The Funny Guys

Colbert - Legalization A Hot Button Issue


In Colbert’s report regarding the 2012 presidential election, he brings up the issue of marijuana legalization and how it could potentially affect the 2012 Presidential race between Obama and Romney.  A few months before the election, Romney and Obama were neck and neck in the race and the legalization of marijuana was seen as an issue that could potentially make it or break it.

Colbert uses agenda setting to explain how this hot button issue will be beneficial to Obama’s campaign.  He uses the perception that all pot smokers are lazy, incompetent individuals who do nothing but sit back and watch TV all day long.  According to WebMD, the effects stated are consistent with pot smoking and Colbert does use them to specifically show how unreliable these smokers are in such an important election process, however, this perception of laziness and inhibition is not always the case. 

Marijuana is a inhibiting drug that does cause major physical and physiological issues, however, not every single person that uses or tries marijuana is instantly addicted and continues to use it throughout their life time.  According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in their national survey on drug use and health, section 2, many marijuana users are in the age bracket of 18-25, but after that, the usage by age does deplete, which means that election does not rest solely on the addicted marijuana smokers like Colbert suggests. 

As Colbert Reports, marijuana users do exhibit many signs that could be labeled as dysfunctional, but that is not the only reason that would make or break a presidential election like he frames in this video because there are so many other age groups, political issues and contributing factors to an election.


 Source: Stephen Colbert from Colbert Nation.
Motivation: To inform viewers of the pressing issues in society, all while entertaining.
Evidence: The evidence given in the video are the effects that come from smoking Marijuana.
Logic: The logic used in this clip, through sarcasm, is that the legalization of marijuana will not be as easy as some think because marijuana smokers could care less about getting to the polls and actually voting.
Left out: One of the biggest things Colbert leaves out of his clip is what the legalization of marijuana actually entails.

Stewart - Old Tokes Home


One of the main arguments regarding marijuana legalization is the medical uses of marijuana.  Jon Stewart, through a satirical on-site interview, uses agenda setting to show the specific uses of medical marijuana and how it can help the older generation.

In the video, Robert Platshorn explains how he uses “The Silver Tour” to inform retirement communities about the benefits of medical marijuana.  In this interview, Platshorn pushes for the fact that most old folks like the idea of medical marijuana because it does help with several older generational problems such as arthritis, Alzheimer’s, Glaucoma, and many other health problems. According to several sources (link 1 and link 2), medical marijuana can be used to help several of these health issues along with many others.  

Stewart also uses the satirical fact that the effects of marijuana use are not far off of what behaviors the elderly already posses such as sitting around the house, watching TV and eating snacks throughout the day. Platshorn is quoted saying, “Taking medical marijuana just fits so well into the senior life style.” The clip continues to go on to inform the viewers of the many side effects of taking marijuana such as the slowing of motor skills, driving inhibition, slurring of speech, or as interviewer Al Madrigal puts it, the side effects of being old.  He is able to use agenda setting to make us see that taking medical marijuana results in the same behaviors that elderly people already live.

As the concept of marijuana legalization has appeared on the political scene, many people are also worried that legalizing the drug will cause additional health issues and make it that much easier to get a hold of the drug. People believe that druggies will take advantage of the medicinal uses and create problems that only medicinal marijuana could potentially help, however, Stewart does an excellent way of framing the issue to show that it is not only marijuana that we should be worried about (see next paragraph).

As a framing and final agenda setting technique, Stewart takes clips from prescription drug commercials to show that, when framed correctly, medical marijuana is no worse than prescription drugs. It is shown that prescription drugs can cause a variety of side effects such as headache, upset stomach, stiff muscles, confusion, seizures, cancer and many more (link 1, link 2, and link 3), which when compared to the side effects of marijuana use, sounds much more harmful. He frames this clip to show that no matter the drug, legal or not, people misuse drugs in several different forms and legalizing a drug will never change that. 


