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September 13, 2005
Thoughts on June Griffin on The Daily Show
Alice mentioned June Griffin's appearance last night on The Daily Show in a segment they shot up in Dayton concerning evolution. You can watch the video here.
Thoughts on the piece:
While the piece had its moments, I think it was indicative of a certain phenomenon in our society where the most outrageous/embarrassing/colorful/ridiculous example of an "opposing viewpoint" is used to discredit the actual viewpoint and glaze over, with cheap laughter, the actual debate.
What happens as a result is that, while folks who hold the "opposing viewpoint" may be viewed as ignorant/backwards/simple-minded/dumb, the people who agree with the viewpoint being championed are off the hook as to REALLY having to decide for themselves why they believe what they believe. They eagerly substitute soul searching, research, and honest and respectful discussion of the topic with the emotion and laughter of those around them. We must be right. We're all laughing, aren't we? That viewpoint can have any merit, can it? Look how he slammed her! That was soooo funny!
I would submit that The Daily Show is full of smart people, with a talent for entertaining us. They don't profess to be actual news. But as their style of entertainingly persuasive innuendo is trusted more and more by the young people in our society, the lines of discussion are blurred, what makes us FEEL the best is regarded as truth, and actual truth gets blurred (or shunned) somewhere in the middle.
| By colrus | 10:28 AM
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