It's time for Comedy Central to go right. If its appeal is mainly in Democratic forts such as Boston or San Francisco, it's time to go red state. It's time for the network to give
conservatives, who in Jon Stewart's words, feel they've been "victims of a witch hunt," a place of refuge.
Forget ideology. Like drill baby drill and tax cuts, there's
money in it. It's a ripe chance to expand viewership. The tack worked for Fox News.
Comedy Central's late-night block of Stewart and Stephen Colbert needs an addition coming out of
right field. It needs a show starring a comedian who loves guns; says the heck with the UN; wonders what's the big deal with global warming; and wants Medicare atomized.
Let's
submit there is a liberal bias in the media and Stewart and Colbert carry water for the left. Let's agree that, as Fox News' Chris Wallace suggested to Stewart on Sunday, there is a hunger for
a counterweight.
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In a discussion with MediaPost marketing chief Robert McEvily, it became clear a show with an unabashed conservative comedian offers low hanging fruit for Comedy
Central.
After all, there is plenty of activity on the political left to poke fun at. So much ludicrousness that even ardent liberals would be laughing.
Start with anything
Dennis Kucinich says.
How about Keith Olbermann on Cuurent TV railing against corporate exploitation, while Comcast owns up to 10% of the network (per the Los Angeles Times).
How about this one from 2007: New York Senators pushing for $1 million in federal funds for a museum commemorating the Woodstock bash.
Many in the conservative movement are looking for a
sunnier image. They want a front-person divergent from the dour, glum, block-everything Mitch McConnell and John Boehner. They want someone without the anger of some Tea Partiers.
They
need help from the hated media.
Who better than having their own Stewart? Someone brilliant, likeable, hilarious and trustworthy.
This Comedy Central jokester doesn't have to be
a uniter. Heck, a divider might be more funny.
The conservative humorist should be anything but fair and balanced. Probably slyly titled and taking a cue from what Stewart says he is:
"I'm a comedian first. My comedy is informed by an ideological background. There's no question about that."
Trouble is, where will Comedy Central find this breakout
right-winger? Liberals just appear to be more funny. (Insert your reason here.)
Fox News actually has a right-leaning talent in Greg Gutfeld. You didn't know Roger Ailes is in the comedy
business? That's because Gutfeld is on at 3 a.m.
So who else to join Comedy Central and debunk climate change?
Maybe Dennis Miller, who weirdly went from the brilliance of
hosting "Weekend Update" on "Saturday Night Live" to an outspoken conservative, but he's been around a while. Same with Ben Stein, who had a Comedy Central show.
Adam Sandler is apparently a registered Republican and would be ideal, but that isn't happening.
Maybe Comedy Central needs to troll open-mike nights in Topeka?