The Daily Show dismisses anti-gay-marriage protesters with a mock graduation


Jessica Williams' report from Washington on Monday's Daily Show is premised on two questionable assumptions: That the Supreme Court will make same-sex marriage a nationwide right, and that this ruling will quiet opponents of gay marriage. Since the writers at The Daily Show have presumably heard of Roe v. Wade, and how much that ended anti-abortion protests, the interviews come across as stylized, participatory gloating. The model is high school graduation.
"With the Supreme Court likely ruling in favor of gay marriage, chances are this would be the last hurrah for the hate class of 2015," Williams said. "Before they moved on to the real world, I wanted to commemorate them." Most of the protesters are pretty gracious, funny even, and then there's Brother Ruben Israel, voted most charismatic. It wouldn't work without Ruben Israel. Watch below. —Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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