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Insanely Sane: Humor brought everyone together
Okay, there’s no way to write this article without name dropping. To cut to the chase, I know Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, and you don’t.
I used to work for The Daily Show and the Colbert Report as the audience warm up act. Not a bad day job.
But knowing the hosts didn’t mean I got to parade on stage at Saturday’s “Rally for Sanity and/or Fear.” I was in the audience with the thousands of fans, reporting on the events for CNN.
Stewart, Colbert preside over lighthearted, star-studded rally
Assisted by a colorful cast of characters, Comedy Central funnymen Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held a raucous rally on the National Mall Saturday in typical fashion before a cheering throng of
supporters.
Amidst all the hilarity, however, the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" carried a message about Americans turning their backs on hate and working together to make the world a better place.
Stewart and Colbert staged a mock battle, with Stewart supporting peace and sanity and Colbert promoting fear before a crowd that stretched nearly the length of the mall, most of the distance between the Capitol and the Washington Monument.
WebPulse: Scary politics, meatheads, Rocky's 'tranny'
We're five days out from midterm elections and three days away from Halloween. Let's get this fear wagon moving, shall we?
'Daily Show,' the morning after - President Obama's congenial yet somewhat tense conversation with Jon Stewart is one of the most viewed 30 minutes online today. Obama is trying to avoid what would be a scary scenario to the Dems if the Republicans sweep the polls. Heck, it could be a virtual GOP wave on Tuesday, writes CNN contributor John P. Avlon.
Obama's appearance was just part of his campaign to inspire voters, particularly the younger ones who helped put him in office (and apparently a lot of guys who watch the Daily Show). It also comes in the days before the Washington rallies "A Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" that Stewart and comedian foil Stephen Colbert are hosting this weekend.
The rallies don't seem to have spooked Republicans so much as some of their own candidates. The search term "Karl Rove" was at the top of Google Trends, leading to stories about President Bush's former senior adviser saying Sarah Palin lacks "gravitas."
Does Rove not get how frightening a pit bull can be?
Oooh ... WebPulse is in transition heaven right now ... Let's talk about meatheads.
Vegetarians beware - We're not sure if this meathead recipe is trending, but it should be. So gross, so creative, so stinky. Pinch your nose like the many critics of last night's "Glee." "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" never sounded so lame as it did on the show, Gawker says. The Huffington Post said the show neutered "Rocky" by replacing the word "transsexual" with "tranny." Changing the lyrics to a classic musical? A scary statement on today's generation if you ask us. Next thing you know those kids will pose half-naked in a national men's magazine.
(Mega-fancy) House on the Hill - If $5 is all you can spare for a magazine, you'll be pretty well freaked out by this home built by Asia's richest man. It's in Mumbai, overlooking the city's slums. It has 27 floors for his family of six, three helipads, a 168-space parking lot, a pool, health club and an ice room with man-made flurries. Jeez, and we thought our rent was too damn high.
On the Radar: Anti-gay official, Obama on 'Daily Show'
School official mocks gays –A school board official in Arkansas is facing fierce criticism for allegedly writing hateful comments about gay people on his Facebook page, including that he wanted gay people to commit suicide, the Advocate reports.
According to the national newspaper, Midland School District Vice President Clint McCance wrote "queer" and "fag" repeatedly, promised to disown his own children if they were gay, and stated that he enjoys "the fact that [gay people] often give each other AIDS and die."
State officials have strongly condemned the comments, saying that the school district tries to foster an environment of tolerance and safety from bullies. Because McCance is elected he cannot be fired.
He's up for re-election Nov. 2 and is running unopposed, according to The Advocate.
Obama on The Daily Show - President Obama had a serious conversation with The Daily Show's Jon Stewart less than a week before Tuesday's midterm elections. Stewart called the president's legislative progress "timid," a contrast to Obama's more aggressive style of campaigning. In a gentle way, Stewart challenged Obama about whether the president has lived up to the big promises he made in 2008. Many who missed the show last night are watching this morning.
Halloween lanterns recalled –– The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Dollar Tree Stores are recalling 682,000 battery-operated lantern skulls, ghosts and pumpkins that can overheat. The bulb in the lanterns poses fire and burn hazards to consumers, according to the agency.
On the Radar: Tsunami deaths, bad weather, French bill
Indonesian officials pray over recovered bodies Wednesday on North Pagai Island.
Death toll in Indonesia quake, tsunami - The death toll from a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck off Indonesia has risen to 272, officials said. Another 412 are missing after the Monday quake, which triggered a tsunami. It's unclear how many are dead or injured because information is still trickling in from remote parts of Indonesia, a country of myriad islands. There were reports of some villages being "flattened," according to the disaster management center in West Sumatra.
Massive storm system heads east - The eastern third of the U.S. can expect another blustery day as severe storms stretch from the South to Delaware, the National Weather Service said. Wind could affect air traffic in the upper Midwest and sections of the Ohio Valley. Several states, including North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Indiana, are cleaning up after storms this week spawned 24 possible tornadoes. Watch video from inside a tornado.
Colbert, Stewart rallies on 'date of no significance'?
P.T. Barnum's "Greatest Show on Earth" debuted October 30, 1873.
When Jon Stewart raised the idea of doing a march in Washington, he said he wanted to make sure it was "on a date of no significance."
Stewart publicly floated the idea of a counter-rally to Glenn Beck's much-publicized "Restoring Honor" rally on the National Mall in a profile in the September 12 edition of New York magazine. Beck's rally was held on the 47th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered in the same place.
So when Stewart and Comedy Central's other favorite funny man, Stephen Colbert, decided to announce rallies of their own in the nation's capital October 30, we had to take a look into history to see whether the date held a clean slate or whether there were some moments in time the two comedians might be ironically, or purposely, shining a light on.
Although it's likely any single day they chose could have some ironies to it, it turns out there are a number of interesting events in history that have taken place October 30.
Perhaps the double team of Stewart and Colbert are hoping their respective rallies will be regarded as the "Greatest Shows on Earth" - after all, P.T. Barnum's now-well-known circus did debut October 30, 1873. (If nothing else, it'd be a nod to the show's creator, who is also known for coining the phrase "there's a sucker born every minute"). Are you trying to send a tongue-in-cheek message to us, men of comedy?
Or perhaps the date of the rallies, and their place on the Mall, could be a nod to several historic moments in time. Here are a few of the other big events that have taken place on October 30. Are any the impetus behind the date's use? Or just a coincidence? Share your thoughts in the comments bellow.
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