Tonight was the month anniversary of Tucker Carlson's "The Situation" and the second day back for Jon Stewart on the new set that I am not alone in not loving. I am also not loving the absence of BOTH Rachel Maddow AND Max Kellerman. What a cheat. In no particular order, here are noteworthy moments from both shows:
Jon makes fun of the networks for their hurricane coverage, and shows the now-infamous Anderson Cooper-warding-off-aluminum-signage video: "That flying debris almost cut Anderson into...180." Hee.
Charlie Gasparino, easy with that BrylCreem.
"Situation" producer Willie Geist is a laugh-riot tonight! I didn't even know there was a studio audience, but he cracked them up a few times, and me with "Whenever I want a good slice of pizza, I head down to the nearest Danish restaurant." Usually I don't love the guy, but tonight he did good.
Bernard Goldberg comes on to plug his book, "100 People Who Are Screwing America Up (and Al Franken is #37)" and ends up getting seriously pummelled by Jon and his home advantage. Applauding audiences never bothered anyone so much. The upshot: Goldberg thinks our culture is crass and vulgar, Jon wouldn't trade that in to go back to the genteel time of slaveowning. Kind of a leap, but anyway, Stewart keeps pummelling Goldberg, who is clearly left reeling.
Tucker debates Sabiha Kahn from the Council on Arab Islamic about the National Guardsman who posted flyers at a Sacramento miliary base saying that terrorists should be killed with bullets dipped in pig's blood to deny them access to heaven. I found myself kind of cringing during this segment as Tucker argued for this, but then she slam-dunked him: "Our own President Bush has said this isn't a religious war. Why are we falling into the terrorist rhetoric?" Bingo. (NB I know a person who will be sending me an email very shortly on this!)
Here's an idea: If you're going to have a segment with 'vaginal cream' as a punchline and your guest sees the segment and comments on it, maybe you shouldn't cut it. Because the viewers at home have no clue about it, and your guest just did a cold open with a 'vaginal cream' joke. That nobody got. Poor, poor Bernard Goldberg.
Tucker's read the first four Harry Potter books! I wonder which one he likes better, "Goblet of Fire" or "Azkaban." It's a tough call.
Barbra Streisand has a BLOG? Yep, and it's here. Goldberg has her as #91 on his list that Jon Stewart thinks is the wrong list.
Discussion of Tucker's spar-fest with LA Times columnist Rosa Brooks last Wednesday. Charlie Gasparino obviously wants to keep coming on the show: "I thought that was a very good interview," he says. Their eyes lock. There is a pause. Did they just share a moment?
Most interesting moment of both shows: a Tucker Carlson commercial...during the Daily Show. Props to MSNBC for trying.
Update: As predicted, a certain reader writes in, reminding me that Sabiha Kahn accused Thomas Friedman of printing untruths in his articles (apologies, I can't get more specific because I didn't DVR it; feel free to send in info)(Update: a reader writes that when Tucker pressed her on why Muslim groups haven't condemned bin Laden she sidesteps and attacks Friedman). I've actually updated the description of the Stewart/Goldberg exchange to replace "eviscerated" with "kept pummelling" because that's more accurate. Goldberg was totally floundering, but that's more because Stewart really didn't let him get into proper debate, which he found obviously frustrating ("I'm hard to talk to," Stewart concedes after interrupting Goldberg early on).
Another reader writes in to, er, question the nature of my relationship with Tucker (who for the record I met once, at the launch event, and I'm fairly confident of the negligible impression I made). I started watching "The Situation" so I could review/reference it for Fishbowl; I watch it now because It's a good roundup and good background for what I might have missed that day. Plus anyone who reads my posts oughta know that my real crush is Rachel Maddow.
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