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Jon Stewart blows it, calls Apple ‘Appholes’ over Gizmodo’s 4G iPhone imbroglio (with video)

Thursday, April 29, 2010 · 11:00 am · 132 Comments

Jon Stewart yesterday called Apple “Appholes” on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show:

“Appholes” – April 28, 2010

www.thedailyshow.com

MacDailyNews Take: The best comedy is based on truth. Unfortunately and as usual, there are many points, ranging from somewhat subtle right on up to blatantly obvious, that Jon Stewart fails to fully or even partially understand, yet, equally as usual, that doesn’t preclude him from doing over 8 minutes of commentary on the issue. Funny stuff.

Note to advertisers: (including those who advertise via third-party ad networks and become, in effect, our advertisers): Your Flash-based ads are no longer reaching the most well-heeled customers online: 50+ million iPhone owners. They’re also not hitting brand new iPad users or 35+ million iPod touch users. If you care about reaching people with discretionary income, you might want to consider dumping your flash-based ads and moving to a more open format that people with money and the will to spend it can actually see.

Help kill Adobe’s Flash:
• Ask Comedy Central to offer HTML5 video via their viewer feedback form here.
• Ask MarketWatch to offer HTML5 video via the customer support web form here.
• Ask CNBC to offer HTML5 video via the customer support web form here.
• Contact Hulu and ask them to offer HTML5 video via email:
• Ask ESPN360 to offer HTML5 video instead Flash via their feedback page here.
• Join YouTube’s HTML5 beta here.
• On Vimeo, click the “Switch to HTML5 player” link below any video.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "ChrissyOne" for the heads up.]

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Comment Feed

132 Comments

1 2 3 … 7 Next »

ron

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:04 am · Reply

He should know!
breeze

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:05 am · Reply

Dear Jon,

I really admire your wIt and intelligent commentary and perspective of the news – you’re the only show on tv that I watch because of that.

I’m surprised at last night’s “apphole” bashing of Apple Inc. and think you need to hear why:

I agree that this whole stolen iPhone story is out of proportion and almost out of control too, but there are two very important facts you need to relate to:

1. Apple has done or said absolutely nothing to justify your wrath – The complaint was made to the DA by the engineer who had it stolen and the investigation was initiated by that complaint.

This entire hoopla and frenzy is perpetuated and spun by the unscrupulous media and ignorant reporters who create their own facts…

Apple has not sued or even indicated that it will sue, though it would have every right to especially because of the following:

2. Gizmodo publicly taunted Apple with a cash bounty, that they offered anyone who gave them any Apple IP, secret info, or prototypes – ” no questions asked”.
This offer, which was mainly directed at Apple employees, is a brazen attempt to instigate theft/ piracy of Apple’s IP and since intent is 99% of the law, should be considered as such.

Gizmodo’s bounty offer is tantamount to a terrorism threat against Apple and though that sounds a little dramatic, it needs to be dealt with in that light, because we have to many hotheaded morons that have taken the “might is right” attitude of entitlement, to extremes and have no respect for ethics and the law.

I hope you can at least admit to overlooking these important facts and that they may cause you to re-consider your judgement with some perspective and point the figure where it belongs…
Arnold Ziffel

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:10 am · Reply

I like 95% of what Jon Stewart has on his show, but his story about Apple was crap.

Wonder what he would think if someone took something of his and sold it to the highest bidder.
Jim - TIV

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:11 am · Reply

it was a funny bit. Not as funny as when he brings in the choir and sings, “go fsck yourself!” but pretty funny.
theloniousMac

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:13 am · Reply

Stewart jumped the Jackass shark a long time ago. He’s a mere shell of the humorist he once was with little more than used and reused insults for material.

He ceased being funny when he started taking himself seriously. I understand why networks refer to his niche as “juvenile humor” or “freshman humor” but at this point he’s one step above the moron bashing his nuts while skateboarding down a bannister on Youtube.

As usual his quick to judge “wit” is based on absolutely none of the facts and only what he thinks his audience will enjoy and what will make him popular.

The only similar venue doing a worse job than Stewart is Letterman who’s entire show these days is phoning in Palin jokes, that were funny the first 150 times through.

I wish TV execs would look around. There are funnier people out there on the circuit with something interesting to say.
Unsurprised

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:13 am · Reply

Yet another case where Rush Limbaugh gets it and Jon Stewart doesn’t.
C

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:14 am · Reply

Never watched a minute of that asshole.
Chris Rose

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:16 am · Reply

I have been a viewer of Jon Stewart’s show.

No longer – and I won’t watch again unless he retracts and corrects this story.

As far as I am concerned – he is the Apphole here.

What he was doing was condoning and supporting stealing..
voice of reason

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:17 am · Reply

As usual, The Daily show makes good satire on a subject that has been blown out of proportion and totally one sided.

Although Jon’s plea to steve came from ‘the heart’, it is still a satirical observation about media commentary on this issue. (as evidenced by his begging for a promotional model of the new one at the end of the clip)

the writers there are good, and this was funny.
DLMeyer

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:18 am · Reply

I’d like to point out that Stewart likes Apple and was wondering if Apple had moved into MSFT’s space as “the bad guy”. He does not claim to be presenting “news”, though he does a better job of it than most commentators, and he is quite fair about it. About the only actual comment made that could be considered harsh on Apple was the fact that Apple personnel went to the house of the person who “found” the iPhone and requested permission to search. The comment about the cops smashing in the “reporter’s” door was anti-cops, not anti-Apple. He did NOT defend Gizmodo, that I recall.
silverhawk

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:18 am · Reply

How would Jon like it if someone on his staff sold all of his jokes to Letterman or Leno. They might be funny on Leno, but Letterman not so much.
iMaki

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:19 am · Reply

Lewis is a marginal liberal piece of trash begging for attention. Both of his listeners r family members!
Journo

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:20 am · Reply

Might I be so bold as to suggest that Stewart’s demonstrated lack of understanding and depth of knowledge extend far beyond Apple prototype iPhones and well into other areas, such as politics and public policy, to name just two?

This isn’t surprising, as liberals like Stewart tend not to think things though to their logical conclusions very well, if at all. A current example: “How dare Arizona make illegal immigration illegal!”

They don’t call them “knee-jerk liberals” for nothing.
ChrissyOne

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:20 am · Reply

“He ceased being funny when he started taking himself seriously.”

I think the problem is that you take him too seriously.
Norrin Radd

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:23 am · Reply

@ breeze

I hope you emailed that letter to Stewart.

I saw it last night live. I like the show – but sometimes you fall prey to being too witty at the expense of not having researched all the facts. That’s the problem with relying on a staff of people to help you – sometimes they screw up the details.

And besides – would blasting Gizmodo have really been as big of shtick? Nah – didn’t think so.
Roberto

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:23 am · Reply

BOYCOTTING COMEDY CENTRAL— FOREVER.
LeftCoastDude

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:24 am · Reply

Damn. It’s comedy. And very funny.
ChrissyOne

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:24 am · Reply

@ Chris Rose
“No longer – and I won’t watch again unless he retracts and corrects this story.”

It really boggles the mind how the same people on this site will go to bat for Limbaugh and then get all twisted about something a comedian says.

IT’S NOT A STORY. IT’S A COMEDY SHOW.

Oh, and thanks for the credit, MDN!
ChrissyOne

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:26 am · Reply

@ iMaki

“Lewis”? WTF are you talking about? Is anyone lucid today?
Sarasota

Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 11:26 am · Reply

Quick: Get the Apple Board to sic Al Gore on Stewart.