Jim O'Donnell: Jon Stewart reaches for new insight into Kyrie, Kanye and Dave Chappelle
JON STEWART IS AN ACQUIRED TASTE who will never play well in the William Henry Harrison Room at the VFW in Osceola, Indiana.
But Tuesday night on "Colbert," the comic-plus repeatedly touched brilliance while casting alternative Jewish thought on the recent public third-railings of Kyrie Irving, Kanye West and Dave Chappelle.
All three consciously elected to strap on either overt antisemitism or the perception of unfiltered antisemitism. (Chappelle's came during his opening monologue last weekend on "Saturday Night Live.")
That of Irving resulted in an open-ended suspension by his primary employer, the Brooklyn Nets.
FOR HIS PART, Stewart went against the thorns and stones. He instead suggested that the independent thoughts could serve most constructively as a gateway into enhanced dialogues and - gasp - higher understanding of the commonalties and innate prejudices of humans.
The late-night segment should be viewed in its entirety and can be on YouTube. It was as if the spirits of Mort Sahl and S.J. Perelman were winging above the CBS set.
OF IRVING, STEWART SAID: "This is a grown-(expletive) man. The idea that you would say to him, 'We're going to put you in a timeout. You have to sit in the corner and stare at the wall until you no longer believe that the Jews control the international banking system.'
"We will never gain any kind of understanding with each other. Penalizing somebody for having a thought, I don't think is the way to change their minds or gain understanding."
EARLIER, THE COMIC WITHIN kicked in when Stewart said, "You don't expect to get it from someone named Irving. I really thought he was one of ours."
He added: "If you really want to punish (Irving), send him to the Knicks."
Instead, the divisive herding of a suspicious America tramples on.
With nothing but red and blue as primary options on a growling sea of gray.
STREET-BEATIN':
With the myopia over Justin Fields engulfing Chicago, lost in the slog is the fact that to date, 2022 MVP in the NFC-North is Vikings WR Justin Jefferson. (No receiver has ever won the NFL MVP award; Jerry Rice was second in the voting following the 1987 strike season.) ...
The improbable OT win of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers vs. Dallas Sunday was the most highly viewed NFL telecast of the season, With the game playing to 92% of the nation in Fox's late afternoon window, close to 29M people were watching. ...
Jay Mariotti hammers another one at substack.com with his recent "Why would anyone go on strike at a death-row Chicago newspaper?" It's an absolute "must read" for anyone in search of biting, personalized perspective on why some legacy media is in such dire straits. ...
Mention of Mariotti, incidentally, brought quick recall of his instant feud with station star mate Steve Dahl back at the early built-to-conquer WMVP, 1000-AM. The true reason for the quick disconnect was that as professional competitors, the two had Jordanesque give-me-the-ball drive. (Alpha v. Alpha isn't always Betty Crocker friendly.) ...
When the Blackhawks retire Marian Hossa's jersey number Sunday, biggest Q will be: Does he have to stay for the game? Any connection with the current blue liners of West Madison Street is like being stranded on an Arctic ice floe with Rachael Ray and half a bottle of Malort. ...
One evening after failing to cover in a 22-16 Sunday night victory over the Chargers, Jimmy Garoppolo was singled out for special front-row attention by Warriors cheerleaders at a GS-SA game. Jimmy G was the only bachelor among other Niners sitting courtside - George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Juszczyk. ...
The passing of longtime PGA mainstay Dow Finsterwald - at age 93 - reminds of when his five-minute "Golf Tip of the Day" was regular filler any time a Cubs or Sox game ran short on WGN, Channel 9. Finsterwald filmed 195 of the five-minute tutorials under the direction of Richard O. Linke, the longtime manager of Andy Griffith and Jim Nabors. ...
The 2022 season of Chase Brown and Illinois has suddenly blown up. The Illini are now tied atop the Big Ten-West with Iowa, Purdue and Minnesota and are 17-point 'dogs at Michigan Saturday (ABC, 11 a.m.). If Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes win the division, it'll be free corn for the crows at participating Hy-Vees. ...
The praying mantises at Marquee Sports Network go deep Catholic Saturday with the 7A semi between unbeaten Mount Carmel and the brutes from St. Rita (Iowa Cubs voice Alex Cohen, Jack McInerney, 4 p.m.). Taylor Bell says Caravan QB Blainey Dowling is the Illinois Prep Player of the Year. ... And Phil Mushnick, on the NFL's most freezing brave: "What do you call buying an expensive timeshare at a resort that's only open as the weather worsens? ... A Roger Goodell PSL."
• Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears Sunday and Thursday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.