Feature

Jon Stewart's 'mean-spirited' Rick Sanchez jokes

The 'Daily Show' host doesn't exactly let up on the fired CNN anchor

The video: In his first show since Rick Sanchez accused him of being a "bigot," Jon Stewart offered the now-fired CNN anchor both a final skewering and a bit of praise. He took Sanchez to task for implying that Jews control the media and that Stewart grew up wealthy — and also screened a video montage that compared Sanchez to Michael Scott, the buffoonish protagonist of "The Office" (Stewart said the clip been prepared before the incident). At the end of the segment, though, he opined that Sanchez has "a good heart."
The reaction:
"You had a sense that Jon wanted to get his licks in but was wary of kicking an overcaffeinated television personality when he's down," says Howard Kurtz at The Washington Post. Yes, he played a few mocking clips even though he knew it was "a tad unfair" to do so — but by arguing that Sanchez is not the bigot he's been made out to be, Stewart "took the high road, sort of." No, says James Love at The Huffington Post, the segment was "mean-spirited," and used "selective use of clips and points to avoid dealing with Sanchez's original comments" — which were all about race and class tension. Latinos and working-class Americans didn't hear any reassurances from Stewart that he doesn't look down on them — which "shows that Stewart does not yet appreciate how influential and powerful he has become." Watch the clip from "The Daily Show:"

Recommended

Adam Gopnik recommends 6 classic books for literature fans
Adam Gopnik.
Feature

Adam Gopnik recommends 6 classic books for literature fans

The biggest TV shows ending in 2023
Succession
Briefing

The biggest TV shows ending in 2023

What's next for Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan?
Ke Huy Quan and Brendan Fraser
Feature

What's next for Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan?

The death, and possible rebirth, of Nancy Meyers' new rom-com
Nancy Meyers
Behind the scenes

The death, and possible rebirth, of Nancy Meyers' new rom-com

Most Popular

The truth about alcohol
Alcohol being poured into a rocks glass.
Briefing

The truth about alcohol

North Korea claims 800,000 people volunteered to fight against the U.S.
North Korean soldiers march in a parade in 2018.
A Frightening Figure

North Korea claims 800,000 people volunteered to fight against the U.S.

Is it time to stop dyeing the Chicago River green?
The Chicago River is dyed green for St. Patrick's Day.
Instant opinion

Is it time to stop dyeing the Chicago River green?