The Rally to Restore Sanity: Why it Worries Me

Here’s the thing about Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity: it didn’t represent a restoration of anything. It wasn’t a breath of fresh air; it didn’t symbolize change; it didn’t mark the beginning of a new future for America. Instead, Stewart’s rally solidified the ongoing rule of the most influential force in America–the entertainment-political complex. The entertainment-political complex is nothing new. We certainly take it for granted. But every so often, a public event draws special attention to the collusion between the entertainment and political industries. This past weekend, it was Comedy Central taking over the Capitol.

In his closing remarks to rally-goers, Jon Stewart said,

“And now I thought we might have a moment, however brief, for some sincerity. If that’s okay – I know that there are boundaries for a comedian / pundit / talker guy, and I’m sure that I’ll find out tomorrow how I have violated them.”

And thus Stewart’s moment of sincerity was prefaced with a moment of insincerity. Stewart is a smart guy, and he knows the truth: there are no boundaries for comedian / pundit / talker guys–not anymore!

As I stood in the crowd at the Rally to Restore Sanity on Saturday, I couldn’t help but think of the last scene of Robert Altman’s 1975 film, Nashville. That whole film is a monument to the pathological relationship between politicos and entertainers, and it climaxes at a campaign rally for the make-believe “Replacement Party.” The movie ends with empty-eyed rally-goers singing, “They may say that I ain’t free / but it don’t worry me.”

Here’s the thing, though: it should worry us. It really should.

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