The Best Fake News Show: Stewart vs. Colbert

Stewart or Colbert? Colbert or Stewart? The debate rages in at least seven homes nationwide. Colbert shot to fame on The Daily Show, parlaying the success of that show into his own powerful fake news extravaganza. On the other hand, Stewart first gained fame on VH-1, so beginnings do not necessarily favor him. The shows, despite both being part of (and, on television at least, basically comprising) the "fake news" genre, have quite different formats, and the two hosts carry markedly different duties. This article examines and judges each show, with no regard whatsoever for anyone's feelings.

Format

Jon Stewart hosts a show that centers largely on the antics of reporters, before building to a main interview with a prominent guest. Stewart is essentially the straight man, providing a platform for the talents of his reporting cast. He sets them up beautifully, and makes one of the best befuddled faces ever feigned. He has helped launch both Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert to surprising success, and I only hope they have the decency to give him a cut of their royalty checks.

While The Daily Show involves a host of talent, The Colbert Report is for Stephen alone. He deftly moves from camera to camera and segment to segment, all while maintaining a Bill O'Reilly-esque conservative persona. While he does not juggle the various personalities that Stewart manages, his ability to carry the show without help comes through consistently.

The Interview

Both shows involve a main interview with a guest. The Daily Show provides a genuine interview, and as such commands more consistently high-profile guests. Stewart walks a careful line, in which he tries to both ingratiate himself to the guests and ask questions that get at real issues. There are times he fails to produce anything substantial, but these are rare. The best interviews are those in which he disagrees with most of what a guest has to say. In those instances, particularly when both positions are intellectually honest, the dialogue tends to bring out valid ideas and a better understanding for those able to listen to both sides.