The (Madison Wisconsin) Capital Times
12:47 AM 2/16/04
Media musings: Wit fits news
By Judy Frankel
Special to The Capital Times
February 17, 2004
I have to admit it: I am a recovering news junkie. Whew, it feels better
just
to say it.
While I am sure there are worse habits I can indulge in, there was a time,
not
too long ago, when hard news dominated my life. It was an era of reading
multiple newspapers per day and watching all the cable news I could
handle. And
I could handle a lot! But all that's changed.
As a busy working mother of two small children, out of necessity, I have
had to
become more selective about my news consumption. There simply isn't enough
time
in the day to watch all those talking heads and pundits blow steam. And
while I
am somewhat embarrassed to admit it, I should point out that I don't allow
my
children to watch the news: not before 9/11 and certainly not after.
But at major news points in history, like the results of today's primary,
I
still need my fix. So once the little ones are safely tucked in their
beds,
I'll spend the rest of the evening infuriating my husband with my constant
flipping of the channels, watching the results, listening to the experts
and
having a ball.
However, it will be an exception. Typically, during our waking hours,
kid-friendly TV rules.
I've found that watching the news doesn't have to be all serious. If you
really
want to have some fun with the political events of the day, try the wee
hours,
when even the hard news gets a little goofy.
Allow me to explain:
The late night landscape is pretty good pickings for good political
satire.
It's always been that way. Since "Saturday Night Live" pioneered the
newscast
parody "Weekend Update" back in the '70s, there have been lots of people
who
continue the genre.
Without a doubt, it is my opinion that "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart"
is the
absolute best on the dial right now. While he does have the standard couch
and
a few celebrity guests, it is really political satire that is center stage
here.
Watching funny man Stewart cope with the crowded field of candidates for
the
Democratic nomination for president in "Indecision 2004" is sheer
hilarity. His
take on the war in Iraq, cleverly slugged "Mess o'Potamia," lightens up
the
devastating news of the day. The rest of the cast -- a hodgepodge lineup
of
correspondents including Rob Corddry, Lewis Black, Ed Helms, Stephen
Colbert,
Steve Carrel and my personal favorite, Samantha Bee (a fellow Canadian) --
pull
out all the stops and make me sneer, smirk and smile every time. It's
funny,
it's light and it's topical.
Jon Stewart has been parodying the news on "The Daily Show" since he took
the
chair in 1999 and his well-deserved 2003 Emmy award finally recognized the
stellar job Stewart (he is executive producer) and his writers have been
doing.
So when I learned earlier this winter that funny man Dennis Miller would
be
hosting his own show on CNBC, I was pretty excited, believing that there
was no
harm in widening the political comedy playing field. I have been a fan of
Miller's since his stint at the anchor desk on "Saturday Night Live," a
spot he
held from 1985 to 1991. With a toss of his trademark curls or the turn of
a
sardonic phrase, Miller was able to twist and turn typical news stories
into
masterful pieces of wit. Miller was at the top of his game and it was
good.
But that was then, and this is now.
Dennis Miller has changed. In a weird, wacky twist that no one could have
predicted, he has gone over to the other side, and all that great
political
commentary has morphed into creepy, butt-kissing, right-wing,
not-even-funny
Republican. His premiere episode, which debuted in January, had a full
hour of
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the action superstar-turned-governor of California.
Even
with Miller's admitted changeover -- he is now a registered Republican --
I
didn't think he would miss an opportunity to sling one or two good ones
about
this particular turn of events. I mean, come on, Arnold Schwarzenegger --
a
governor?
But he didn't. Instead, it was an hour of Dennis Miller kowtowing to
Schwarzenegger with very little humor and even less political discussion.
It
was bad. And not just because it wasn't funny. It was bad because Miller
had
turned into a brown-nosing, suck-up weenie.
Don't get me wrong. It's not as though I feel only left-leaning liberals
should
own the market on funny. What I don't understand is what happened to the
wit?
Miller has had a long and successful career making jokes out of the
headlines.
Nine seasons on HBO's "Dennis Miller Live," best-selling books "The Rant"
and
"The Rant Again," and even a moderately well-received turn as funny man on
ABC's "Monday Night Football" always had Miller in the same role --
satirical
funny man poking fun at the news. But now there is something very
different,
almost spooky about the new Dennis Miller.
Some shows have been better than others. But there are major problems with
this
show that make me believe it won't last much longer. The first clue is
Miller's
co-star. It's a chimp. And while much has been made in pop culture about
"jumping the shark" (a defining moment at which a television program
reaches
its peak; after that, it's all downhill), I think debuting with a simian
co-host pretty much means you've given up before you even got started.
Secondly, his ratings are just plummeting. Apparently, even Republicans
don't
like him.
But there are rare glimpses of the old Dennis Miller that sneak in. While
interviewing Pulitzer prize-winning photographer David Hume Kennerly,
Miller
was in fine form, ad-libbing hilarious one-liners about the photos from
the
election trail.
While I certainly wouldn't recommend relying on either show for its news
content, I would say that in my opinion, at the end of a long, hard
workday,
there really isn't any harm in a little news.
Stay tuned!
"Dennis Miller" airs weeknights on CNBC at 8 p.m.
"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" airs weeknights on Comedy Central at 10
p.m.
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