Late Night: Jon Stewart slams NBC for cutting tribute to terror victims

July 31, 2012

<p>Add Jon Stewart to the growing chorus of critics <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-0731-olympics-nbc-20120731,0,166521.story">displeased with NBC’s coverage of the London Olympic games</a>. He opened Monday night’s “Daily Show” with a segment blasting the network’s decision to edit a moving tribute to the victims of the 7/7 London bombings out of the opening ceremony, only to replace it with Ryan Seacrest’s singularly pointless interview with swimming champ Michael Phelps.</p><p>Stewart praised the ceremonies, conceived by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, as an “incredible, cheeky at times, poignant spectacle,” but was infuriated by NBC’s insensitive editing of them. Noting that the network commemorates 9/11 by actually replaying its own coverage of the attack, Stewart expressed dismay: “You wouldn’t air a six-minute tribute to the <em>rest</em> of the world’s terrorist victims because the world’s most overexposed land mammal had a chance to speak to the world’s most overexposed water-based mammal. Why would you do that?”</p></div></div><div class="float" style="clear:both;height:1px;line-height:1px;"><img src="/images/pixel.gif" height="1" width="1" alt="" /></div><div id="mod-ctr-lt-in-top" class="mod-latarticlesadcpc mod-adcpc with-fourth-cpc"><script type="text/javascript"> var adSkipCounter = 0; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var loc = window.location.href + ""; var float = ""; google_hints = "jon stewart london bombings tribute";google_ad_client="pub-0227802054925200"; google_ad_output="js"; google_ad_channel="5212128158,6138855783,8321278795,8261105409"; google_ad_type="text"; google_image_size="300x250"; google_safe="high"; google_feedback="on"; google_max_num_ads="2"; google_skip="" + adSkipCounter + ""; google_adtest="off"; google_page_url=document.URL; function google_ad_request_done(ads) { if (ads.length == 0) { return; } // If no ads are returned then dont build the ad block if (ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { adSkipCounter += ads.length; } // Increment ad skip counter when cpc google_ad_request_done_internal(ads, "", "", "true", "medium_rectangle", "", "", "pgtp=article&pi=34&ci=32965755&cat=arts+%26+entertainment&pe_id=32965755&tv=ap-LA12-G02&rna=pub-0227802054925200&rn=g&rnrci=5212128158&rnrcn=CMI-A-002&rncci=6138855783&rnccn=CMI-A-009&rnpci=&rnpcn=&rntci=&rntcn=&rnlci=8261105409&rnlcn=8261105409&rnp=c&rt=cpc&paidClick=1&placement_id=ctr-lt-in-top", "", "", "", "", "", "ap-LA12-G02", "Los Angeles Times Articles"); } //]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/google_ad_request.js.php"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script></div><div id="mod-a-body-after-first-para" class="mod-latarticlesarticletextwithadcpc mod-latarticlesarticletext mod-articletext"><p>NBC issued a meek defense, saying that “our program is tailored for the U.S. television audience,” prompting Stewart to joke that the chronically ratings-challenged network doesn’t actually know how to tailor programming to an American audience. (Cue logos of struggling or canceled shows like “Smash” and “Harry’s Law.”)</p><p>Stewart also offered some suggestions to NBC in their ongoing efforts to Americanize the games. “Why not just go all the way?” he wondered. “Just give us the all-LeBron parade.” And that sequence with James Bond and the queen? Why not trade 007 for Rambo and replace her majesty with “American royalty,” like Ronald McDonald?</p><p>Please, Jon. Don’t give NBC any more ideas. </p><p><p style="text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><strong>RELATED</strong>:</p><p><p style="text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-stephen-colbert-mitt-romney-london-olympics-20120727,0,618412.story">Stephen Colbert mocks Mitt's London Olympics gaffe</a></p><p><p style="text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-olympic-ratings-20120730,0,1565984.story">London 2012: NBC breaks TV ratings records, irritates fans</a></p><p><p style="text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-0731-olympics-nbc-20120731,0,166521.story">NBC sets London Olympics record despite angry tweets</a></p><p><p style="text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><strong>Follow Meredith Blake on Twitter<a href="http://www.latimes.com/twitter.com/MeredithBlake"> @MeredithBlake</a></strong></p><p>   <h2>MORE OLYMPICS NEWS</h2>   <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-a-century-of-olympic-posters-pictures,0,4287550.photogallery"> <img src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-500b1a27/turbine/la-et-cm-a-century-of-olympic-posters-pictures-thumbnail/187/16x9" alt="Photos: A Century of Olympic Posters"> </a>  <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-a-century-of-olympic-posters-pictures,0,4287550.photogallery"> <p>PHOTOS: 'A Century of Olympic Posters'</p><p></a>   <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/ca-olympics-moments-pictures,0,4933047.photogallery"> <img src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-4fbd5bc9/turbine/ca-olympics-moments-pictures-thumbnail/187/16x9" alt="Olympic Games TV moments worth remembering"> </a>  <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/ca-olympics-moments-pictures,0,4933047.photogallery"> <p>PHOTOS: Olympic Games TV moments worth remembering</p><p></a>   <a href="http://graphics.latimes.com/towergraphic-london-olympics-your-tv-guide/"> <img src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-5011ebb2/turbine/la-et-st-graphic-london-olympics-your-tv-watching-guide-sl/187/16x9" alt="Graphic 2012 London Olympics on TV"> </a>  <a href="http://graphics.latimes.com/towergraphic-london-olympics-your-tv-guide/"> <p>London Olympics: Your TV-watching guide</a> | <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-2012-london-olympics-on-tv-20120719,0,6393329.story">Schedule</a></p><p></a> .</p><p></div><div id="mod-a-body-after-first-para-ad-cpc" class="mod-adcpc"> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var loc = window.location.href + ""; 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