Jon Stewart Tells Fox News To Go F**k Itself | The Daily Show

The Daily Show
31 May 202419:49

Summary

TLDRIn this satirical segment, Jon Stewart addresses media bias, particularly criticizing Fox News for its perceived lack of objectivity and sensationalism. Stewart humorously engages with Bernie Goldberg's accusations of liberal bias on 'The Daily Show', and counters with examples of Fox News' own bias, such as their focus on the 'Latte Salute' controversy and their selective coverage of the Ferguson and Benghazi incidents. The piece highlights the network's tendency to stoke anger and division while demanding accountability from others, all the while exempting themselves from the same standards.

Takeaways

  • ๐Ÿ˜€ John Stewart humorously addresses Bernie Goldberg's criticism of his interview with Frank Rich.
  • ๐Ÿ˜ƒ Stewart mocks Goldberg's accusation that he is biased against conservatives, using exaggerated and humorous responses.
  • ๐Ÿ˜„ Stewart uses satire to highlight the perceived hypocrisy of Fox News' slogan 'fair and balanced'.
  • ๐Ÿ˜ The segment includes a comedic musical interlude where Stewart mockingly serenades Goldberg.
  • ๐Ÿ˜† Stewart criticizes Fox News for their coverage of the government shutdown and other political issues, calling them disingenuous and cynical.
  • ๐Ÿ˜‚ He points out Fox News' overreaction to President Obama's 'latte salute' and compares it to their sexist comments about a female pilot from the UAE.
  • ๐Ÿคฃ Stewart highlights Fox News' selective outrage and lack of consistent principles, particularly in their coverage of Benghazi versus Ferguson.
  • ๐Ÿ˜… He criticizes Fox for not acknowledging their own role in spreading misinformation and divisive narratives.
  • ๐Ÿ˜Š Stewart uses humor to emphasize the double standards and selective reporting by Fox News.
  • ๐Ÿ˜‡ The segment concludes with a critique of Fox News' lack of accountability and their portrayal of systemic racism versus their narrative on Benghazi.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of discussion between the host and Bernie Goldberg?

    -The main topic of discussion is the perceived bias and fairness in media reporting, specifically addressing Goldberg's criticism of the host's show for not being fair and balanced.

  • How does the host respond to Bernie Goldberg's claim that the show is not fair and balanced?

    -The host counters by stating that 'fair and balanced' is not their slogan and they do not claim to be unbiased. He argues that he is not trying to live up to a tagline that he does not use.

  • What is the host's view on Fox News' slogan 'fair and balanced'?

    -The host suggests that Fox News does not truly follow their own slogan 'fair and balanced', and he criticizes them for being a 'terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization'.

  • What comparison does the host make between Fox News and an autoimmune disorder?

    -The host compares Fox News to an autoimmune disorder, suggesting that while there may be a small amount of a 'liberal pathogen' in Fox News, they are overreacting and producing 'way too many antibodies'.

  • What does the host say about the government shutdown mentioned in the script?

    -The host criticizes House Republicans for forcing a government shutdown over an issue he deems unpopular, and he mocks Fox News for downplaying the potential impacts of the shutdown.

  • What is the 'Latte Salute' controversy discussed in the script?

    -The 'Latte Salute' controversy refers to a situation where President Obama was perceived as disrespecting the military by holding a coffee cup in his hand while saluting, which became a point of criticism in the media.

  • How does the host react to the media's focus on the 'Latte Salute'?

    -The host criticizes the media, particularly Fox News, for focusing on the trivial 'Latte Salute' controversy instead of more pressing issues like ISIS and Ebola.

  • What does the host say about the Ferguson and Benghazi incidents in the script?

    -The host points out the double standards in media coverage, noting that Fox News focused heavily on the Benghazi incident but largely ignored the Department of Justice report that debunked some of the Ferguson narrative.

  • What is the host's view on the media's role in Ferguson and Benghazi?

    -The host criticizes the media, particularly Fox News, for perpetuating divisive narratives and for not holding themselves accountable for spreading misinformation and anger-stoking rhetoric.

  • What does the host suggest about the media's responsibility for their narratives?

    -The host suggests that the media should be held accountable for spreading false or divisive narratives, using the examples of Ferguson and Benghazi to highlight the media's inconsistency in applying this principle.

