Comments on: How Jon Stewart Wasted A Digital Opportunity With His Rally

By: Gary S

Gary S — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:25:55 +0000

RRS’s entire appeal lay in that was non-ideological and non-political. It was not, as commonly perceived, a gathering for liberal-minded youth, or some kind of anti-Glenn Beck movement; the participants had as much differences among themselves as with the supposed other party.
The only direction Stewart gave it, in his closing speech, was for rational discourse and a rejection of fearmongering. So there was precious little to seize on for further engagement.

Even if there was, however, it is neither not Mr. Stewart’s nor his employer’s job to organize that movement. He is in the business of entertainment, even if with a political edge. His popularity is maintained largely due to his position as a cynical observer, wholly outside the political process. The minute he joins that process he will lose a great many of his followers to suspicion.

By: Robert Ackley

Robert Ackley — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:58:27 +0000

You gotta be kidding. Just what Jon Stewart needs: to trade in the most successful and influential job in the comedy universe to become the Glenn Beck of liberal America. In his first show following the rally, Stewart made little mention of the event – literally mumbling his way through it with feigned modesty in his opening remarks – then he was back in character doing what he does better than anyone else does anything else. That last phrase was once applied to Michael Jordan, and I’m sure you’ll recall Jordan’s failed attempt at playing baseball. What you’re suggesting is even dumber.

By: Tonia Ries

Tonia Ries — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:53:07 +0000

@Nettie you are so right — that is exactly the point I took away from the Rally (and here’s the blog post I wrote about it: http://toniaries.posterous.com/we-the-media). I will remember this day as a major milestone in the transformation from traditional bullhorn media to grassroots participatory media.

By: MedicalQuack

MedicalQuack — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:49:29 +0000

Overall I think they did pretty good but there were some areas of caution with all of this too and the non participants we have as leaders with general consumer illiteracy are another side of the coin that kills use too with the news being insane as those living in the 70s are tough and just flat out strange and dangerous and in my opinion threaten to put everyone back in the dark ages here while the rest of the world moves forward.

http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/10/rally-to-restore-sanitya-big-success.html

By: Andrew Wallenstein

Andrew Wallenstein — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:21:15 +0000

Love the counterarguments I’m getting here, good points all. But understand that even when you put the capitalist element of this aside and examine the rally strictly from a social-consciousness perspective, much more could have been done to give those at the event who are, shall we say, passionately moderate, a digital environment for continuing to make their voices heard after the rally ended, and in a day-to-day way that could make a more continuous impact on the political dialogue too often hijacked by extremist views.

By: Nailpick

Nailpick — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:51:25 +0000

Kudo’s go out to Mr Stewart. Having attended the rally myself I came away with a ‘clean’ feeling. I found no extortion of any kind i.e. no self promoting by any corperate advertising. No one asked my view point or requested that I join in their sentiments at all. … clean…

Being over 50, I was surprised by how many people 40 and over attended, very cool.

By: Nailpick

Nailpick — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:29:04 +0000

What no profit motive!!! how un , hmm, uncapitalistic.

By: dude

dude — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:27:47 +0000

Wow. You had to dig really hard to talk bad about this event. Good writing and reporting. NOT.

By: Nettie

Nettie — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:26:54 +0000

Boy you really did miss the point didn’t you. if there is untapped opportunity here and I THINK THERE IS. It;’s for those of us who attended to make that happen not Jon Stewart. That is so much part of his message. We are responsible for what we create and how we chose to harness what we know exist, reasonable people in very large numbers. News and even fake news are here to report on that NOT TO CREATE IT. You are the one living int he past not Jon Stewart. Thanks Jon thanks for letting us see good people are still out ther and hey guess what they care.

By: doug

doug — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:54:28 +0000

I think you missed the point. The movement already exists. It’s everywhere. It’s the non-movement. Just everyday Americans who are tired of the shouting but have better and more important things to worry about. If we stopped everything and attempted to be more cohesive we’d eventually become another mass of shouting morons who would forget to go to work.