“Stoned Slackers” Actually Pretty Darn Smart
Olly posted a link to the transcript of Bill O’Reilly’s interview with John Stewart last week where O’Reilly called Daily Show viewers “stoned slackers” and alleged that 87 percent of the TV audience were intoxicated while watching the program.
Turns out, Daily Show followers are more informed about this year’s presidential election than fans of Jay Leno and David Letterman, according to the results of a political quiz (PDF) conducted by the National Annenburg Election Survey. Additionally, viewers of late night comedy shows scored better on the quiz than those who regularly watch network television news or read newspapers.
Take that, traditional media outlets!
Hi. The Daily Show isn’t a real news show. It’s comedy. Entertainment. Ha ha. Making funnies. I know, though, that I’m going to get a flood of “Aren’t ALL news casts geared for entertainment? What is a legit news cast? How do you define a credible anchor? Is he not credible just because he’s on Comedy Central?”
I like the Daily Show just as much as the next person. And I’m sure that O’Reilly is a dick to everyone, anyway. So in true apathetic angst, does it really matter, and who cares.
Faced with this contrary evidence, I’m certain O’Reilly will lapse into humbled, brooding silence.
Dammit Sho, this is the exact post I was going to do last night when I emailed you!
However, I wanted to point out that most mainstram media is making a big deal out of Comedy Central’s survey regarding the education/income levels of its viewers (v. O’Reilly’s), claiming Comedy Central can’t take a joke. But O’Reilly really was being a total douche to Jon Stewart, so I think Comedy Central was right in standing by their man.