Source: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Motivation: To inform viewers of the pressing issues in society, all while entertaining.
Evidence: Evidence used in this clip is that Stewart actually uses real life advocate Robert Platshorn for his video.  He also takes real perscription drug commercials and their true side effects to compare to marijuana.
Logic: The logic used in this clip is that there are actual beneficial medicinal uses for using marijuana.
Left out: Stewart leaves out what the effects are politically and economically if we actually legalize marijuana for medicinal uses for the elderly.

Stewart - Post Democalyptic World - Marijuana Legalization


Stewart announces the newer issue of marijuana legalization in both Washington and Colorado, which is followed by a loud, roaring applause. After introducing the issue, Stewart plays a clip of a young man yelling a single phrase about smoking marijuana.  Throughout the beginning part of the video, Stewart states several different phrases that have to do with practically nothing, but plays the same clip of the man yelling after each phrase.  By using this clip, Stewart uses the media theory of agenda setting to show his viewers what he, and most of America, portrays pot smokers as, when in reality they are not out of control human beings.  Several government officials, politicians, authors, movie directors, actors and great American influences have smoked marijuana, yet these people are some of the brightest minds we have encountered in our society who lead and govern us (link 1).

Through his ability of agenda setting this clip of the young man, Stewart is able to state certain opinions by not rejecting or accepting either side of the issue.  He is able to show how the typical American percieves marijuana smokers and is able to play off of that perception for the entire clip.

In this particular Jon Stewart clip, and the below video, Stewart also uses the media use of framing to show how major TV networks and new channels, do not take the idea of marijuana legalization seriously.  In the video, at 1:55, Stewart plays a clip of a news reporter describing the marijuana issue while his co-workers laugh in the background.  Through framing, Stewart satirically shows that no one takes this issue seriously. The legalization of marijuana is one of the top issues in our government right now and it needs to be taken seriously, which most people realize.  The legalization could result in many economic, political and social changes, but for the purposes of his show, Stewart frames these news channels and this serious issue being taken quite hysterically as to attract his viewers to the issue at hand. 



Source: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Motivation: To inform viewers of the pressing issues in society, all while entertaining.
Evidence: The evidence is the clips that Stewart shows in his video to show that marijuana is a subject that is taken lightly.
Logic: The logic given is that people do not know a ton about smoking so it is seen as a lighter hearted subject.
Left out: Something that is left out of this video is the additional minutes of the smaller video clips shown of the various news anchors laughing about the matter of marijuana.

Colbert - Governor Magorium Ganja Emporium

Over the past year or so, legalization of marijuana has been a pressing matter all over the United States and during the 2012 presidential election, the matter of legalization was found on several state ballots.  Washington and Colorado have decided to legalize marijuana and

As Colbert reports, the liberal state of New York may be one of those closely following Washington and Colorado.  New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will not allow for state lawmakers to receive a raise unless the decriminalization of marijuana occurs. Cuomo states in a CNN article that the overall issue of marijuana has been approached in a very inconsistent way.  He wants to legalize it to not only make it more consistent for law enforcement and New Yorkers across the board, but also to protect the youth of different races.

Studies have shown that race plays a large role in drug related issues and arrests (link 1 pg 13).  Colbert reports that Cuomo wants to legalize marijuana to reduce the issues related to drugs and the poorer black and Hispanic communities.  He uses agenda setting to show his viewers that incidents dealing with marijuana are much more significant in the black and Hispanic communities due to bias law enforcement.  He continues to play off his users' perception when he begins to joke about the middle class, white American moving on to the “harder” drug. 

We still see racial bias today and Colbert uses the combination of the issue of marijuana legalization and a worldly selective perception to show how we, as Americans, are viewing the legalization of marijuana.


Source: Stephen Colbert from Colbert Nation.
Motivation: To inform viewers of the pressing issues in society, all while entertaining.
Evidence: Colbert uses the issue of race and its relation to drug issues as evidence.
Logic: The logic given is that we, as Americans, still have some racial bias and associate drugs with minorities.
Left out: Colbert leaves out important facts regarding law enforcement and racial issues to show that race truly is the issue. 
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