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The Daily Show Interview

At the beginning of this appendix, we talked about the special “reports” filed by Daily Show correspondents. Let’s examine the nature of those interviews in the context of what we’ve discussed throughout this appendix.

  • Like all interviews, these Daily Show interviews are planned, but the process of editing them down to a few minutes makes them less interactive than a real-time interview. Comments and reaction shots are taken out of context, and during editing, the correspondent is able to integrate alternative footage that was not part of the actual interview. This gives the correspondent an unusual amount of control at the expense of the interviewee.
  • John Oliver makes comic use of questioning, offering the Columbia University professor a loaded question. It’s clear that Oliver doesn’t want or expect an answer—the question itself is the joke.
  • The format and structure of the interview are also clear to both parties: interviewees are familiar with the show and are essentially in on the joke. Participants are well aware that their comments can and will be heavily edited and that much of what they say will be taken out of context.
  • The goals of the interviewee and interviewer are at once similar and quite different. As satire, The Daily Show seeks to illuminate real issues by poking fun at them. The students who participated appreciated that goal: “I am extremely happy with the clip in the sense that it did what it’s supposed to do—make people laugh and give them a little something to think about,” said Samantha Joseph. “Did it fully express our opinions? No. Were our words twisted? Yes . . . but again, anyone who goes on The Daily Show would be nuts to think that wouldn’t happen!” (Marcott, 2009).