Daily Show: Media 'simultaneously offended and aroused' by 'race card' David Edwards and Stephen C. Webster

Published: Tuesday August 5, 2008





Print This Email This In a Monday segment of The Daily Show, host Jon Stewart let the 'race genie' out of the bottle as he mocked the media's attempts to pick apart the so-called 'race card' and how it is being 'played' in the 2008 presidential election. Mocking one pundit's comment on 'phallic imagery' in McCain's 'celebrity' smear ads against the Democratic candidate, Stewart joked that if elected, Sen. Barack Obama would 'teabag' America with his 'giant, black balls,' finally leading the host into a satirical cry of, "The giant, black balls of Obama are upon us!" And, in a biting comment on the media's lust for controversy, Stewart added that televised anchors have seemingly perfected the art of being "simultaneously offended and aroused." Commenting on the McCain campaign's television ad comparing Obama's high-media status to the likes of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, Stewart concluded that the Republican senator's strategy had boiled down to one thing: sarcasm. "Some see the juxtaposition of two white girls and a black man as racially charged," says an ABC News voice over. "Some don't." Stewart, staring dryly into the camera, dismissed the remark, saying, "Put me down for don't. But apparently, the vague, un-disprovable group known as 'some,' do... Correct me if I'm mistaken, but that means Tracy Morgan's appearance on The View was a step shy of 'Mandingo'... For this thing to be racist, you're gonna have to have more than just the two women." "There is an image, right there at the very beginning [of the McCain 'celebrity' ad], of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and there is an image of the Washington Monument," said an MSNBC commentator. "...You tell me, why those two phallic symbols are placed there, pow, right at the very beginning of that ad." "To scare us away from Barack Obama's giant, marble penises," cracked Stewart. "...It's in the ad because that's where Barack Obama was speaking in front of. I guess, by that token, we'd have to find out what racist chose Obama's podium." Transitioning to a photo of Obama on stage leaning toward two microphones, Stewart cried, "Right there! Two black balls! Two giant, black balls, right in front of his mouth! Don't you see the subtle message? Elect Obama, and he will teabag America with his giant, black balls! Run, America! The giant, black balls of Obama are upon us!" Moments later in the segment, Stewart offered a run-down of the media's use of the term 'race card,' Stewart quipped, "I believe the media has perfected the art of being simultaneously offended and sexually aroused... Perhaps the media is just stunned to see the race card played so close on the heels of all those other cards." In a video summary of all the different 'cards' in a presidential election deck, commentators across televised news media called out the various stations. The change card, the fear card, the populism card, the patriotism card, the women as victim card, the gender card, the class card and the Maliki card ... "What is this, cribbage?" asked an incredulous Stewart. "What the hell's going on?" "But, now that its been raised, it's hard to put the genie back in the bottle," said an ABC News voiceover, referring to the matters of race in the campaign. "Woah, really?" laughed Stewart, gingerly holding an Arabian lantern. "Well, there's only one way to find out if that's true." After a couple shines with his cuff, Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones wafted from its mouth in full genie garb. "Hey race genie," said Stewart with a scowl. "Yes," Jones replied. "You get three wishes. And don't try to Jew it up to four." "What?" asked Stewart. "Race genie, generally the joke is that you Jew something down, you don't Jew something up. It's ..." "Hey!" interrupted Jones. "Don't tell me my business. I've been a race genie for a long time. You got that, Dr. Keikenstein?" As his final wish, Stewart wished the race genie would get back into his bottle. "No! No!" yelled Jones. "Why didn't I close that loophole? I'm dumber than a Polack!" This video is from Comedy Central's The Daily Show, broadcast August 4, 2008.

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