  • How does the host conclude the discussion on Fox News in the script?

    -The host concludes by emphasizing the hypocrisy of Fox News, accusing them of demanding accountability from others while exempting themselves from the same standard, particularly in their handling of the Benghazi and Ferguson incidents.

Outlines

00:00

๐Ÿ˜€ Interview with Bernie Goldberg

In this segment, the host engages in a satirical conversation with Bernie Goldberg, a conservative commentator. The host addresses Goldberg's criticism of 'The Daily Show' for being biased and not challenging guests with opposing views. The host humorously admits to watching 'The Daily Show' every night and defends the show's approach to satire, arguing that it doesn't need to adhere to the 'fair and balanced' standard set by Fox News. The exchange includes playful jabs at Fox News and a discussion about the nature of satire and media bias.

05:02

๐Ÿ˜ก Critique of Fox News Coverage

This paragraph critiques Fox News's coverage, particularly their handling of the government shutdown and their focus on trivial issues like the 'latte salute' controversy. The host mocks Fox News for their selective attention to certain stories, such as the Ferguson shooting report, and their lack of coverage on other significant issues. The segment highlights the network's tendency to amplify certain narratives for ratings and political points, while ignoring or downplaying other important news.

10:04

๐Ÿค” Double Standards in Media Coverage

The host discusses the double standards in media coverage, specifically calling out Fox News for their selective outrage. The segment points out how Fox News demanded apologies for the 'hands up, don't shoot' narrative in Ferguson, yet did not extend the same courtesy to those who propagated the 'stand down, don't shoot' narrative in Benghazi. The host sarcastically questions the network's commitment to truth and accountability, highlighting the inconsistency in their approach to news stories.

15:06

๐Ÿ˜  Fox News's Benghazi Coverage

This final paragraph focuses on Fox News's extensive coverage of the Benghazi incident and their subsequent reaction to the House Intelligence Committee's report that debunked many of the claims they had been promoting. The host points out the irony of Fox News's lack of self-reflection or apology after the report contradicted their previous narratives. The segment concludes with a comparison between the network's treatment of the Benghazi and Ferguson incidents, emphasizing the network's role in perpetuating divisive and false narratives.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กFair and Balanced

This phrase is a slogan used by Fox News to promote itself as a news organization that provides unbiased and balanced reporting. In the context of the video, it is used ironically to criticize Fox News for not adhering to its own slogan, suggesting that the network is actually biased and not balanced in its coverage. The host points out that the slogan is not followed, implying that Fox News is not living up to its promise of impartiality.

๐Ÿ’กLap Dance

A 'lap dance' typically refers to a type of dance performed by a stripper for a customer, usually involving the dancer moving around or sitting on the customer's lap. In the script, it is used metaphorically to suggest that the host of 'The Daily Show' was overly accommodating and not challenging to a guest, Frank Rich, who was accused of making broad generalizations about conservatives and Republicans. The phrase is part of a larger critique of the show's perceived bias.

๐Ÿ’กElitist

The term 'elitist' is used to describe someone who believes they are superior to others, often due to factors such as education, social status, or wealth. In the video, the host jokingly refers to his audience as 'elitist' in response to the accusation that they are 'unsophisticated'. This is part of a humorous exchange where the host is trying to define the nature of his audience in contrast to the perceived unsophistication suggested by the guest.

๐Ÿ’กGovernment Shutdown

A government shutdown occurs when a government discontinues providing non-essential services due to a lack of funding. In the video, the host mentions the shutdown as a political move made by House Republicans to prevent certain actions, using hyperbolic language to criticize the decision. The shutdown is portrayed as a drastic measure with potentially significant consequences, highlighting the host's view of the event as unnecessary and harmful.

๐Ÿ’กStraw Man

A 'straw man' is a common logical fallacy where someone sets up a weak or distorted version of an opponent's argument and then attacks it instead of the actual argument. In the script, the phrase is used metaphorically to describe how Fox News is attempting to control the narrative around the government shutdown by creating and attacking weak arguments rather than addressing the real issues.

๐Ÿ’กLatte Salute

The 'latte salute' refers to a controversial incident where President Obama was seen holding a coffee cup in his hand while saluting, which some perceived as disrespectful. The term is used in the video to criticize the media's focus on trivial matters instead of more pressing issues. The host sarcastically refers to the incident as 'Coffeegate', illustrating the media's tendency to sensationalize minor incidents while ignoring more substantial concerns.

