On his CNN show Reliable Sources, Howard Kurtz mockingly reviewed Fox News Channel's Daily Show clone, a "fair and balanced" satirical take at news and politics called The Half-Hour News Hour.
The Washington Post writer is often slammed by liberals on blogs for cowtowing to the right, and his review of Fox's conservative comedy news show seems to play off of such criticism, since he refers to the "liberal media" as part of "the hate America first crowd," adopting the language and spin of many right-leaning blogs.
"Let's face it, liberals have dominated the humor world for too long," Kurtz said introducing the segment. "The Hollywood left-wingers, the brie and Chablis set, the hate America first crowd have been imposing their godless socialism brand of comedy on the rest of us. And it's time for that to change."
Kurtz then mockingly slammed Comedy Central's Jon Stewart as a 'Bush-basher' and complains about the way that David Letterman "goes after" Fox News Channel pundit Bill O'Reilly.
"But now finally comes salvation for comedy-starved conservatives," Kurtz said. "The Half Hour News Hour debuted on FOX News last weekend, and it seems like a foxy and fantasy of the world as it might look if the liberal media weren't in charge."
After showing a clip from the show which featured conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh pretending to be president, with the controversial columnist Ann Coulter as vice president, Kurtz took aim at the punchline: Coulter repeating her infamous "invade your countries, kill your leaders, and convert you to Christianity" line.
"I love it when she repeats those words that prompted National Review to can her column," Kurtz said.
Kurtz facetiously added that "the best thing about The Half Hour News Hour is the way the anchors go after America's enemies who have been protect for far too long by the limousine liberals who run the big newspapers and networks."
A clip from the show then was played which targeted Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), "Dispelling reports that she would staff her White House with long-team cronies and political appointees, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton vowed that if she becomes president, she will surround herself with a diverse, multiethnic, multigenerational group of angry lesbians."
"Now, that's funny," Kurtz mocked, as loud canned laughter punctuated his lines. "And did you notice the sly dig at gays as well?"
Writing at Malkin's Hot Air ("the world’s first full-service conservative Internet broadcast network!"), Allahpundit admits that Kurtz's mockery of The Half-Hour News Hour is "deserved but he’s laying it on way too thick."
Allahpundit adds, "This is the same guy, of course, who sandbagged my beloved boss a few weeks ago with a profile suggesting her admirers in the blogosphere consisted mainly of (a) Bryan and (b) her husband. Once upon a time, he joined us in bludgeoning Mapes and Rather; now he’s doing stuff like this. What happened to you, man? You used to be cool."
To show that Kurtz's "target audience appreciates the effort," Allahpundit links to a column by TV comedy writer Steve Young at Huffington Post who argues that Kurtz "gets satire," even if Fox doesn't.
"Neither before, during or after did he say - or need to say - he was joking," Young observes. "If you have to say 'you're joking,' it isn't much of a joke. You know, like when you need to use a laugh track...unless the laugh track is meant as a statement about the use of laugh track, which Kurtz closed with."
Young adds, "My guess is that those who don't get the joke might think Kurtz's remarks were actually a positive review of the show."
At Media Matters, former senior writer for Salon.com Eric Boehlert recently took Kurtz to task for writing "a Valentine's Day week mash note" to conservative blogger and pundit Michelle Malkin in his Feb. 16 Washington Post article.
"The lunch and the subsequent feature could have set off some real fireworks with Kurtz not only defending his work and the Post's reputation, but pressing Malkin hard to explain her wild and often fact-free allegations against journalists," Boehlert wrote. "Instead, the profile, which skated over Malkin's anti-media rants as well as her loathing of the Post, was published as a Valentine's Day week mash note, presenting Malkin as a pugnacious, on-the-rise pundit who has her liberal critics up in arms."
KURTZ: Let's face it, liberals have dominated the humor world for too long. The Hollywood left-wingers, the brie and Chablis set, the hate America first crowd have been imposing their godless socialism brand of comedy on the rest of us. And it's time for that to change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KURTZ (voice over): Jon Stewart -- have you noticed how much he relishes bashing Bush?
Al Franken is now running for the Senate as a Democrat.
Larry David? His wife Laurie is an environmental activist, for crying out loud.
David Letterman doesn't claim any political affiliation, but have you seen the way he goes after Bill O'Reilly?
(on camera): But now finally comes salvation for comedy-starved conservatives. "The Half Hour News Hour" debuted on FOX News last weekend, and it seems like a foxy and fantasy of the world as it might look if the liberal media weren't in charge. The program's idea of a great president of the United States?
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: As president, I hereby promise you, the American people, four years or more of commander in chief excellence.
KURTZ (voice over): And the vice president, whose voice is like fingernails on a blackboard for pathetic liberals? Ann Coulter, who warned people they'd better watch the show.
ANN COULTER: And if you don't, we'll invade your countries, kill your leaders, and convert you to Christianity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KURTZ: I love it when she repeats those words that prompted "National Review" to can her column.
But the best thing about "The Half Hour News Hour" is the way the anchors go after America's enemies who have been protect for far too long by the limousine liberals who run the big newspapers and networks. People like Hillary Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dispelling reports that she would staff her White House with long-team cronies and political appointees, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton vowed that if she becomes president, she will surround herself with a diverse, multiethnic, multigenerational group of angry lesbians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KURTZ: Now, that's funny. And did you notice the sly dig at gays as well?
The program didn't let Barack Obama off the hook like so much of the media for admitting past drug use as a young man. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a related story, Senator Obama has just been endorsed for president by former Washington, D.C., mayor Marion Barry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KURTZ: Get it? Barry was busted for smoking crack.
And the subversive organization that claims to fight for civil liberties was called to account.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today vicious hate groups can march any time they want to, anywhere they please in these United States of America. Who did that? I did that. I'm the ACLU.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KURTZ: Hilarious. And what a great laugh track.
So take that, Comedy Central and "Saturday Night Live." The left's monopoly on the comedic industrial complex has finally been broken. Fair and balanced humor the way only FOX can do it.
(LAUGHTER)
Thank you. Thank you very much.
Well, that's it for this edition of RELIABLE SOURCES.
On his CNN show Reliable Sources, Howard Kurtz mockingly reviewed Fox News Channel's Daily Show clone, a "fair and balanced" satirical take at news and politics called The Half-Hour News Hour.