Tag Archives: jon stewart

The Eurozone crisis explained. OR: How not to get distracted by smurfs doing star-jumps

The Eurozone crisis isn’t, by common consent, a sexy topic rich with comic potential. Important, yes. A rib-tickler, no. So kudos, immense kudos, to comedian John Finnemore who performed a pretty acute summary for BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show this week. In just 6 mins and 35 secs. Enjoy…

Posted in Humour and YouTube | Also tagged , , , and | 1 Comment

LDVideo: Jon Stewart takes aim at Fox News and media sensationalism

To US liberals, he’s something of a hero; to conservatives he’d be a bête noire if they could stomach the use of a foreign label. Jon Stewart’s satirical The Daily Show has become a cultural institution in America (and something of a cult hit here) because of the host’s pin-sharp riffs against politicians and the media.

And what better, more deserving, target could there be than News International’s conservative polemical shock-jock channel, Fox News? Jon Stewart recently agreed to go toe-to-toe with Chris Wallace, one of its more intelligent interviewers.

The result is a vigorous and surprisingly nuanced 15-minute debate, which touches on issues just as relevant to the UK — especially the 24×7 news media’s destructive sensationalising of issues needing balance, regardless of whether their agenda is driven by liberals or conservatives. In the light of this week’s Milly Dowler case, or the recent character assasination of Christopher Jefferies, it’s more important than ever.

Posted in YouTube | Also tagged , , , and | 1 Comment

LDVideo … Nick’s PMQs, ‘Unparliamentary language’ and Jon Stewart’s take on ‘Climategate’

Welcome to the latest LDVideo instalment, featuring three of the most memorable video clips doing the rounds on the blogosphere.

I missed covering this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions, so here to make up for it is Nick Clegg’s contribution – taking to task (with some passion) Gordon Brown for Labour’s failures to put fairness at the heart of their policies:

Posted in YouTube | Also tagged , and | 3 Comments

LDVideo: American politics videos

Here’s a handful of videos doing the rounds from American politics.

First up “There’s a rep for that!” – riffing on the iPhone’s ad showing how there’s an application to do the most ridiculous things, here’s a video with a light-hearted but deadly serious look at some of the disgraceful campaigns American Republicans have run:

Posted in LDVUSA and YouTube | Leave a comment

YouTube ‘cos we want to: Bercow, New Labour and Obama

Welcome to this Friday edition of our new LDV feature rounding up some of the best/worst/most curious political videos doing the rounds. Guaranteed Wimbledon/Jacko free.

First up, let’s enjoy new Speaker John Bercow’s well-publicised spat with ITN reporter Tom Bradby. Hard to choose between them who I feel least sympathy for, as both seem to be indulging in needless testosterone-charged irratibility:

After that starter, here’s the main course – Liberal Vision’s rather good 4-minute synopsis of the New Labour failure set to one of my all-time fave tracks, Nena’s 99 Red Balloons:

Posted in YouTube | Also tagged | 11 Comments

YouTube ‘cos we want to: MPs’ expenses special

Welcome to an occasional new LDV feature, YouTube ‘cos we want to, rounding-up a couple of the most amusing/bad/interesting YouTube videos doing the rounds. This week, our focus is MPs’ expenses (what else?).

First up, let’s enjoy Tory MP Anthony “I’ve got a very very large house” Steen’s joyously apoplectic radio interview defending his claims from the taxpayer for treating 500 of his trees:

Then there’s American Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart giving his Daily Show take on MPs’ expenses – and coming up with the best one-word description yet coined, ‘Scamalot’:

Posted in YouTube | Also tagged , and | 1 Comment
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