๐Ÿ’กSystemic Racism

Systemic racism is the presence of racism within the social system and its institutions, such as government, education, and housing. In the video, the host contrasts the use of 'hands up, don't shoot' as a symbol for systemic racism with Fox News' use of 'Benghazi' as a symbol for perceived corruption in the Obama administration. The host implies that while the former is a real issue, the latter is a politically motivated exaggeration.

๐Ÿ’กBenghazi

Benghazi refers to a 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of four Americans. In the video, the host criticizes Fox News for its extensive and controversial coverage of the incident, suggesting that the network used it as a political tool to criticize the Obama administration. The host points out the discrepancy in Fox News' demand for accountability from others while failing to hold itself accountable for its own divisive coverage.

๐Ÿ’กAutoimmune Disorder

An autoimmune disorder is a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own cells. In the script, the host compares Fox News to an autoimmune disorder, suggesting that the network is overreacting to a perceived liberal threat by producing an excessive response, similar to how the immune system overreacts in an autoimmune disorder. This analogy is used to criticize Fox News for its perceived overreaction to liberal influence in the media.

๐Ÿ’กRampant Sexism

Rampant sexism refers to widespread and unchecked discriminatory attitudes or behaviors based on gender. In the video, the host uses this term to criticize a comment made by Eric Bolling, a Fox News host, about a female pilot bombing ISIS. The host implies that such comments are examples of the network's sexist attitudes, highlighting the network's lack of respect for women in serious and professional roles.

Highlights

John Stewart admits to watching 'The Daily Show' every night with his friends.

Criticism of Stewart for not challenging Frank Rich's generalizations about conservatives and Republicans.

Joke about Frank Rich not being on the show since 2006, implying a connection to the previous criticism.

Stewart defends his show against accusations of being 'fair and balanced', stating it's not his slogan.

Bernie Goldberg is criticized for generalizing about Stewart's audience as unsophisticated.

Stewart humorously identifies himself with various political views, including support for gay marriage and legalization of pot.

Stewart emphasizes that he doesn't need to meet Bernie Goldberg's expectations for fair satire.

Critique of Fox News for being a 'terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization'.

Comparison of Fox News to an autoimmune disorder, overreacting to a perceived liberal threat.

House Republicans forcing a government shutdown to avoid 'the king banging our wives' - a satirical comment on political motivations.

Media's focus on trivial issues like 'Latte Salute' instead of significant events like ISIS and Ebola.

Fox News criticized for selective coverage of the Department of Justice reports on Ferguson, focusing only on the exoneration of officer Darren Wilson.

Demand for accountability from those who spread misinformation about Ferguson, contrasting with Fox News' own misinformation on Benghazi.

Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee report exonerating Susan Rice and the administration on Benghazi is largely ignored by Fox News.

Stewart concludes by highlighting the hypocrisy of Fox News demanding accountability from others while being unaccountable for their own actions.

Transcripts

00:00

("The Daily Show" theme music)

00:04

- Let me speak directly

00:06

to John Stewart for just a few seconds.

00:08

And I know he watches, he's a big fan of the show.

00:10

(audience laughs)

00:13

(audience applauds and cheers)

00:20

- Guilty as charged.

00:22

(audience laughs)

00:23

I watch it every night with all my friends.

00:26

(audience laughs and applauds)

00:32

Continue. Mr. Goldberg,

00:34

- When you had Frank Rich on your show

00:36

who generalizes all the time about conservatives

00:40

and Republicans being bigots,

00:43

you didn't ask him a single tough question.

00:45

You gave him a lap dance.

00:47

You practically had your tongue down his throat.

00:49

(audience moans and laughs)

00:55

- Guilty as charged

00:58

Was that televised?

01:00

I don't wanna say anything,

01:01

but Frank Rich hasn't been

01:02

on the show since 2006.

01:04

(audience laughs)

01:06

I mean, since I gave Frank Rich that lap dance,

01:07

I don't know if you noticed,

01:08

but I went back in the champagne room

01:10

with Bill Crystal like five times.

