Transformations in Hybrid TV Talk: Extended Interviews on The Daily Show (.com)

Just days before the congressional election of 2010, the US president, Barack Obama, turned to the unlikely platform of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show to defend his agenda and bolster support for his party. Obama had appeared on the US hybrid news and comedy programme before. While running for president he had twice chatted with host Jon Stewart via satellite, basking in the refracted glow offered by the increasingly popular satirical news show, which had surprisingly established itself as an important site of information, commentary, and conversation on US TV. This time, however, the president joined Stewart in person for a 25-minute conversation. If he had hoped for the kind of deferential questions that politicians usually expect from late-night TV chat (e.g. Baum, 2005), Obama may have been surprised by the rigorous questioning that he faced that night. Stewart repeatedly challenged him for failing to deliver on his transformational campaign promises and for being overly ‘timid’ in pursuing health-care reform. On the latter point, a grim-faced Obama rejected the premise. ‘Jon,’ he said, ‘I love your show, but this is something where I have a profound disagreement with you.’