Crossfire

Notice and Focus + Ranking

Step 1

 Jon Stewart, who is a guest, begins with questioning to the panelists. The two panels continuously interrupt when Jon Stewart says something. They insult each other. The conversation is very heated. Jon Stewart uses humor to avoid their attack. His humor is often self-deprecating. They are accusing each other. They are not being logical. They are not looking for solution, but they just debate to win.

Step 2

 Neutral attitude of Jon Stewart, Jon Stewart’s use of humors, Interruptions of the panels.

Step 3

 The neutral attitude of Jon Stewart contrasts him with the biased panels, making his arguments more credible and logical. It makes his accusation to the program ‘Crossfire’ much more critical to the bow tie panel’s accusation to Jon Stewart’s program. Jon Stewart’s humors efficiently cut the opponent’s attacks and cool down the atmosphere of the debate. The interruptions to the opponent make the opponent lose his points, and make the opponent not be able to speak what he wants to speak. Thus, those interruptions make the debate overheated and off the point.

The Method

Step 1: Repetition

Why we fight?, Is he the best?, Hurting America, Stop, Suck up, Not serious, Please

Step 2: Strands

Crossfire-I’m-gonna-kick-your-ass, Bad-Hurtful, Argue-Fight, Suck up-Butt Boy, Bad-Hurtful-disingenuous

Step 3: Binary oppositions

CNN/Comedy central, Debate Show/Theater, Lecture people/Politicians

Step 4: Debate show/Theater

 Jon Stewart argues that Crossfire is a theater, instead of debate show. It is the most important binary opposition because this is a key point of Jon Stewart’s accusation to Crossfire. Debate show, as Jon Stewart’s argument, should be helpful and serious. Instead, Jon Stewart says that Crossfire is being a ‘theater’ which is fake and made up of actors. So this binary opposition strongly criticizes Crossfire of not being helpful and hurting America.

 Step 5

 Debate and Fight seems to be strands, but Jon Stewart uses this two words in opposite meaning. According to Jon Stewart, debate is a helpful way of finding solutions and exchanging opinions. In contrast, fight is a meaningless insulting and arguments, which is 'Crossfire'

So What?
 In the video Crossfire, Jon Stewart accuses the program of being 'bad for America'. Of course, Crossfire is a debate show. However, using the word 'theater' Jon Stewart implies that 'Crossfire' is not a real debate show. He reveals that what they are doing is not a debate, but just a fight full of insulting. Thus the argument leads the audience to re-define the meaning of 'debate' and to realize how wrong the program is.