall situation.
It's the expressions on McCain's face that gives them such an easy target, he's clearly uncomfortable at times. Don't even get me started on Palin, because she's getting her share of ridicule on both sides of the fence.
I also think that yes, the Daily Show has leaned further toward the Democrats in the past year and I think that most of that can be chalked up to the current administration and the punditry they've commanded (that's once again participating in this campaign). My personal opinion is that I like McCain, I think the world would be a much different place if he'd won the Republican primaries in 2000, but now he's caught up in a moving train in his party that could not be stopped even if he makes it to the presidency, which is rather sad.
And finally, with Jon Stewart himself, I think what's happened is he's involved now. He's met these guys and found out they're human. Now that he knows them more personally, it's hard for him to roast them as hard, although from time to time the old Jon Stewart still comes out, like recently when he openly said both sides have been a disappointment compared to what he was wishing for.
In an odd way, the easy cheap shots don't dig as deep. Shallow humour isn't as fair, but it doesn't hurt as much either.
We could use more humour directed at Canadian politics, even when shallow it's more illuminating than the fog we're in now.
Dec 25, 2008 11:20pm
To the person who believes Rick Mercer is bored of Canadian Politics,
If you click on to cbc.ca/q and listen to the interview that Mercer had with Jian Gomeshi you will hear that Mercer actually loves Can. Politics and he although thought the voter turn out was low was still into our politics.