Generation of Sarcasm
What does it say when Jon Stewart is voted the most trusted newscaster in America?
Jul 22nd, 2009 | By Skye Jethani | Category: Culture, FeaturesA poll conducted by Time Magazine has revealed that The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart is the most trusted news anchor in America. He beat Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson, and Katie Couric. Walter Cronkite, having just entered his grave, must already be turning over in it.
Stewart won with 44 percent of the vote. Brian Williams came in a distant second with 29 percent. See the results here.
Like many others in my generation I am a fan of The Daily Show. I find Jon Stewart to be intelligent and his irreverence is refreshing if sometimes too snarky for my pallet. Still, I wonder what is says about my generation when we vote someone like Stewart to be the most trusted voice in American news—especially when The Daily Show makes no attempt to position itself as a reputable journalistic enterprise. It is entertainment—period. The fact that it is hosted on Comedy Central should be a hint.
Still, the popularity of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Onion reveals something about my generation. We love sarcasm. It is our native tongue. Listen to a group of under 40s engaging in casual conversation. It’s hard for us to talk for 30 seconds without a quip, a dig, or dose of eye-rolling hyperbole. We especially like to cut down authorities—as Jon Stewart has perfected with his witty jabs at the mainstream news media and government leaders from both parties. His irreverence is so popular that officials clamor to get on his show to be mocked. They think they’ll be perceived as “good sports” for playing along.
But where does this deep reservoir of sarcasm come from? Why does it saturate my generation the way a strong work ethic once saturated the Greatest Generation or the way free-thinking saturated the Boomers? Here’s my best guess: I think our sarcasm is a socially acceptable way for us to vent the mountain of anger we feel.
We are the first generation born after the passage of no-fault-divorce. We come from broken homes.
We are the first generation born after Vietnam and Watergate. We live with a broken government.
We are the first generation raised on cable television and 24 hour advertising. We are suspicious of marketing and spin.
We are the first generation to fight a war on drugs. We are over-medicated and under-achieving.
The anger we carry under the surface can’t stay there. It must find a release. Some of us find very destructive ways to alleviate that pressure. The rest of us let it out by laughing about things previous generations took seriously—government, work, family, relationship, the future. We are a generation that believes nothing is sacred. And if nothing is sacred everything becomes profane.
I’ve been much more aware of my own sarcasm lately. I’ve tried to keep it under control—especially in my preaching. And I’m trying to be more reflective about where it’s coming from. Is it merely casual banter, or is there an angry truth behind that one-liner? I don’t want to be seen as a killjoy. Not all sarcasm is bad, and we even see biblical prophets and apostles using the rhetorical device from time to time. But if anger is fueling the snarkiness of my generation, we’re going to need something more than Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to lead us out of the darkness.
Popularity: 16% [?]
I concur completely Skye.
It’s not terribly surprising that my sarcastic generation trusts the voice of Stewart more than the work of bona fide journalists. It’s far less risky to be a cherry-picking cynic than take a firm stand on something and actually have to defend it for a prolonged length of time.
Stewart’s mainstream popularity makes total sense, but what I find disturbing is how supposedly “counter-cultural” evangelical Christians are so smitten with Mr. Stewart’s skills as an entertainer that a prominent leader like Jim Wallis (a role model for many justice-seeking Christians) can put Stewart on this month’s cover of my beloved Sojourners magazine, likening him to a “prophet.”
With all the untold stories of Christ-centered ordinaries doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God among the least of these, I’m not convinced we need to co-opt the bright lights and celebrity of a mainstream entertainer to build the mustard seed kingdom Jesus spoke of.
http://thecommonloon.blogspot.com/2009/07/is-jon-stewart-prophet-i-think-not.html
con-vic-tion.
sheesh.
Some wonderful insight…especially found your references to the underlying places of (subconscious) anger many hold in this generation. So true…thanks for piece.
I do often wonder if this anger has not only spurred sarcasm but also a knee-jerk reactionism…looking at issues here and now without time to ponder the influence and impact for the future. Having children has changed this for me a bit…realizing my words, actions and belief/value system have a lasting multi-generational weight right now.
I am glad to see that someone else has noticed this trend in sarcasm. I find it disturbing, my college daughter finds it replusive. Remember when Don Rickes was shocking? Now he is tame. And sarcasm has lead to rudeness being the rule and not the exception. Community building is made more difficult. The saddest thing of all…most people just don’t get it. Yesterday my daughter had a conversation with the very rude (and not very well liked by anyone I can think of) father of a freind of hers. His reaction to her teling him he is over the top with his sarcasm and rudeness?….”I treat everyone the same” That makes it better? Sounds like a line out of “My Fair Lady” — and Henry Higgins was written to look like a self absorbed ass.
[...] We are the first generation born after the passage of no-fault-divorce. We come from broken homes. We are the first generation born after Vietnam and Watergate. We live with a broken government. We are the first generation raised on cable television and 24 hour advertising. We are suspicious of marketing and spin. We are the first generation to fight a war on drugs. We are over-medicated and under-achieving…. Read this in full at http://www.skyejethani.com/generation-of-sarcasm/365/ [...]