Editorial

Who’s the bigger jerk, Jon Stewart or CNN?

Tommy De Seno Contributor
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Jon Stewart is the bigger jerk by far.  CNN is the smaller jerk.

Someone explain to me how anyone gets fired, as Rick Sanchez did from CNN, for taking a shot at Jon Stewart?  Jon Stewart makes his living, believe it or not, by smearing people’s reputation.  It matters not to his network how wrong or intellectually lax Stewart is, or even if he’s flat out lying. In the end all he contributes to journalism is his incessantly calling people “douche.”  A clear matter of projection.

Jon Stewart then hides behind his moniker of comedian (clown) to say that he should get a pass.  This hypocrite complains about bad tones in American politics, and is having a faux rally about that, while being the most prolific contributor to mean-spiritedness in American politics.

You remember Jon Stewart from grammar school, don’t you?  He was the kid with the big mouth who would ridicule people endlessly while standing in the sightline and safety of teachers, but when you cornered him alone he would swear he was “only kidding” so you wouldn’t kick his ass.  What a wimp.  Now he makes a living at being that wimp.

No one should ever get fired for doing to Stewart what Stewart does to everyone else. I propose a law that as a condition of employment in America, everyone has to make fun of Jon Stewart daily. You can’t punch in until you do.  I’ll go first: Since most of his show degenerates into Jon making weird noises and odd faces, he’s clearly copied Jerry Lewis’ act.

Rick Sanchez may have gotten fired from CNN for saying, “Jews control the media.” As an aside, note that his interviewer, Pete Dominick, didn’t get fired for making such points in that same interview as Jews should go after Jews, it’s OK to use stereotypes and no one in Nebraska will hire a Jew.  No bigotry there, Pete?

So let’s talk about CNN, before getting back to that sissy Jon Stewart.  While saying “Jews control the media” is factually incorrect, it’s hardly a “bigoted” thing to say about Jews.  Look at what Jews are being accused of there — nothing morally corrupt.  They are not being accused of controlling truly immoral enterprises like drug cartels, illegal arms dealerships or MTV.  It’s news!  I’ll tell you what — as a journalist, I’d LOVE IT if I reached such a pinnacle in my career that I was accused of controlling all media.  Please — start the rumor; just as with Jews it wouldn’t be true, but it would hardly be a bigoted statement of judgmental contempt, either.

Now, is CNN consistent in their position that when one utters “Jews control the media” the network must distance itself from the personality who said it?  In July, Oliver Stone said “Jews dominate the media.”  To distance themselves from Stone, CNN issued a statement condemning the remark and vowed Stone would never be allowed on CNN again.  Just kidding.  Since then CNN has allowed Oliver Stone on that whoremaster Elliot Spitzer’s show to hawk his latest movie and call Sarah Palin a moron. CNN is certainly a hypocritical jerk.  Just not as big of a jerk as Jon Stewart.

Rick Sanchez has called Stewart to apologize, and it’s obvious why he did.  Every media outlet in the universe is painting him as a bigot, and unless Latinos suddenly assume control of the media, there is no way to beat back the falsity of that claim.  The only way he gets another job is by apologizing for what he didn’t do.

If Stewart were a man, he would have come on his show Monday night and slammed CNN for firing Sanchez.  He could have made fun of the lunacy of firing Sanchez for making fun of Stewart, who makes his living making fun of Sanchez.  But the self-absorbed narcissist that is Stewart actually thinks it’s an employment law offense to make fun of him.  So he satirized Sanchez again.  Way to kick a guy when he’s down, Jon.

Let’s look at the two men’s backgrounds.  Sanchez made fun of Stewart’s wealthy suburban upbringing.  Since the truth hurts, Stewart responded with the rather pitiful retort that his mommy and daddy got divorced when he was 11.  Stewart tries to sometimes adopt a Jersey tough guy persona by delving into his bigoted, faux-Italian accent and mannerisms.  But he’s from Lawrenceville, NJ — a preppy town so rich its median family income is twice the national average.

Sanchez grew up with a tougher hand — a Spanish speaking boy in Miami.  There is a certain ideal that such a background will give you that Jon Stewart doesn’t have — pride that needs protecting.  I’m betting Sanchez was raised to understand that you don’t have to wait for someone to touch you before you can punch him on the chin.  If someone insults you repeatedly, wrongly and publically, pride compels you to punch him.

Sanchez as a law-abiding man won’t punch Stewart, but I can’t blame him for ranting about him.  It’s about time someone did.

I’m not saying anyone should punch Stewart.  It’s probably too late to change that shivering pantywaist anyway.  But had someone popped him in the chops in grammar school, it may have taught him then not to act like such a jerk today.

Tommy De Seno is a political columnist with the TriCityNews in New Jersey, a Fox News Forum contributor and editor of the blog Justified Right.