Jon Stewart exposes Hannity for using Glenn Beck's 9/12 rally footage

November 10, 2009: Sean Hannity Uses Glenn Beck's Protest Footage

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Sean Hannity Uses Glenn Beck's Protest Footage
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Sean Hannity Uses Glenn Beck's Protest Footage
JON STEWART: Can we back up a little, Cuz that was weird. When that clip started it was a clear fall day in Washington DC. Not a cloud in the sky, the leaves have changed. It's well attended but sparse but then the leaves turn green again, then it's cloudy and it looks like thousands and thousands more people arrive. If Ididn't know any better they just put two different days together. Where have I seen that last footage before.

(Glenn Beck footage is played)

Wow! That was actually from Glenn Beck's 9/12 rally two months ago, his much bigger 9/12 rally.It seems Sean Hannity used footage of a totally different event to make the GOP Healthcare rally more heavily attended

Though the analogy isn't airtight in this instance, Wrestling has its own storied history of inflating audience numbers

WWE (WWF) - FAQ
Was the Wrestlemania III attendance really 93,173? I've heard from several credible sources that it was a work, and that the actual number is closer to 78,000. Can you guys clear that up?
First of all you have to understand that the WWF back in those days routinely lied about attendance numbers on TV to make them bigger than they were...

Meltzer asked Vince McMahon himself why they used to inflate the numbers, because the shows were sold out themselves and the real number was impressive enough. Why add a few thousand? Vince was quoted as saying what appears on television people should consider for entertainment purposes. This actually isn't exclusive to WWE, as other forms of sports and entertainment often lie about the actual attendance to make it sound impressive.

Read discussion of The Hannity shows' "creative editing" from Conservative blog 'Hotair' - Uh-oh: Jon Stewart catches Fox News’ creative editing

The View's Hot Topic - "The Battling Presidents": George W Bush and Bill Clinton

The View - Day of Hot Topics (November 11, 2009)


The ladies of 'The View' discuss the wrestling style promotion of the touring lecture series featuring former Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton.

Bush, Clinton to appear at Radio City Music Hall
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are set to appear at Radio City Music Hall in February - though if history is any guide, the matchup is likely to produce few fireworks.

The famous New York City venue announced Wednesday the two former presidents will share the same stage February 25, nine months after the ex-presidents shared a similar stage in Toronto, Canada.

As the ladies discuss, because the event was beginning to be billed as something it was not - A fight event rather than concurrent speeches from two former Presidents, it was canceled.

'The View' - Hot Topics (November 9, 2009)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: A debate between Presidents Bush and Clinton that was billed in an ad in the New York Times as the hottest ticket in political history has been cancelled. A Clinton spokes person said it happened because it was being billed into something it was not.What do you guys think?

BARBARA WALTERS: ..the first thing that sort of annoyed me and it's happened in other place. Is this what's happening. Is this show business now? That the two ex-presidents come on together and do mano-a-mano. So I thought I'd buy the ticket, cuz they'd done this in Toronto... but evidently this was being described as a debate. But these two men don't want to do a debate. They want to do nice- nice. In the other cities it was very boring and people were disappointed. So they tried to Jazz it up. So that's why this happened and it got canceled.

JOY BEHAR: You got to sell tickets. Radio City is a big hall

The ladies go on to discuss the value of the former Presidents debating and why it should or shouldn't be billed as a wrestling style battle in order to generate ticket sales.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: ...they don't ant to be billed as the battling presidents cuz that's not what they're doing

JOY BEHAR: In the Toronto report they were making nice with each other and I thought that was pretty boring

BARBARA WALTERS: So that's the point people were not buying tickets... If you're going to try this guys and you're coming on like show business. And you're getting paid $100,000 maybe more. You can't just come on and do a nice (inaudible)

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Wait a minute,Why do we have to demand show business from our Presidents

"The 11/3 Project" - Jon Stewart parodies Glenn Beck

Jon Stewart parodied Glenn Beck in a recent episode of 'The Daily Show'. Lampooning Beck's signature presentation style and Beck-isms - making conspiratorial connections from random threads, the theatrical delivery and emotional pleas.

The jumping off point for was Beck's absence from his due to appendicitis
VIDEO: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - The 11/3 Project

The 11/3 Project

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The 11/3 Project
JON STEWART: The powers that be don't want you to talk about this. There is a war going on in America, and the stakes are nothing less than Glenn Beck's internal organs...

I've been working on something since November 4th. That was the day that Glenn Beck was hospitalised and I wanna share it with you tonight. I wanna take you to something that I call the 11/3 project. It's 11 principles and 3 herbs and spices...

Whilst its clear that Jon Stewart is directly ripping off Glenn Beck. One could argue that Stewart is plagiarizing Stephen Colbert who is a living parody of Bill O'Reilly. Stephen Colbert was the first to reappropriate Beck's signature lines into facetiously "fearing for Glenn Beck". Colbert also established the 10/31 project before Stewart developed his 11/3 project.

So what is the over and under that Stephen Colbert takes a shot at Stewart for ripping him off? Colbert taking a shot a Stewart for copying his original parody of Beck whilst originally being a parody of O'Reilly. As a fan of meta, that might make for an interesting gag considering Stephen and Jon's partnership.

PBS Newshour's feature on "Talkers Shaping Political Discourse in U.S."

PBS Newshour had an illuminating feature examining the role Talkers are playing in American Politics.

Some of the most poignant comments came from Michael Harrison, editor and publisher of Talkers Magazine

On why Talk Radio is the way it is and why it always has been

TV, Radio Talkers Shaping Political Discourse in U.S.
MICHAEL HARRISON: Radio, popular radio in America, all the way back to the '30s, has been a street medium. It's always been the medium of the street, reflecting populism.