01:12

(audience laughs)

01:13

And if you watch this show, as it appears you have,

01:15

you must remember me and McCain (beep) like bunnies.

01:17

(audience laughs)

01:19

But, I guess that's besides the point.

01:22

Here's the point.

01:23

You can't criticize me for not being fair and balanced.

01:27

That's your slogan,

01:28

(audience laughs)

01:29

which by the way, you never follow

01:33

which brings us back to the essence

01:36

of the whole go (beep) yourselves piece.

01:39

- You are just a safe Jay Leno

01:41

with a much smaller audience,

01:43

but you get to say the F-bomb,

01:46

which gives

01:46

your incredibly unsophisticated audience...

01:49

(Bill chuckles) ...the illusion.

01:50

(audience groans)

01:51

- You're generalizing.

01:52

- The illusion that you're courageous,

01:54

and that's your renegade,

01:55

but it's only an illusion.

01:56

- [Bill] I- - wait, wait.

01:58

I'm not a courageous renegade?

02:00

(audience laughs)

02:01

But, I've always considered myself

02:02

the Lorenzo Lamas of late night.

02:04

(audience laughs)

02:06

I thought my audience was elitist.

02:08

Are they elitist or unsophisticated?

02:10

Or unsophisticated in their elitism?

02:12

(audience laughs)

02:14

Look, I'm sorry, I told you to go (beep) yourself last week,

02:16

and that other time, like six months ago,

02:18

I told you to go (beep) yourself.

02:19

I know that I criticize you and Fox News a lot,

02:22

but only because you're truly

02:23

a terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization.

02:26

(audience laughs and cheers)

02:27

Oh, wait, no. You know what?

02:28

That's no.

02:29

That's the wrong approach.

02:30

(audience continues to cheer)

02:31

That's the wrong approach.

02:33

That's not, I'm not gonna do this.

02:34

I'm not gonna be confrontational.

02:36

I wanna take a minute to talk directly to Bernie Goldberg.

02:39

(audience laughs)

02:41

(organ music)

02:44

Baby. I don't wanna fight baby.

02:47

And I know you've been hurt before by them liberal elites.

02:50

โ™ช They done you wrong, Bernie. โ™ช

02:52

(audience laughs)

02:53

- Don't let that close your heart, brother.

02:56

I don't hate you.

02:58

I mean, you're not Dick Morris.

02:59

โ™ช Yeah. What is wrong with that guy? โ™ช

03:01

- Yeah, seriously.

03:03

โ™ช He's starting to look like that guy from "Men in Black." โ™ช

03:06

- Which one?

03:07

โ™ช You know, from the first one, โ™ช

03:09

โ™ช The guy who came down โ™ช

03:10

โ™ช And walked around in other people's skin. โ™ช

03:14

- What Shalhoub? You talking about-

03:15

โ™ช No. โ™ช

03:17

- Oh, oh the Vincent D'Onofrio guy.

03:19

โ™ช That's the one. โ™ช

03:20

(audience laughs)

03:21

- Yeah, that's right. Okay.

03:26

You see, I've learned people are complicated,

03:29

Bernie, and hard to categorize.

03:30

I mean, I've got some conservative views.

03:32

โ™ช He's a pro-military mother (beep) piece to the troops. โ™ช

03:36

- I've got some libertarian views.

03:38

โ™ช Legalize it. โ™ช

03:39

- Gay marriage

03:40

โ™ช Uh-Huh. โ™ช

03:41

- Pot.

03:41

โ™ช Uh-Huh. โ™ช

03:42

- Gay pot marriage.

03:44

โ™ช Now you making (beep) up, โ™ช

03:45

(audience cheers)

03:47

- And I know that I can be intolerant.

03:49

โ™ช Lactose and otherwise. โ™ช

03:50

โ™ช Don't let this man eat any pussies. โ™ช

03:55

- And I believe this country should provide

03:57

some kind of social safety net

03:58

for our most vulnerable citizens.

03:59

โ™ช Communist โ™ช

04:03

- And I also believe power should be passed down

04:05

to the firstborn son of the reigning king.

04:06

- Monarchists.

04:07

- And I believe in ghosts.

04:09

- Boo.

04:12

- But I will tell you this, Bernie Goldberg.

04:14

Oh, Bernie Goldberg.

04:16

I will tell you this, Bernie Goldberg.

