I am mailing this to Mr. Stewart today. Thought I’d share.
Jon Stewart
c/o Comedy Central
1775 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
April 3, 2007
Dear Mr. Stewart,
I am a long-time fan of “The Daily Show” and have watched it religiously for many years. I have always appreciated your sharp wit, willingness to call out hypocrites and liars of all parties, and your ability to make me laugh no matter how lousy a day I have had. I’ve enjoyed the way you point out politicians’ stupidity, gaffes, and corruption. But the recent episode featuring Dennis Miller (3/27/07) gave me something new: it was the first time I can remember being actively horrified by something you yourself did.
Miller was speaking about the Duke rape case. He said, “it turns out this woman was like the Louvre of DNA, I mean … everyone had visited there, she’s like Barry Scheck’s idea of Six Flags Amusement Park. You just get in there with a recorder and take the walking tour.”
All you said in reply, amidst your laughter, was “that was a long walk for ‘the Louvre of DNA’… I knew something good was coming.”
Setting aside the vulgarity and the dehumanizing things Miller said about a fellow human being, his statements are based in the wrongheaded idea that a sexually active woman cannot be raped. It’s bad enough that Miller made the joke and the audience laughed, but you laughed too. Far from calling him out on his offensive and misogynistic words, you called them “good.”
Do you truly believe that a woman who is sexually active cannot be raped? That evidence showing a woman has consented to be sexually active with one or more men must mean that she was open to all comers? Bringing rape accusers’ sexual histories up is an age-old tactic employed by defense lawyers trying to “prove” that the victim must have wanted what happened because she had sex with other people. This strategy, while despicable, succeeds in a society where screeds like Mr. Miller’s are accepted without reproach.
Mr. Stewart, I am disappointed. I thought better of “The Daily Show,” and I thought better of you. You had a chance to stand up on national television for rape victims everywhere, and instead you sided with Miller and his loathsome statements. I hope that in the future, you will stand up for women and not tolerate, let alone endorse, hateful speech like Miller’s.
I am sending copies of this letter to the presidents and PR departments of Viacom and Comedy Partners, as well as publishing it on my website.
Sincerely,
Ealasaid A. Haas
cc: Doug Herzog, Comedy Partners 1175 Broadway, 10th Fl. New York, NY 10019
cc: Steve Albani, Comedy Central Press Offices, 1775 Broadway New York, NY 10019
cc: Sumner M. Redstone, Viacom Inc. 1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036
