If this had been on his old show he could have been confrontational.
Just like I wouldn't describe Chris Rock as a 'Black comedian,' I wouldn't describe Jon Stewart as a 'Jewish comedian.' At the same time, though, Stewart's ethnicity definitely influences his work, as it influenced/s the work of his writers. It's more than just Jewish topics, but, rather, a cultural approach to humor that, to those aware of it, can be quite obvious. Are you familiar with black-ish? Well, Jon and his writers are definitely a little Jew-ish, and this Jew-ishness permeated the Report. The Report was more than just Jewish writers and producers ferociously lampooning conservative Catholics, but that facet was undeniably a component.
But the Jew-ishness of the Report, the (at times) borderline anti-Catholicism, wasn't Stephen. It was an external force acting upon him. And that external force is no more. He still has many of the same Jewish writers, but he passes them over for his Catholic buddies. Dinello and Stack are getting most of the work these days.
So it only makes sense that out and proud uber-Catholic Stephen on his new, very openly Catholic show, would buy into Gibson's redemption and completely gloss over his innate scumminess. What could be more Catholic than sinning, confessing your sins, and repenting- as well as pretending to forgive those that have repented?
It's impossible, imo, to look at the Gibson interview without taking religion into account. The religion-ishness of Report, the new religion-ishness of the Late Show, along with Mel's attempted religion-ish redemption.
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