04:18

โ™ช Tell you, Bernie. โ™ช

04:19

โ™ช I'll tell you, Bernie โ™ช

04:20

(audience cheers)

04:21

โ™ช I'll tell you, Bernie โ™ช

04:23

โ™ช I'm telling you, Bernie โ™ช

04:25

โ™ช I'm telling you, Bernie โ™ช

04:27

(audience clapping in time)

04:28

- Oh yeah, Bernie Goldberg,

04:29

you can criticize my interviews.

04:32

(indistinct)

04:34

- Yes, they can be.

04:36

- Incoherent.

04:37

- That's the editing.

04:39

- Not funny.

04:40

- I try to be funny.

04:41

โ™ช Why don't you watch the movie? โ™ช

04:43

- I don't have time to watch all the guest movies.

04:46

My point is this.

04:48

โ™ช I'm telling you, Bernie โ™ช

04:50

โ™ช He's got a point, now โ™ช

04:52

โ™ช He's got a point, now โ™ช

04:54

โ™ช He's got a point, now โ™ช

04:56

โ™ช He's got a point, now โ™ช

04:58

- Bernie Goldberg.

04:59

I don't need to satisfy your version

05:01

of what fair satire is or should be.

05:05

I'm not fair. I'm not balanced.

05:07

โ™ช He's unstable โ™ช

05:09

(audience laughs)

05:10

- That's not what I meant.

05:11

- He's coco Loco.

05:13

- Thank you.

05:14

You're criticizing me for not living up to your tagline.

05:18

Oh, Lord.

05:19

And you dismissed any criticism

05:21

as further evidence of how the rest

05:23

of the media persecute you.

05:24

You like to pretend, Bernie Goldberg at Fox News

05:27

that the relentless conservative activism

05:29

of Fox News is the equivalent.

05:31

Oh, the equivalent

05:34

of the disorganized liberal influence

05:36

you find on NBC, ABC and CBS.

05:39

But, Fox News, you may be able to detect

05:42

a liberal pathogen.

05:44

โ™ช He's got a point, yeah. โ™ช

05:45

- In their bloodstream,

05:46

however faint

05:49

but Fox News is such a crazy overreaction

05:51

to that perceived threat.

05:54

You're like an autoimmune disorder.

05:56

(audience laughs)

05:57

I'm not saying the virus doesn't exist

05:59

in some small quantity,

06:01

but you're producing way too many antibodies.

06:04

(audience laughs)

06:05

Fox News, you're the lupus of news.

06:09

(audience cheers and applauds)

06:13

So I guess,

06:18

I guess what I'm saying is this,

06:21

โ™ช Go โ™ช

06:23

- As long as fair and balanced is

06:25

how you sell yourselves...

06:26

(beep)

06:29

Guess what I'm saying is this.

06:31

โ™ช Yourself โ™ช

06:35

(audience cheers)

06:37

โ™ช Go (beep) yourself โ™ช

06:39

โ™ช Go (beep) yourself โ™ช

06:41

(audience cheering)

06:42

(beeping)

06:53

("The Daily Show" theme music)

06:56

- So now the House Republicans have made

06:57

the incredibly unpopular move

07:00

of forcing a shutdown in the United States government

07:02

so as to save us all from having the king bang our wives.

07:05

There's only one thing left to do.

07:08

Fox to the damage control station.

07:10

Man the straw man.

07:13

- I wonder if it's gonna be like the sequester

07:15

where before the sequester

07:17

we heard, you know, the sky essentially is gonna fall.

07:19

It's gonna be awful.

07:20

You're gonna feel the pain immediately, not so much.

07:23

- The worst thing that happens is some museum's close

07:26

and someone can't go to the Statue of Liberty.

07:28

- We were all warned the sky was gonna fall,

07:30

Well, you woke up this morning,

07:31

and the sun came up, didn't it?

07:32

- Yeah. No one told you the sky would fall.

07:35

(audience laughs)

07:36

No one told you that a government shutdown had

07:38

the same effect as an asteroid hitting the planet.

07:42

Although, quick note, the government shutdown did affect

07:43

the program that would tell us if that was happening.

07:45

(audience laughs)

07:47

But the point is, on Fox, no biggie.

