Political comedy functions largely by picking an enemy and making and making an ass out of him. Jon Stewart shapes the opinions of a large number of his viewers through parody and bringing out the foolish side of figures in modern day politics and media. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart relies heavily on Framing to deliver it's message.
Framing is a tool used in media that reflects the intentions of the messenger to encourage the viewer to think about an issue or person in a certain way. This can be done by selecting specific information to divulge about the issue or person being discussed. Often times framing can be achieved by a form of commentary from a third party. Commentary about an issue or person can be delivered subtly or overtly and it can be positive and negative.
One example of Framing on The Daily Show is Jon Stewart's comedic portrayal of Fox News personality Glenn Beck. Stewart parodies the talk show host's unorthodox method of “teaching” the audience with a blackboard. Stewart also mocks Beck's attitude that America is facing impending and serious danger and flails himself around dramatically. Stewart highlights his disagreement with Glenn Beck by first showing an unflattering clip from his show and then responding to it. The careful selection of clips as well as humorous commentary is geared towards characterizing Beck as a paranoid zealot.
Watch: (Feel free to skip the MSNBC bits)
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