What You DIDN'T See in the O'Reilly/Stewart Faceoff

By PopEater Staff Posted Feb 8th 2010 12:17PM

'Daily Show' host Jon Stewart and FOX's kingpin Bill O'Reilly exchanged some good-natured shots last Wednesday during Stewart's appearance on a network he relishes mocking - but it looks like the audience only saw the tip of the iceberg. Sites like Gawker allege that edits made to create the aired version of the interview were strategically executed to cast Stewart in a bad light.

FOX posted an unedited video of the entire interview online, and O'Reilly insists, "Some of these idiots in the press who hate us, [saying] 'O'Reilly cut the interview to make Stewart look' - OK, all of that is bull. It's a fair cut. And then when you watch the cut and watch the whole interview you'll see it." But were Stewart's most persuasive points scrubbed out of the televised segment?

Some have argued that Stewart's appearance was stripped down to contain only his weaker jokes and incomplete arguments. One of the pieces missing, Gawker complains, is a "cogent analysis" of FOXNews' news gathering techniques. In the full interview, Stewart accused the network of introducing GOP talking points during 'Fox and Friends' - then reintroducing them later as viral hot topics during more hard-hitting news segments.

Watch the Uncut Interview

One of Stewart's more cutting lines was also edited out of the aired version. The comedian told O'Reilly that he disagrees with FOXNews host Neil Cavuto's practice of suggesting that President Obama is a Stalinist: "I know what this is. I come from Jersey - it's the same thing: 'I'm not saying your mother's a whore. I'm just saying she has sex for money. With people.' FOXNews used to be all about, you don't criticize a president during wartime. It's unacceptable, it's treasonous, it gives aid and comfort to the enemy. All of a sudden, for some reason you can run out there and say, 'Barack Obama is destroying the fabric of this country.'"

In the full interview, Stewart and O'Reilly actually discuss the practice of editing discourse, with O'Reilly accusing the 'Daily Show' host of "taking a clip, cutting it up, and making someone look like an idiot." He says that Stewart used a clip of O'Reilly "criticizing the Bush protesters, but you didn't use the whole clip." O'Reilly's edit, Gawker suggests, didn't "unfairly present Stewart - it just deliberately removed his most effective arguments."

Stewart and O'Reilly have made appearances on each other's shows before; this was Stewart's first time visiting O'Reilly since 2004. O'Reilly has appeared three times on 'The Daily Show,' most recently in November 2008. O'Reilly once made enemies at Comedy Central by calling Stewart's audience primarily "stoned slackers" - on Wednesday, the FOXNews host amended it to "stoned slackers who love Obama."

The much-hyped - and relatively cordial - war of words was aired on FOX in two parts. In the first aired segment, Stewart landed a zinger, telling O'Reilly that the "no spin zone" ringleader had become the voice of sanity on his network - although, Stewart added, "that's like being the thinnest kid at fat camp."

Comments

(240)

Monday 08 February

By MAGOOS

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

As long as Americans take notice of bloviators like these two pathetic people, so we will never achieve our aims and aspirations as a people. These two are among an army of divisive smart mouths who have brought rudeness to civilised and intelligent debate. Ignore them, America for they speak with forked tongues and divide us as a nation!

Sunday 14 February

By ddd

Vote down Vote up Report this

icegold66 wrote:

"...who probably got by in life because of her looks and not her intelligence..."

Sounds like affirmative action to me; just replace "looks" with "race."

By vobox3343

Todd Palin Had Big Role in Sarah's Politics - Enough said. Another phoney who doesn't know the difference between they're and their. How about writing "stupid" on your hands as a reminder as to who and what you really are.

By Jake Welsh The Peddler

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

FOX IS LIKE TV WRESTLING.

HIGHLY RATED AND WATCHED BY KNUCKLE DRAGGERS WHO BELIEVE ITS REAL.

By jay pielle

everyone knows you can't trust anything said on 'fox news,' the entertainment channel for right-wing radicals... why do intelligent people go on there and expect fair treatment???

By May

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Your calling O'Reilly conservative is like calling Obama a little left of center. Remember how O'Reilly bowed and scraped when he had Obama on his show. No "Hard Ball" questions.

By stlth

this is why i dont watch o'rielly anylonger and the reason his numbers are declining...he gave lagitimacy to the left at a time when they are deceiving the American people they are supposed to represent...this is also the reason obama invites him and him alone from fox, because they know he is weak and they can use him to help thier onslaught!!!! VOTE THEM OUT 2010 and turn to Stossel on fox business @ 8:00 he is much less bias and enjoyable

By mathias

Sometimes I think we should elect a scientist, teacher, or someone who isn't in politics.

By mr.foxx

Puhleese. Wrestling is much more classy.

By Daisey

What's the big deal here?
AOL's just one giant liberal blog anyway...

By steve

Oriley puts on the air what he wants. he cant take the heat so leave.

By Frank

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Again Fox gets caught doing what they do best -- LIE to inform America. Their idea of FAIR AND BALANACED is what that Nazi like porker Roger Ailes WANTS to be seen as FAIR and BALANCED.

I am so sorry we have so many poorly educated people out there who can't spell their insults correctly! Oddly - the dumber they seem to be the further from "the right" they are AND are all "supporters of Fox." It's obvious you all failed English --have no concept of HISTORY or CURRENT EVENTS but if you can get this equation -- I'll really be pleased -- IGNORANCE + RIGHT WINGED = FOX VIEWER. The MATH on that one is scary!

Wednesday 24 February

By lislejoh

Frank, you are misguided, I thought as long as you spelled it close enough it was correct! Is it not the American school system.

Ahh, and a parting shot to you dear lefty...."You can't fix stupid."

By sandy

It seems the OBLAH,BLAH IS CONTAGIOUS. NOW EVERYONE IS AN OBLAH,BLAH.
OBLAH BLAH THIS AND THAT. WHAT A BORE

By lanetta

Thank you a voice of reason and truth Jon Stewart. Continue to hold your ground and hold all politicians accountable. I have lost all respect for O'Reilly because he use to be of the same character but now is just another right-wing tool.

By Ken Parrott

It's pretty obvious that Stewart doesn't know the difference between Nationalism and Socialism

By shocker

You liberal bloggers are so transparent. Lots of name calling and mis-statements. But the bottom line is Oreilly had an intelligent debate with an intelligent liberal, as he does every night on his #1 rated show, and the audience decides who is right. As for the Tea Party, as a conservative, I hope that they do not intend to run third party candidates. All that will do is siphon off republican votes and give more elections to Democrats. I choose to think of the Tea Party movement as wake up call to Republicans about getting back to Reaganism, smaller government, lower taxes, strong military, and conservative values.

By VICTOR

...AND A QUADRUPLING OF THE NATIONAL DEBT. NO THANKS!

By Jewels

...AND A QUADRUPLING OF THE NATIONAL DEBT. NO THANKS!

Wow, thanks for the laugh. You support the guy doubling the deficit in a year. Tack on the interest and there you go. Too sad.

By Mike

At least they had the good grace to edit Stewart. On his show he just interrupts or talks over any conservative guest that he doesn't agree with.

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