Jon Stewart

I think it is time for fans of Jon Stewart to start worrying about him. He has not been right since the day CNN confronted his friend, Anthony Weiner, outside the then-congressman's office -- and Stewart attacked CNN for doing its job. Stewart has been in a real tailspin since Weiner admitted his lies a week after that. But the event that seems to have really pushed Stewart off the rails is the interview he did with Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday" June 19. In that interview, he lied about Fox News viewers being the "most consistently misinformed" of news consumers and then he compounded the false charge by saying "every poll" shows this to be true.

The hypocrisy and truth issues of Jon Stewart were among the topics debated Sunday on CNN's media review show, "Reliable Sources," with host Howard Kurtz. Stewart's weak performance last Sunday in an interview with Chris Wallace, of Fox News, and his post-interview whine about how he was edited, were part of the conversation. I called him a liar, while one of the co-panelists called his appearance on Fox and act of "genius. " You can guess there might have been a little disagreement.

I am not going to spoil this video from Thursday's night's "Daily Show" by giving you my views on it before you have seen it. It's vintage Jon Stewart with the comedian in this case ridiculing the Fox News host for what he presents as her flip-flop views of maternity leave before and after she was a beneficiary of it. Lots of talk of entitlements and suggestions of hypocrisy. What do you think? I'll join the discussion later. The Daily Show - Lactate Intolerance Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , The Daily Show on Facebook

Media companies routinely play chicken in negotiations over such issues as retransmission fees and bundling, terms that mean next to nothing to their customers until one of the companies they subscribe to lets things get out of hand. Usually, that never happens. But it did at midnight Tuesday with DirecTV and Viacom, which resulted in the satellite TV provider's 20 million customers being without such Viacom-owned channels as Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and VH1. In all, 17 channels were lost at midnight with shows that feature such performers as Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, SpongeBob SquarePants and Snooki.

Jon Stewart may have been the only person who wasn't thrilled with the news that he would be host for this year's Academy Awards. "As an avid watcher of the Oscars," he said in a statement, "I can't help but be a little disappointed with the choice." Stewart, as host of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central, has built a reputation for needling the establishment. His biting, sarcastic coverage of the 2004 presidential election -- dubbed Indecision 2004 -- made him a media darling, and his fake news show is watched by 1.4 million people each night.

HOLLYWOOD -- He's made himself the nation's most trusted source for fake news and written a best-selling book of fake history. But this much is real: Jon Stewart, the Emmy-winning star of Comedy Central's mock newscast The Daily Show, is going Hollywood - as host of the 78th annual Academy Awards. The 43-year-old comedian will make his first appearance as host of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards show, which will be broadcast on ABC on March 5, the academy said yesterday in an e-mail statement.

NEW YORK -- Hipsters on the streets of New York are wearing "Stewart/Colbert '08" T-shirts, promoting a Dream Team presidential ticket featuring the Comedy Central stars. And the subway is plastered with ads for Man of the Year, the new Barry Levinson film that imagines an American public so disgusted with politics that it elects a fake news anchor president. Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, insists he's not running. But judging from the reverential reception he received at last weekend's New Yorker Festival, and the fact that tickets to his appearance sold out in about two minutes, there's a hunger for something truthful and authentic in American politics.

With an impeached president and a scandal that has shone new light on such mundane items as cigars and stained dresses, has there ever been a better time to get into the business of satirizing the news?Probably not, and that's great news for Jon Stewart, who on Monday takes over the job of host on Comedy Central's "Daily Show," a nightly send-up of American news (and newscasters).Neielsen Co figures:Rating1. Touched by an Angel CBS 16.42. 60 Minutes CBS 14.33. Sunday Movie: Sabrina CBS 14.04.

What has become rewarded in political discourse is the extremity of viewpoint. People like the conflict. Conflict baby! It sells. Crossfire! Hardball! Shut up! You shut up! -- Jon Stewart of The Daily Show

Perennial Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced his campaign exploratory committee on Monday and the comedians reacted Tuesday night. On TBS, Conan O'Brien joked that Romney was running solely on "good looks" and edited his announcement video to make it, um, sexy and creepy?  As for Jon Stewart on Comedy Central, he dubbed Romney "Captain Buzzkill" and said, "Not the guy who looks like anyone who's ever fired your dad!" Thus far, the jokes about Romney are 1)