Jon Stewart, Comedian, Marks Passover with Offense

Last night my disgust with "The Daily Show" and Jon Stewart show was tempered a bit by watching an old episode  of "Third Rock from the Sun" before bedtime. This morning I was still angry that he could use his considerable influence to demean old/elder/elderly people-- along with Jews-- by "celebrating" National STD Awareness Month with the most tasteless, offensive skit imaginable.

Did Stewart or cast member Jason Jones, who carried out the segment in a Jewish Senior Center in Miami, have a particular agenda in mind?  Jones began by interviewing an 80-something as he smiled with how his goal in life was to get as much sex as he could--by whatever means.  When Jones asked if this might amount to assault, I thought he might be going in a purposeful way toward highlighting the problem usually addressed in talking about younger men toward women.

Wrong.  The "interview" went on to belittle the Center's efforts to educate members about safe sex.  I believe the woman demonstrating how to use a condom was Miriam, The Condom Grandmother.  Remarkable person who became an educator after  losing two of her bridge partners to AIDS--women who did not demand that sexual partners use condoms--or maybe did not know they should.

When I read  Ronni Bennett's post today, "Elders and Fair Hiring Practices," on the insensitivity of journalists who give job-seekers advice  totally skewed to the not-young, I used that opportunity to express my anger about the ageism of Stewart's show.   Do you ever see an older person there?  Nancy Pelosi, Madeleine Albright have appeared.  The staff must feel quite clever in covering two invisible  categories of untouchable on the program's guest line-up--women and old people. 

Stewart puzzles many of us.  Often his humor is ironic.  But what about his own often expressed discomfort with aging?  Worried about losing his very young audience as he might be mistaken not as their bar buddy but their father?  Frequent references to himself as Jewish more toward the ironic too.  But last night, the night of the second seder for Passover, it was strictly anti-semetic as Jones played for laughs in this obviously Jewish setting in South Florida. 

Have you read the statistics on the high rate of HIV there?  Do you have a suggestion for who should get my complaint about the show?

Old people, we do not have an advocacy group.

Comments

[Hattie]

Old people have no advocates. AARP lost me when it backed Bush's assault on Medicare.
First up, we need to advocate for ourselves, as you are doing here. I'm linking to this piece, for starters.

[Rhea]

There will soon be so many old people that we will rule by majority! Power in numbers.

[Kay Dennison]

Maybe we need to organize?

[Lydia]

My first reaction was to say take the complaint straight to the network ceo. But here's a thought: who would you think to be Jon Stewart's strongest competitor for ratings? (I don't have the slightest idea because I don't watch him.) If appropriate, take the complaint to the competitor and see if that person will make an issue out of it on-air. :)

[Sahara]

First of all I'm SO not with the age of snark we're living in, as I still equate meanness with insecurity. And I guess John Stewart is VERY insecure. I can't take him.

You know, folks in his age group, (our group? I'm 51, maybe older than him––for shame on him!) aren't making the transition well––they're scared. Probably because they didn't look forward to even growing up in the first place, especially men. I have to remind my contemporaries that it's not a disease, it's a process! But then I wanted to be older when I was young 'cause older people got respect! When did everyone lapse into neotany?

Excuse my ignorance, but I thought there were some organized elder groups? Did folks kinda' give up, or did they internalize conservatism?

[Friko]

Hi,
I've just got to you via Lydia @ Writerquake. Brilliant rant!
Will be back.
PS: We had Third rock in the Uk, it was wonderful; pity it's gone.

[joared]

Hey! We do have an advocacy group, but it's just building in this new Internet world. Our advocate is "Time Goes By," Ronni Bennett and that blogging community -- you and an increasing number of others. What you write here and others blogs gradually gain attention. One day more attention will be paid. Gotta keep at it!