Carlson On Stewart: "What A Boor"

CNN Crossfire host Tucker Carlson was taken aback by Jon Stewart's rant on the debate show today. "I've never seen a more sanctimonious comedian," he says in an e-mail to TVNewser. "What a boor."

I asked Carlson if Stewart had "slammed" the two hosts. "Slammed us? The transcript may read that way," he said. "But I think the tape makes it clear he humiliated himself."

Stewart: "Refreshing Media Moment?"

MTV.com -- that esteemed news source -- reports on the Stewart/Crossfire incident: "In what could well be the strangest and most refreshing media moment of the election season, 'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart turned up on a live broadcast of CNN's 'Crossfire' Friday and accused the mainstream media -- and his hosts in particular -- of being soft and failing to do their duty as journalists to keep politicians and the political process honest." More...
> Here is a BitTorrent stream of the segment.
> Media Matters has the video, as well.

Fake News Anchor Tells CNN Hosts They "Fail Miserably;" Viewers Call It "Magic TV Moment"

A rush transcript of today's Crossfire is now online. A highlight:

STEWART: You know, the interesting thing I have is, you have a responsibility to the public discourse, and you fail miserably. CARLSON: You need to get a job at a journalism school, I think. STEWART: You need to go to one. The thing that I want to say is, when you have people on for just knee-jerk, reactionary talk... CARLSON: Wait. I thought you were going to be funny. Come on. Be funny. STEWART: No. No. I'm not going to be your monkey.

> "By the final segment, the mood was icier than New Hampshire in January," an e-mailer says. "After Carlson said goodbye, we could faintly hear Jon cracking 'I think that went well...'"

> Begala and Carlson are going to be on AC360 tonight, a source says: "Look for Anderson to ask them what happened."

> Yesterday CNN promoted Stewart's appearance in a press release.
> An e-mailer points out that a Daily Show advert appeared half an hour later. Al Franken was on Wolf Blitzer Reports, and slipped in a jab about the incident...

What Happened On Crossfire?

From an e-mailer: "Did you see Crossfire? Did you see one of the most important moments in cable news history? Did you see Jon Stewart throw down the gauntlet? I can't wait for the transcript. Mandatory viewing for cable newsaholics." "You're as big a dick on your show as you are on any show," Stewart told Tucker Carlson at one point. Begala and Carlson "both seemed unable to deal with being taken to the wood shed and were almost (by their loquacious standards) speechless," another viewer writes in...

"Fliers Get Choice Of News Channels"

Such a dramatic AP lead: "For years, if passengers at the Eugene Airport had some time to kill before their plane took off, their eyeballs would swivel over to the Fox News Channel. After all, the television network had a stipulated monopoly on TV screens in the airport's departure lounges. Not anymore. As of Thursday afternoon, passengers waiting for flights now have a choice between Fox News Channel and CNN."

falaphilia:   ...Enough said.

Lou's Noon Meeting?

From an anonymous e-mailer: "Lou Dobbs has called a staff meeting for noon today for his show's entire staff. Could this be an announcement of a timeslot move?" But "Lou Dobbs holds a noon meeting EVERY Friday," another e-mailer points out. The rumors about a schedule shakeup have been spreading for weeks...
> Stephen Battaglio cites the NYDN report that Dobbs may move to primetime, and saya: "You've got to believe that the shift will happen sooner rather than later to capitalize on any possible viewer fallout O'Reilly may face from the story."

O'Reilly: Morning Media Wrapup

> "I knew I was going to get vilified and vile stuff was going to be put out there," O'Reilly tells Howard Kurtz in a WP C1 this morning.

> "None of this should be surprising to Factor viewers," Jim Gilliam blogs. "He's telegraphed his sordid sexual desires for years on his show, all you had to do was watch." Check out his five-minute video, "The O'Sexxxy Factor."

> TV Guide's Stephen Battaglio wonders: "Can Bill O'Reilly Survive Sexgate?"