07:50

- When the president came out yesterday,

07:51

and he went through the list of what wasn't going to change,

07:55

he said, "Well, we'll have air traffic controllers,

07:57

Medicare, you gotta go to their doctor."

07:58

I was sitting there going,

07:59

"Wait a second,

08:00

he's making the case for the Republicans.

08:01

This sounds pretty good."

08:02

- Maybe I'm just one of the few people.

08:03

I'm just not, this doesn't impact me mentally.

08:08

We've had 17 government shutdowns, Governor.

08:10

I'm not afraid of a couple of weeks

08:12

of government being shut down.

08:14

- How bad can it be

08:15

if it doesn't personally impact John Hannity?

08:17

(audience laughs)

08:19

I mean, it's not like they shut down

08:20

Smith and Wollensky for private events.

08:22

I mean, that would really be (beep) up,

08:24

or closed our nation's strategic flag graphic reserves.

08:29

Or if Roger Ailes implemented a no grunting policy

08:32

in the Fox men's room.

08:33

(audience laughs)

08:35

("Daily Show" theme music)

08:37

Now is the time for an adult conversation

08:39

about how our government makes

08:41

its most important decisions and functions in crisis.

08:44

And to lead that discussion,

08:45

I give you our national media.

08:48

- [Hannity] President Obama's so-called latte salute.

08:51

- [Reporter] Holding a cup in his right hand.

08:53

- The great coffee escapade.

08:55

- Coffeegate.

08:55

- [Reporter] President Obama in hot water.

08:57

- [Reporter Two] Some people think it was disrespectful.

08:59

- [Reporter Three] Hashtag lattesalute.

09:00

- [Reporter Four] The coffee salute went viral.

09:03

- A lot is blowing up online.

09:05

- We are (beep).

09:07

I don't even know what to do.

09:09

(audience cheering)

09:10

First of all, we're currently fighting, if I may say.

09:14

So apparently, we're currently fighting ISIS

09:16

and Ebola, two things that are literally blowing up

09:19

and going viral.

09:20

(audience laughs)

09:21

So if you're not gonna cover the important stuff,

09:23

at least don't use words that remind us

09:25

of the important stuff you're not covering.

09:27

Okay? Now, to be fair,

09:28

Lattegate wasn't all the news talked about yesterday,

09:30

but where I might have given

09:31

the President salutes with coffee cup story,

09:33

an espresso sized shot of attention,

09:35

the news channels went for the full double venti coverage

09:37

with one network going especially deep.

09:41

- Learn the proper respect of the salute.

09:44

- Insensitive.

09:45

- What's the meaning of it? That's it.

09:46

- It looks terrible.

09:47

- It's outlandish, and it's disappointing.

09:49

- Put your coffee in the other hand.

09:51

- Our Commander in Chief displayed his complete disrespect

09:54

for the men and women in uniform.

09:55

- Shut up.

09:57

(audience laughs and cheers)

09:59

You don't really care.

10:01

You don't really care about this.

10:04

You have no principle about this.

10:06

You're just trying to score points

10:07

in a game that no one else is playing.

10:09

Here's how we know.

10:10

- It's an arrogance that he portrays

10:12

these people are put their lives on the line for us.

10:14

- [Reporter Five] You're right.

10:15

- Show the respect and salute these guys.

10:18

- So the principle here is show respect

10:20

for the people who are putting their lives

10:21

on the line for this fight.

10:23

Here's Eric Bolling on that very same episode.

10:26

- The first female pilot piloting

10:29

for the UAE dropped the bombs on ISIS on Monday night.

10:32

- Would that be considered boobs on the ground or no?

10:35

(audience groans)

10:37

- First of all, forget the rampant sexism in that statement.

10:40

Second of all, she's a pilot,

10:41

so whatever gender specific equipment

10:42

she might be carrying is in the (beep) air.

10:44

(audience laughs)

10:45

And thirdly, what was the quote

10:48

that someone said earlier in your program?

10:50

"These people are putting their lives on the line for us.

10:53

Show respect."

10:53

So (beep) you and all your false patriotism.

10:56

("The Daily Show" theme music)

10:59

And to be frank, oftentimes this show is critical of Fox,

11:03

but only because they're terrible.

11:05

(audience laughs)

11:06

Like sometimes almost shockingly terrible.

