Jon Stewart, host <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Daily Show, is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most famous faces <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> late night block. With his witty corresponding to daily news broadcasts, his fake news program has become a late night sensation over <strong>the</strong> years. Photo from Jon Stewart’s novel, A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction Comical Opinions By Lindsay R. Honosky You’ve seen shows like <strong>the</strong> Colbert Report and <strong>the</strong> Daily Show on late night television for years, but how much impact do you think <strong>the</strong>y have as a whole. It’s amazing how influential <strong>the</strong>se seemingly simple comedy spin-<strong>of</strong>fs can be on a watching public. They have created presidential candidates, influenced public opinion, and promote certain authors and artists <strong>of</strong> a certain view. But is this a good thing? Sometimes people forget that <strong>the</strong>se shows are merely that; shows put on for our amusement. Some people lose track <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fact that, while most jokes are based on actual news, it is still just a comedy show, which means that facts can be bent and twisted to support a certain view. Depending on your political outlook, you could say that <strong>the</strong>se comedy shows sometimes tell more <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> truth than <strong>the</strong> actual news broadcasts, yet most are based on <strong>the</strong>m. However, certain comedy shows could be <strong>the</strong> difference between unfair and fair treatment for a political figure or a celebrity. As an example, Senator Hillary Clinton had claimed earlier this year that <strong>the</strong> media coverage <strong>of</strong> her was unfair, that certain news media were highlighting Senator Obama and not giving fair coverage. The normal stations, such as MSNBC, played it <strong>of</strong>f as “a cry for attention”, however, Saturday Night Live created a skit parodying <strong>the</strong> last debate between <strong>the</strong> two senators, poking fun at how viciously <strong>the</strong> moderators attacked Senator Clinton and pampered Senator Obama. Though funny, through <strong>the</strong> next few weeks Hillary supporters began to complain about <strong>the</strong> unfair treatment, and media broadcasts started to level out <strong>the</strong>ir coverage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> candidates. A very famous face that has rapidly risen to <strong>the</strong> top is that <strong>of</strong> Stephen Colbert. The man has claimed to have created one presidential nominee, promoted fundraisers for schools and o<strong>the</strong>r programs, and has even ran for president himself. He is a very influential character <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> late night show list, however, he is just that; a character. People <strong>of</strong>ten debate on whe<strong>the</strong>r or not his show is entirely based on sarcasm, <strong>of</strong> if he actually supports such ideas. Some people know that it is just a show and should not be taken so seriously, yet <strong>the</strong>re are always a few people who take <strong>the</strong>se types <strong>of</strong> programs as fact, without doing <strong>the</strong>ir own homework to see if <strong>the</strong> joke can be backed up by actual information. Comedy is a great conveyor <strong>of</strong> information; however it is a double-edged sword. On one side, it gets <strong>the</strong> masses’ attention and gets <strong>the</strong>m concerned about <strong>the</strong> issues. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, it also makes people jump to <strong>the</strong> gun quicker, since <strong>the</strong>y can’t seem to find <strong>the</strong> time to research <strong>the</strong> information before <strong>the</strong>y act. The next time you watch one <strong>of</strong> those shows, remember this; laugh, learn, but keep your own thoughts. Comical opinions are meant for <strong>the</strong> big screen, not for <strong>the</strong> big picture. Stephen Colbert, host <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Colbert Report, has grown vastly in <strong>the</strong> past year in popularity. With a best selling book and popular late night TV show, Mr. Colbert has become a famous and influential face. Photo from www.blog.timesunion.com Bravo TV By R. Tanner Bivens MTV, Comedy Central, Spike TV, and BET are just a few examples <strong>of</strong> stations that teenagers love to watch. For <strong>the</strong> more refined viewer, you might find Bravo TV a better option. Bravo is a television station that bases its TV shows on pop culture, fine dining, and high fashion. Some famous shows from Bravo are Project Runway, Top Chef, Shear Genius, Working Out, Flipping Out, The Real Housewives <strong>of</strong> Orange County, The Real Housewives <strong>of</strong> New York, and Top Design. Shows like The Real Housewives <strong>of</strong> Orange County and The Real Housewives <strong>of</strong> New York are based <strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> TV series Desperate Housewives and delve into <strong>the</strong> lives <strong>of</strong> real housewives in America. Reality shows such as Project Runway, bring in contestants to discover <strong>the</strong> next big fashion designer, Top Chef shows Americas most talented Chefs competing against each o<strong>the</strong>r, and Shear Genius is about hair styling. With <strong>the</strong> great shows that Bravo TV delivers, it is almost an impossibility to turn on <strong>the</strong> TV and find something not entertaining. I encourage everyone to turn on Bravo TV <strong>the</strong> next time <strong>the</strong>y are surfing <strong>the</strong> channels. 16 The TV hit Project Runway is just one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> many television shows that Bravo has to <strong>of</strong>fer. Photos from wikipedia.com
“The Average Senior” By Bryan Stafford Best Movie Best TV Show 1 Tree Hill American Idol Most senior’s money goes towards gas. Best Song Low by Flo Rida Fave Hang Out Friend’s House Favorite Food Pizza and Steak 57 Seniors Carry Cell Phones Colors Favorite: Blue Average Hair: Brown Average Eyes: Blue Best Video Game Guitar Hero 3 How many seniors had Braces Glasses 28 25 during <strong>the</strong>ir high school career? Average Height Male Female 5’9” 5’6” 41 Seniors Have Jobs Fave Teacher: Mr. Reed How Many Hours A Week Do You Spend….? Watching TV: 11 hrs. On <strong>the</strong> computer: 10 hrs. In Church: 2 hrs. Studying: 4 hrs. Listening to music: 20 hrs. Hanging with friends: 27 hrs. Talking on <strong>the</strong> phone: 10 hrs. With boyfriend/girlfriend: 17hrs. Involved with sports: 12 hrs. Working: 15 hrs. Surveyed seniors said that friends have had <strong>the</strong> biggest impact on <strong>the</strong>ir lives.. 17
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