Posted on Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 10:52 a.m.
'Daily Show' visits Ann Arbor for Shirvell / Armstrong controversy at University of Michigan
By Bob Needham
Jason Jones interviews Andrew Shirvell
from "The Daily Show"
The folks at "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" have taken on the situation of Andrew Shirvell, an assistant attorney general for the state of Michigan who has targeted Chris Armstrong, the University of Michigan student body president, whom he calls a "radical homosexual activist."
Shirvell has written an extreme anti-Armstrong blog and picketed the student. He has been banned from the U-M campus, and Armstrong recently began an effort to have him disbarred.
On "The Daily Show," "reporter" Jason Jones interviews Shirvell at some length, and he has some fun on the U-M campus, interacting with students.
Watch the full clip here:
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Comments
lisasimpson
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 11:40 a.m.
Love the clip! Thanks for posting the link with the article!
Steve
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 10:46 a.m.
Why do Shirvells parents not tell him to stop embarrassing their family by doing these interviews? He made a fool of himself when he went on Anderson Cooper 360 two weeks ago. Also I do think he needs to stop denying it and come out of the closet.
bedrog
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 9:50 a.m.
As funny as most of us seem to have found this 'interview', there was just a little item called a "mid term election' in which no small number of shirvellians got into office... I admit to not laughing that much right at the moment. But once the 'teaparty revolution' also fails to immediately usher in the millenium ( and has to take a good share of responsibilty for gridlock and other problems), in 2012 im sure i'll be laughing again.
Urban Sombrero
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 12:42 a.m.
Genius. Absolute genius. They didn't even have to try. They just opened the door and Shirvell just went right ahead and stuffed his foot down his own throat. It was glorious! Now, here's to hoping he gets removed from his position. Or, at the very least, resigns. On a side note, I think he's in denial. That's all I'm saying, lest I get deleted.
John
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 11:24 p.m.
Does Daily Show pay for interviews? Seriously, at his age he or his friends gotta know that the show is going to skewer him. Unless he's that delusional and and has no friends. Conceivable. Also possible that he's a complete attention ho and is willing to risk everything for it - like that woman who poured acid on her face. The more interesting question to me is whether, outside of the Isle of Ann Arbor - somewhere like Novi or Farmington - there are a bunch of Shirvell sympathizers. People who either agree with him or at least believe he's not getting a fair shake. No one could be that stupid, right?
Ram
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 10:26 p.m.
How does one "act like a gay nazi"? The Nazis killed homosexuals just as they did the Jewish people...this guy is crazy
joe average
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 9:58 p.m.
Good Gawd, Y'all!!! I laughed so loud at that segment ( I just finished watching it for a third time) I thought the neighbors were gonna' call the police on me! But seriously, folks, about the only thing for Andrew Shirvell to do at this point is to admit defeat, enlist in the Witless(sic)Protection Program, don some Groucho noseglasses and move to Saskatchewan and start over. The man is a rube. P.S. TO MIKE COX: After watching this clip, I would like to know the procedure for obtaining a refund on every single cent of my tax dollars used for the purpose of interviewing, hiring, and maintaining the employment of this man.
A2
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 8:03 p.m.
Great stuff.. Sounds to be like he jealous of Chris' "boyfriends" LOL..
True_Wolverine_Fan
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 7:09 p.m.
This Andrew Shirvell guy is such a moron. How did he get a job with Cox? Seriously, how?
Sparky79
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 6:31 p.m.