So, what you hear on radio and what you're seeing now on cable news talk television, which is really an extension of talk radio, is just the First Amendment in action.

On the misleading estimation of the influence of Talkers

MICHAEL HARRISON: We have these nationally famous people who really have much smaller audiences than the awareness of them would indicate or make you believe. What happens is, they -- they talk to their faithful in terms that the faithful expect and understand. They preach to the choir. And some of the things they say are repugnant to people who have other choirs.

- Download the audio from PBS Newshour's report airing Nov 4, 2009

Bill O'Reilly on the Halloween episode of 'The View'

VIDEO: Bill O'Reilly As Dracula On "The View" For Halloween

Bill O'Reilly appeared on The Halloween episode of the 'The View'. O'Reilly has been a regular guest on the show, this appearance seems like a calculated move that allowed him to play off his "heel" persona by dressing up the charismatic villain Dracula. The cordial View panelists riffed on how scary O'Reilly was as he maintained his tough guy posture. Bill clumsily teased Whoopi. He reliably asserted his independence by saying he personally liked President Obama.

BARBARA WALTERS Intro: He is the most feared man in cable news, who has those who oppose him quaking in their boots but to us he's a pussy cat. Please Welcome back Bill O'Reilly.

Bill O'Reilly makes entrance as Dracula, Walters makes faux scary gesture to greet him

BILL O'REILLY: I'm afraid to touch anybody. C'mon, what are you kidding? You think you're scaring me. Are you kidding!?
WALTERS: I hear you dress like this [as Dracula] at home all the time.
O'REILLY: I do and I hang from the ceiling. I'm the scariest guy in the world

There was an interesting discussion on the popularity of Fox News and the Obama administration's fear of the network. Bill O'Reilly makes the interesting concession that it is because of CNN's "lack of pizazz".

As Matt Taibbi illustrated in his column 'Keep on Hatin', emotional, personality driven opinion news is a proven ratings winner. It's clear that Fox News hosts the most popular and bombastic pundits in Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly. MSNBC, its closest aesthetic competitor has assembled its own colorful roster of pundits with Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, Joe Scarborough and Ed Schultz. This is the first time I can recall any pundit conceding that it is the theatrical wrestling-style presentation of their news which has led to their success in the ratings.

Pakistani journalists grill Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Apologies for the lack of updates on the APF blog, experiencing technical difficulties.

To get back in the swing of things, it seems America has successfully exported its brand of freedom to the Middle East. In this case bringing American-style braggadocio to Pakistani journalists.

Deadly Car Bombing Clouds Clinton's Visit to Pakistan
MARGARET WARNER: Well, today, yes, she met with the president and the foreign minister, but she also had this very contentious roundtable, for example, with Pakistani TV journalists.

One aide said it was like being in a room with Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann, Glenn Beck, and Chris Matthews, and they're all shouting and firing questions at you. And she returned it...

And, so, she's trying to go beyond just the official meetings. Now, tomorrow, she is going to Lahore. And both tomorrow and the next day, though the schedule is being kept quiet for security reasons, she is going to have semi-public events, taking a little bit of a risk, but wanting to engage, really through Pakistani media, to the broader Pakistani public.

Newest APF member, Introducing Dennis Miller

In anticipation of his eventual GM guest hosting spot on WWE's Raw, I proudly introduce Comedian and Radio Talker Dennis Miller to the 'American Pundit Fighting' roster.

Dennis Miller first made a name for himself as a comedian and SNL cast member, moving on to host popular talks shows on HBO and CNBC. He currently hosts a daily three-hour radio show nationally syndicated by Westwood One, covering culture, current events and politics.

As a talker Dennis is distinctly known for his flowery way of speaking and use of obtuse references, which stylistically is not to dissimilar to fellow comedian (but political opposite) Janeane Garofalo. In recent years much has been made of Miller's "drift" rightwards to conservatism after 9/11.

Dennis Miller address these matters in an illuminating interview for The Politico

The Dennis Miller interview
How would you describe your political beliefs: Republican? Independent? Libertarian?

Well, I’d say it’s eclectic pragmatism at some point. I’m a moderate in some degree because I have wildly swinging opinions but through some sort of ideological feng shui they end up in the middle. Some swing far to the left, others to the far right. I’m for the war, but I’m also for gay marriage. I don’t care if two folks with the same genitalia want to get hitched, I just don’t want some a—hole from another country coming over here and blowing up their wedding to make a political statement.

In just the past few minutes you’ve referenced obscure figures ranging from a '60s-era general to a vintage talking doll. Given your audience on conservative talk radio, are you too hip for the room?

I never signed up for anything called "conservative talk radio." I’m on Westwood One, and my boss Norm Pattiz is a liberal. I’m just on talk radio. I don’t think I’m too hip for the room at all. I’ve got 194 stations after just 16 months, which I’m told is good, and my mind is boggled at just how wise and funny my callers have been. On occasion I’ll get someone who is off the grid and I’ll feel like I’m on the phone with [Ted] Kaczynski, but for the most part it’s a pretty urbane crowd. I don’t think I’m too hip for the room. People always say ‘it’s so eclectic,’ but I’m making references to the Jetsons’ robot maid — not exactly Ted Cooley or Bucky Fuller.

Newest APF member Dennis Miller:
Note: Like all new Pundit animations, click on the button on the bottom left to see an alternate costume for Dennis.



- Go to Dennis Miller's official website
- Find a glossary of Dennis Miller's favourite quotes and references