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For instance, two weeks ago,

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Justice Department released a report

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on the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department shooting

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of Michael Brown,

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basically exonerating officer Darren Wilson

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and debunking the hands up don't shoot narrative.

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And then, they released a second DOJ report stating

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that "the Ferguson Police Department routinely violates

11:26

the Constitution and federal law

11:27

with a pattern of racial bias,

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unreasonable force, intentional discrimination

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and mistreatment of detainees,

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wrongs born disproportionately by African Americans."

11:35

(John chuckles)

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But on Fox, you're gonna love this.

11:38

(audience laughs)

11:39

Despite their 24 hour schedule,

11:42

they really only had time for the one report.

11:45

- [Reporter Six] DOJ now admitting,

11:47

hands up, don't shoot, never happened.

11:50

- People have been fed a narrative.

11:52

- Protestors who have been running

11:54

around this country telling a lie.

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- The tsunami of misinformation and innuendo, boneheaded,

12:01

non-fact based rhetoric.

12:02

- It never happened.

12:03

- [Megyn] Did not happen.

12:04

- It didn't happen that way.

12:06

Wilson's been exonerated.

12:08

Let's move on.

12:09

- Let's move on.

12:10

(audience laughs)

12:12

The Department of Justice found

12:14

that the flashpoint incident

12:16

for protests did not happen the way some thought.

12:20

Although, in this second report,

12:22

they did also document

12:23

a tower of racially-based kindling wood,

12:27

years of unreasonable force, lighter fluid

12:30

and daily tossed lit cigarette butts of discrimination

12:34

and harassment that could easily lend

12:36

itself to the flashpoint.

12:40

But, as the fire safety wardens of Fox suggest,

12:44

Yeah, (beep) it.

12:45

Let's just move on.

12:46

(audience laughs)

12:49

But, here's the thing,

12:51

the anger is still there.

12:54

The people couldn't move on at Fox.

12:59

(audience laughing)

12:59

They demanded restitution at Fox.

13:03

- Why isn't the media which pedaled

13:04

that narrative apologizing?

13:06

- Obama, Sharpton,

13:08

they should be held responsible

13:09

for their incendiary rhetoric.

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- [Reporter Seven] Fanning the flames, rushing to judgment.

13:13

- Blood on their hands.

13:14

- The damage was done.

13:15

The inflammatory rhetoric was used.

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- [Megyn] We saw members of Congress saying,

13:19

"Hands up, don't shoot."

13:21

And if one of them has so far apologized

13:24

for misleading America, we haven't heard it.

13:27

- I have not received a single,

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I am bear-y sorry

13:31

(audience laughing)

13:34

for igniting racial conflict.

13:36

I haven't received one.

13:39

The lesson Fox News is getting at is very clear.

13:43

Wouldn't it be nice if people

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who jumped to conclusions

13:48

and pedaled a false, divisive,

13:50

anger-stoking narrative had to apologize

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for misleading America?

13:56

(audience applauds and cheers)

13:57

Now, now,

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here's where (beep) gets real.

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I wonder if there's an analogous event

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where we could test Fox's fealty

14:13

to this principle of restitution for a aggrievement?

14:17

- Does the word Benghazi ring a bell?

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- A bunch of new questions about Benghazi.

14:21

- Benghazi. - Benghazi.

14:22

- Benghazi.

14:23

- Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi.

14:25

- That first of all, Benghazi isn't Beetlejuice.

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You don't say it three times,

14:29

(audience laughing)

14:31

but if you insist, okay, let's use that example.

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It's a tragic event where Americans died like Ferguson.

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But, if the analogy is to hold, who will play the role

14:41

of nation dividing, anger stoking rhetoricians

14:46

before the official government investigation was completed?

14:50

- [Announcer] "Special Report" Investigates

14:52

Death and Deceit in Benghazi.

14:54

- Susan Rice willingly went along

14:56

and lied on the Sunday chat shows.

14:58

- The CIA warned that there might be

15:01

an attack on the 911 anniversary.

15:03

During the attack, they didn't send help

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that was waiting in Tripoli, a C-130 to assist these guys.

15:10

- Coming up.

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They could have saved four Americans,

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but instead our government told them to stand down.

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- So basically, you're saying the government

15:20

of the United States told its military,

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if I'm gonna put this in a catchy protesty kind of phrase,

15:24

stand down, don't shoot.

