You can't blame Jon Stewart and his producers for not knowing that, between The Daily Show's taping Wednesday and its airing, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) would veto the "gay discrimination" bill that Stewart spent most of the show criticizing as "morally repugnant." He also slammed Arizona itself as a potential landfill for nuclear waste and used condoms, saved by its warm weather. And, of course, Stewart got in some good digs at Fox News, for scaring religious conservatives into overreacting with such bills by exposing them to a "constant barrage of apocalyptic paranoia and outrage."
Stewart's mockery would have been more cutting if Brewer hadn't beat him to the punch with her veto pen — she even used some of Stewart's same arguments. As they (don't really) say: Live by the fake news, die by the real news. But his mockery wasn't all in vain: These "religious freedom" bills are popping up in legislatures all over red America. --Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Horror stories of women having to carry nonviable fetuses'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Haiti interim council, prime minister sworn inSpeed Read Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns amid surging gang violence
-
Today's political cartoons - April 26, 2024Cartoons Friday's cartoons - teleprompter troubles, presidential immunity, and more
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 winsspeed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughterspeed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopicsSpeed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 GrammysSpeed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
