Jon Stewart Asks Brian Williams 'What's Preventing the Media From Discussing More Substantive Issues?'

Noel Sheppard
August 16th, 2012 9:39 AM
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Comedy Central's Jon Stewart asked NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams the $64 trillion question on Wednesday's Daily Show.

"What is preventing the media from discussing more substantive issues before the introduction of Paul Ryan, and then since the introduction, and then, let's say, you know, after the election?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

JON STEWART, HOST: Let's talk about Paul Ryan. All I have heard from the news divisions across network platforms is how thrilled they are to have Paul Ryan - now they can finally talk substance. When is that going to start happening?

(Laughter)

BRIAN WILLIAMS, HOST: As soon as we exhaust all of our reporting on his driving of the Wiener Mobile while a young man.

(Laughter)

STEWART: I know. I’m watching it all weekend. They’re all like, “Finally we're going to get to talk about serious stuff. Did you know he works out on the PX90?”

WILLIAMS: I don't know this workout program.

STEWART: The PX90 program?

WILLIAMS: Drudge breathlessly reported yesterday he has body fat between 6 and 8 percent.

Actually, Drudge didn't "breathlessly" report anything. Instead, the website linked to an article about Ryan's body fat to demonstrate the media's stupidity.

But I digress:

STEWART: Oh, to be a pair of calipers. (Laughter) Why, why can't they? What is preventing the media from discussing more substantive issues before the introduction of Paul Ryan, and then since the introduction, and then, let's say, you know, after the election? What, is there an edict from above of is it lack of interest?

WILLIAMS: Well, as you know, there are a lot of distractions in this world...

STEWART: No, I don't.

WILLIAMS: …our pets. And I think as, you know, the great Sy Syms, the clothier here in New York, had my greatest, my favorite expression - radio commercials you and I grew up with – Sy Syms, “An educated consumer is our best customer." And I thought, “Well good on the late Sy Simms because he was right about being a haberdasher, but he was also right about our business.” I say "our" meaning mine and not yours. So…

(Laughter and applause)

STEWART: So, I guess, let me reframe the question: When are you going to start making nice suits?

Exactly. If you're not going to apply Sy's edict to the news, you might as well just become a haberdasher and sell cheap clothes rather than misinforming the public day in and day out.

Just saying.