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There is Only So Much Cynicism to Go Around

June 26, 2006 at 03:31 | Print This Post Print This Post

Jeff Jarvis begins by wondering whether the Daily Show is keeping youth cynical about democracy, and ends wondering whether the msm should be keeping readers cynical about media.


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One Response to “There is Only So Much Cynicism to Go Around”


  1. MD
    June 26th, 2006 at 12:42

    One of the most widely circulated video pieces recently was Jon Stewart on CNN Crossfire telling his hosts they were hacks not debaters, the political equivalent of Pro Wrestling. (”For God’s sake, you’re 34 and you wear a bowtie!”).

    The mainstream media has followed politics down the dead-end road of spin over substance. It is no longer relevant. The average citizen does not have time to dig into this manure pile, but is not fooled by superficial spin. Hence the popularity of “news” like The Daily Show, which cut through the pretence on both sides of the political debate - righteousness and political correctness are both hypocrisy in the eyes of the average voter because issues are never black-and-white.

    Perhaps the biggest enemy of democracy, north and south of the border, is not so much cynicism as despair - the feeling that the same ship of fools will run the place no matter who you vote for. If voting for Nader gives you Bush, what’s the point of voting?