July 19, 2008
The Daily Show Proves Me Right
How Fucking Good am I?
Normally, I don't like to brag. But you have admit, I called this one. Just hours after I posted my story on why The Daily Show needed more women and lamented the disappearance of Samantha Bee, the show responded. Apparently, I'm not the only one who missed Bee.
As part of its promotion of the "best f***ing news team ever" during the election, the show is going to spotlight its correspondents by giving each of them a segment. Last night, they inaugurated the series with Samantha Bee, known simply as "The Woman." As in the only woman, as in exactly what I said yesterday.
Bee came back with a vengeance, and her enormously pregnant belly just added to her penchant for physical comedy. "She's reporting for two," boomed the announcer at one point. We were told that she "brings the news to full term," and treated to several visual jokes involving, for example, an in utero election desk and an ultrasound in Iraq. I love that (on the show at least) her pregnancy is just fodder for more jokes--but importantly, they're political jokes, and not stereotypical pregnant-lady humor.
It was a real treat to see Bee (and the writers, I presume) make the boys'-club atmosphere a target for jokes. "The problem is that most women report the news like girls," said Bee, "(cough, cough) like Katie Couric." In a mock interview, Stewart sad that "With Samantha, you don't see gender. You just see...an amorphous blob." Cut to Bee, giving the producer shit for counting to five for her. "I know how to count to five!" she screams, and mumbles something about his penis-inspired counting.
Not that Bee isn't perfectly comfortable with penis-inspired humor. Talking about her approach to interviews, Bee said: "I know how to work a source...sometimes you need to stroke them..." complete with obscene masturbatory gesture--answering my earlier question and proving that women, too, can participate in the dick-centric humor of the show. She also groped her own boobs on camera, claiming that, "Integrity is all I have. That, and these." Fearless physical comedy.
