Jon Stewart on America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (2004)

[Charleston Chew]

Run time: 58:17 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvbMfYhLtYc   Posted on YouTube: January 04, 2011 By YouTube Member: thefilmarchive Views on YouTube: 25   Posted on DU: January 04, 2011 By DU Member: Charleston Chew Views on DU: 598

 
October 14, 2004

America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction is a 2004 non-fiction book written by Jon Stewart and other writers of The Daily Show that parodies and satirizes American politics and worldview. It has won several awards, and generated some controversy.

An updated trade paperback edition was published in 2006 as a "Teacher's Edition," with updated coverage of the Supreme Court Justices (including Samuel Alito and John Roberts, who were appointed after the 2004 book's publication), and fact checking by Stanley K. Schultz, professor emeritus of history at the University of Wisconsin--Madison, with red marks and remarks appearing throughout, correcting the satirical "mistakes" (and a few honest errors) of the original edition.

America (The Book) was written and edited by Jon Stewart, Ben Karlin, David Javerbaum, and other writers of The Daily Show. Karlin was the show's executive producer and Javerbaum its head writer. The book is written as a parody of a US high school civics textbook, complete with study guides, questions, and class exercises. Also included are scholarly "Were You Aware?" boxes, one of which explains that "the term 'Did You Know' is copyrighted by a rival publisher". The book provides discussion questions to mock history study guide books, with ridiculous questions such as: "Would you rather be a king or slave? Why or why not?". It pokes fun at the American political system, and includes a chapter caricaturing stereotypical American views of the rest of the world.

People affiliated with The Daily Show during publication in 2004, such as Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, and Ed Helms, contributed small articles. Bee's articles related the "Canadian view point" on topics, such as "We have media in Canada, too!". Stephen Colbert gives heavily biased viewpoints on topics such as Warren G. Harding (who is often considered one of the worst American presidents). Ed Helms wrote articles stating what he would do if afforded certain positions of power and references the death of a specific individual for reasons never revealed to the reader.

One page contains mock campaign stickers for various candidates. These include "Lifelong Democrat Retired Palm Beach Jews for Buchanan" (referencing the butterfly ballot fracas that brought about the 2000 recount in Florida), "I cast my five slaves' three votes for James K. Polk" and "Undecided Voters for Candidate". Another has "Humphrey in '68" in large print, then in much smaller print "Because otherwise, in four years, Nixon's boys will be caught breaking into the Watergate office trying to sabotage their opponents, creating unprecedented scandal and ushering in an era of cynicism that will shape politics for decades to come. Call it a hunch. So, to repeat: Humphrey in '68".

Appearing shortly before the 2004 US presidential election, the book originally included several pages of an "Election Guide" making fun of both candidates. Printings of the book made after the election do not have this insert.

Publishers Weekly (PW) chose it as its "Book of the Year"; it noted that "in a year defined by political polemics, it seems fitting that PW's Book of the Year be one in which the authors survey the entire political system and laugh." The audio book version won the Grammy Award in 2005 for "Best Comedy Album." The book, published in September 2004, remained a bestseller even after the election. In addition to America (The Audiobook), it has also spun off into America (The Calendar).

The fifth chapter contains obviously-doctored photographs with the heads of then-current U.S. Supreme Court justices superimposed on appropriately-aged naked bodies. An adjacent page invites the reader to cover each justice with a cutout of his or her robe to "restore their dignity". Some organizations found the images offensive and refused to carry the book. Wal-Mart said the retailer canceled its order for America (The Book) because it "felt a majority of our customers would not be comfortable with the image." (The Teacher's Edition fired back, including a Wal-Mart "quote" reading "Even better on second banning!") Some Mississippi public libraries removed the book from their shelves, but the ban was lifted the day after its issue because the library board had received numerous complaints.

[gblady]

1. thanks for sharing.....

I enjoy listening to Jon...