Man of a few years hence?
There hasn’t been much mention of Man of the Year. It can be tricky publicising a family film when your star has just checked into rehab. Robin Williams plays the host of a satirical news show who runs for president. Voters love his honesty and the fact that he makes them laugh. They elect him.
To American TV viewers, the Williams character is transparently based on Jon Stewart, the host of The Daily Show. What has bothered commentators is not whether Stewart could become leader of the free world: they’re mainly questioning whether Williams is funny enough to be Stewart.
The Daily Show spoofs news. Stewart conducts one-to-ones with comedian reporters and interviews politicians, who increasingly regard the programme as the best place to make their TV appearances. Surveys conducted during the 2004 election found that a majority of men aged 18-29 get their news there, and indeed have a better grasp of the facts than CNN watchers. You could trust the comedians.
Maybe not today, maybe not in 2008, but soon, who knows . . . Jon Stewart for president?