In The Daily Show episode from May 7th, 2012 John Stewart, the host of the show, satirizes several people and events such as, Vladimir Putin being sworn in as president and the idea of dictatorships through the character of Admiral General Aladeen from the movie The Dictator. He satirizes Vladimir Putin facial expressions as he is being sworn in as the President of Russia. It is funny because Putin does not show any excitement throughout the entire process. He keeps a straight face the whole time, almost as if he is mad. Clearly Putin is the target and Jon Stewart uses techniques such as verbal irony, and more specifically sarcasm to get his point across. The motive is to make fun of Putin as a commander and possible Russia as a whole. Then he brings in Admiral General Aladeen the character from the move The Dictator and compares him to former dictators such as, Muammer Gaddafi and Kim Jon Il, who are all dead. He is trying to prove a point that dictatorships are out of date and no longer belong in the present time period. His target is all dictators and his purpose is to criticize the stupidity of a dictatorship in a humorous manner through General Aladeen's character and techniques like distortion, where he takes the dictators and puts them in different surroundings to show their faults.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPVR_ymMqDg
What John Stewart is saying is completely correct. The modern era can no longer accept dictatorships because the people living under them have gotten smarter and want representation. The way he gets his point across however, is very clever. He does not directly call for the end of dictatorships, but the message is understood. This way it makes the audience think about the issue and have a laugh at the same time.
ReplyDeleteUsing General Aladeen as a representation of a harsh dictator is a perfect way to draw a comparison between tyrants. If one has seen the movie then they can see the similarities between the dictators. From their harsh barbaric actions, to their female body guards. I agree when you say that he tries to prove that dictators do not belong in this day in age. It should already be done with as it is against the norms of society.
ReplyDeleteAll of what John Stewart is true. He did an awesome job in delivering his message with a funny comparison to General Aladeen, to show outdated dictatorships are and how they do not work. It is not a a correct or efficient form of government and should be clear to every one around the world.Unlike General Aladeen, Putin showed no emotion and appeared mad while being sworn into presidency. Lets hope that he does a good job during his presidency, disregarding the fact that he did not look happy about it!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with the fact that there should not be a dictatorship, however I do not really understand politics and so I do not really have a lot to say about the subject. But the parts that I did understand was very funny, like the part about legalizing marijuana and what people would want Obama t do. Jon Stewart made the entire situation funny, by using a impersonation of Aladeen, which added to the humor. Putin was unusually unhappy, and becoming President should be a very exciting and happy experience, I just hope he does not continue in that sort of unhappy way.
ReplyDeleteJohn Stewart did a fantastic job at satirizing dictatorships and Putin. He presented a humorous situation by having General Aladeen on the show. Also, dictatorships are truly out of date and not the ideal way to govern a country. Lastly, General Aladeen was sworn into office with a smile on his face, meanwhile Putin had a serious face and showed no emotion. I hope Putin governs Russia with some emotion, instead of the solemn face he had.
ReplyDeleteIn this day and age where democracy is emphasized so greatly and encouraged to be used in every government, some parts of the world such as the Middle East decide to give their country's dictators the power to their governmental affairs still. John Stewart definitely satirizes the idea of dictators and how outdated they are, through General Aladeen specifically because he wants to show the world how corrupt dictators are in the way they run the government. He specifically makes fun of how they do not abide by the rules. I see Stewart using the technique of caricature and reduction, because by using Genreal Aladeen's figure, he satirizes dictators' appearance as a whole. One example of a present day dictatorship would definitely be Russia, although it is not officially labeled as one because President Putin will most probably rule the government there for the rest of his life through corrupt elections. Overall, dictators should not exist anymore and that is the message Stewart is trying to show his audience through his satire.
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ReplyDeleteComedians these days have their own way of getting a point across, whether it is in politics or society in general, and John Stewart is an excellent example as on of these comedians. He cleverly uses humor to satirize important figures in the world such as Putin, who is in a way a dictator himself, and the rest of the fallen dictators of 2012. With the sweeping winds of democracy, it is hard not to satirize foreign leaders who oppose it, especially Putin with his 140% re-election outcome, whose face was probably blank because of his cheating. Stewart's intentions are clear as long as one looks at his sayings in the right light. Overall, I feel that Stewart will forever be remembered as a great figure who is not afraid to speak his mind, just like Stephen Colbert and others like Bill Maher.
ReplyDeleteAlthough politics is not a topic that I usually follow, this segment from The Daily Show made it entertaining. Klian's explanation about how Putin's face expression was blank because of him cheating made the entire satirization even more ironic. The movie "The Dictator" was most probably made to satirize the luxurious and careless lifestyles of extremely potent and wealthy dictators. Here, General Aladeen, although clearly not on the set of the movie, continues to satirize that topic. Overall, Stewart makes it possible for people to understand that government plays a huge role in our lives, however the secrets and scandals of the higher power are truly chaos-causing "role models."
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ReplyDeleteMaking this video on the daily show about Putinon dictatorship, and using general Aladeen as an example was genius. General Aladeen from the comedy movie, the dictator showed the exaggerated and satirical version of that one person in charge in the form of a comedy. Comparing these two figures together automatically exaggerated the cons of the dictatorship and in an ingenious way.
ReplyDeleteI actually saw the video myself and I found it pretty funny because I had actually seen the movie. However, I would not have thought that this satirical episode was targeted to Kim Jon Il or Putin. From this episode, it looked like his satirical target might have been stressed particularly on Arab dictatorships since Admiral General Aladeen was used to represent the exaggerated ignorance attributed to the tyrannical dictators from the Middle East. The way he spoke, dressed, walked, and acted seemed like a traits an Arab dictator would posses. If Jon Steward were to directly attack the autocratic rule, a group of individuals might have been offended. Using General Aladeen was his opportunity to use humor to get his point across.
ReplyDeleteI too have seen the video with Sacha Baron, and found it hilarious! Also, John Stewart makes it extremely clear that he is actually making fun of Vladimir Putin's reaction. However, he treats it as if it is no surprise, and this makes the audience wonder more about the situation. I rarely follow politics, but his enthusiasm on this matter captures even my attention! Furthermore, this method of satirizing is useful and it helps the people remember it. It makes learning about politics fun!
ReplyDeleteWe are all clearly titled to our own opinions, but I am going to have to disagree. Dictatorships are not too bad, it is discipline and very strict, which is a good thing. America lacks the discipline and has fools as its citizens. Riots and all types of violent events occur all around the U.S. and not much is done. I am positive that it happens in Russia as well, but Russia has instilled fear into its citizens and that way they keep a specific amount control and things would not get out of hand.
ReplyDeleteJon Stewart presents two notable figures in society in an entertaining, enthusiastic way. Vladimir Putin being sworn in as the President of Russia is a historical moment, but dictators should show more emotion when taking a part in an important event, which will become memorable. Dictators need to take into consideration that society's attention is on them and be more energetic and emotional when one is given a significant position. Sacha Baron Cohen, also known as Admiral General Aladeen, presents the life, as well as attitude and behavior of dictators, such as Muammer Gaddafi, through a comedic way. He plays the role beautifully as Libya's leader. Dictatorship has played an important role in countries, but it has become trite and outdated. Societies on the Eastern Hemisphere need a change in government, but most importantly, need their voice to be heard. It has been far too long for tyrannical and dictatorial leaders and government to dictate others. Cohen has represented the idea of dictatorship and the consequences that one will face of being inconsiderate and judgmental. He has spoken his mind about the issues that capture the world's attention, and is able to represent events in exceptional and entertaining ways.
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