15:28

And Fox didn't restrict its anger stoking to words,

15:31

because let's face it,

15:32

they're older viewers who are hard

15:34

of hearing also have a right to be mad.

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So scary opens and that burning Benghazi footage

15:40

in a semi-continuous loop

15:42

like some kind of Fox News yule log.

15:46

"Oh, they're running the burning compound footage again.

15:50

It seems like Benghazmas comes earlier

15:52

and earlier every year.

15:56

But, of course, unlike Ferguson protestors,

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Fox wasn't being irresponsible and divisive.

16:02

They just wanted the truth.

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- We have unanswered questions about Benghazi.

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- There are glaring questions that are unanswered.

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- Questions still remain unanswered.

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- There's questions about stand down orders and so on.

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And here we are all this time later,

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we don't have the answers.

16:16

- So we still don't have the answers.

16:17

Four Americans are dead,

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and there are a lot of unanswered questions.

16:20

- Well, that-

16:21

- Well, your sentence construction says,

16:23

I just want to know.

16:24

But, the tone says

16:25

why the president had an ambassador whacked?

16:29

Well, finally on November 21st, 2014,

16:33

they got their answers

16:35

from an exhaustive report

16:37

from the Republican-controlled

16:39

House Intelligence Committee answering those many questions.

16:44

Did Susan Rice go on TV and try to deceive anyone?

16:46

Report says, "No."

16:48

Did the administration ignore credible warnings

16:50

about that day's attack?

16:51

Report says, "No."

16:52

Was there a stand down order

16:54

or failure to rescue those individuals

16:58

and send rescue planes?

16:59

Report says, "No."

17:00

Was there a massive intelligence agency coverup?

17:02

Report says, "No, not CIA, not FBI, none of them."

17:05

Which means all these elements

17:06

in the two year Benghazi ragegasm were,

17:11

what do you call it?

17:12

What do you call it?

17:13

- Tsunami of misinformation. Innuendo-

17:15

- Right, right, right, right, right.

17:16

- Non fact-based rhetoric.

17:19

- Yes, yes, yes. That, that.

17:21

- Right. It's all those things.

17:22

So it would only follow that just like Fox demanded

17:26

of any protestor who said,

17:27

"Hands up, don't shoot,"

17:29

the correct action for no stand down, don't shoot

17:32

for Fox News now would be to...

17:34

- Why isn't the media which pedaled

17:36

that narrative apologizing?

17:38

- Yes. Yes. Why not?

17:40

(audience cheering)

17:41

Yes.

17:43

Oh, Eric, that's so true. Yes.

17:48

And so, in the fateful days following

17:51

that Republican House Intelligence Committee Report,

17:55

what did the Fox say?

17:57

(upbeat music)

18:02

(John trilling)

18:07

In fact, other than a couple of half-hearted efforts

18:11

to (beep) on the Republican-lead report,

18:13

its contents went largely unnoticed on Fox.

18:17

Even Megyn Kelly, who was prior

18:19

to that desperately searching for answers, had

18:21

the House Intelligence Committee chair, Mike Rogers

18:24

on our show

18:25

two weeks after he released the Benghazi report

18:28

and never asked him about it once.

18:30

Not (beep) once. Yes.

18:33

The network who used the word Benghazi

18:35

like a clubhouse password,

18:36

the official Republican-dominated House Report

18:39

on Benghazi was the only news story in two years

18:42

that didn't remind them to talk about Benghazi.

18:45

(audience laughs)

18:47

Which brings us, once again

18:52

to our main point of respect and appreciation,

18:55

the beauty that is the ugliness of Fox News.

18:59

They demand accountability for anger

19:02

and divisiveness whilst holding

19:04

themselves entirely unaccountable

19:07

for their anger and divisiveness.

19:10

For two years, they used Benghazi

19:12

as shorthand, as a symbol for the whole concept

19:15

of a corrupt lying tyrannical,

19:17

possibly murderous Obama White House,

19:20

kind of like other people used, hands up, don't shoot

19:24

as a symbol for systemic racism.

19:27

And there's really only one difference

19:29

between the two phenomena.

19:32

Systemic racism actually exists.

19:35

(audience laughs)

19:37

("The Daily Show" theme music)