http://journals.democraticunderground.com/?az=archives&j=492&page=1

And holy crap on a cracker, I could get a better chromakey clip than that on our shitty little college video mixing board. In 1985. The writing, the delivery, the utterly predictable targets, the painfully awkward setup for an unfunny punchline — so when they were done, they looked at this and said, “Yup, that’s a keeper. Let’s post it and let the laughter begin!”

I agree that The Daily Show’s effectiveness is largely due to excellent writing, but I wouldn’t rule out format so quickly. In a typical episode Jon will discuss a single issue or event in a monologue for several minutes and then segue to a dialog with one of his correspondents about it.

I’m not sure if this makes TDS funnier, but it makes it better and less shallow. Jon and his writers clearly consider each issue seriously. Focusing on a single issue or event allows them to have more complex jokes, or jokes that build on each other, but also informs the viewer and encourages him or her to think about and discuss political issues.

I think this has a lot to do with what makes TDS also better than SNL’s “Weekend Update”, which like “Newsbusters” is mostly about one-liners.

Maybe if you’re lucky M’a'r’i'e’ J’o'n” will start vlogging.

Oh, yes, please. Please!

First: I’m going to go re-read all the P.J. O’Rourke I own, just as a reminder that there ARE people out there who are smart, funny, and in the opposite political side from me;

Second: Lay the hell off Joan Jett. The is cooler than any gabbling vidiot could aspire to be. The hapless form promoting its own feeble intellect shown here is Anti-Rock and Roll; it is Anti-Punk; it is indeed the Anti-Jett.

Joan Jett still gets me hard. This pathetic rag? Not with a hood, gag and bottle of NoDoze.

Am I the only one who go the “Ha ha, Black men steal stuff!” part?

It was canned. You can tell by the way the laugh track continued even through the edits (if you can call the “spin effect” on the video toaster a “effect”.)

Smug bitch.

They’re better at physical humor. You know, like ganging up on some poor schmuck from the wrong side of the tracks and kicking his teeth out. Yee haw!!

Actually, I find it a little bit encouraging to think that maybe one person, one small voice, involved with that production actually had sufficient brain capacity to say “No, that ‘joke’ isn’t even funny enough for this train wreck” and cut something.