If you watched the opening segment of last night's show you would have seen perfectly how Stewart pokes fun at both sides of the isle, from Clinton trying to get Meeks to drop out of the Florida race so people will vote for Crist (who has never done anything for the Democrats) to Fox News spinning Obama's comment about Republicans having to sit in the back (watch the full clip they show and he's talking about a car) and repeatedly claiming he said "bus" and that there's racial overtones, even though did not such thing. Then they dig up a clip of Michael Steele saying "back of the bus," minus, of course, any Fox outcry there. Oops. That's the stuff that makes The Daily Show so brilliant. Like others, I totally wish the "real" news stations would put in the time and effort his research staff does to pull out the old clips that make politicians and others look so dumb for what they say and are trying to do. Some people claim The Daily Show is "fake" news, yet, time and time again they are the only ones who expose the hypocrisy among political figures and media coverage. For those who have never seen the show, just watch this segment on the Republicans new "Pledge to America" they announced back in September. This is EXACTLY the kind of reporting you WON'T see on the other news channels, but that viewers should see. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-23-2010/postcards-from-the-pledge
David Briegel
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 6:07 p.m.
bed rog, Crazy Love! YES!! Alice, from a non-believer, GOD this is grreeeaaatt! WendyO, not to quibble but Websters has a different slant. Personally, I think a person who knows better, yet says and does something that they know isn't accurate or true in order to manipulate or deceive others. Like FAUX News.
Speechless
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 6 p.m.
Cox's assistant A.G. deserves a proper distinction for his advance from local news phenomenon into the field of mass entertainment. Thus it's now time for someone with a musical ear and the relevant software skills to "auto-tune" Shirvell. Put his on-the-record statements on the record, so to speak, and lower the needle. Set his militant prose to musical voice, much like in the remake of Christine O'Donnell's bewitching campaign ad. Then relax to an uplifitng melody in stereo while sipping hot tea poured from a tricorn hat.
A2liveandwork
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 5:51 p.m.
Why is this idiot still in his position and why are my tax dollars going into his wallet? This fool should not be in such a position within our government. This just makes me want to move out of this State even more.
bedrog
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 4:35 p.m.
the only thing that would have improved that 'interview' would have been a soundtrack of van morrison's 'crazy love'.
jameslucas
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 3:01 p.m.
The Daily Show is the greatest TV show ever.
My2bits
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:59 p.m.
Shirvell was a graduate of Tom Monahan's Ave Maria Law School. Glad to be rid of that institution. (Help for the non-liberals out there: I said institution, not school or something else, because we liberals are capable of things like double entendres. Yes, liberals ARE smarter than conservatives and funnier too.)
A2
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:54 p.m.
just think our tax dollars pay him.. we are one lucky state..
Barb
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:49 p.m.
Jason Jones was perfect for this, too.
David Briegel
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:47 p.m.
Shirvell just has "faith" that he is right. HE believes, so it must be so. Reality does not exist for him. starzone, the difference is that Stewart knows he is poking fun at both sides while RepublicanTV FAUX News cynically fakes the "unfair and unbalanced" part! trace, I truly think the BBC is an excellent news source. annarborguy, great analogy. Amy, excellent post! Verbally sodomized indeed!
pooh bear
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:46 p.m.
doesn't anyone think Shirvell is in the corner of the closet? It's so obvious that I can't believe no one has brought it up. He's just one sick puppy in love.
julieswhimsies
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:36 p.m.
Classic and priceless!
a2miguy
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:23 p.m.
This is CLASSIC. Shirvell gets verbally sodomized and doesn't even realize it.
amazonwarrior
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:19 p.m.
This is really kind of sad...I don't think Andrew Shirvell had a clue that he was being "had" in this interview. Hopefully, he's learned to keep his mouth shut in the future.
wendyo
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:17 p.m.
@StarZone: there is a vast difference between cynical and sarcastic. Cynicism is a form of hopelessness/helplessness and sarcasism is simply pointing out the absurd, but not necessarily with the resigned sigh of futility that accompanies cynicism. The Daily Show falls into the sarcasm camp. Bill Maher is a cynic.
Carolyn
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:13 p.m.
Daily Show rules...
Marvin Face
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 2:13 p.m.
One of these days I'm going to have to watch an episode of the Daily Show just to see what all the fuss is about.
ann_arbor_guy
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 1:51 p.m.
This is so sickening, the assistant attorney general is committing cyber-bullying verbatim from the Michigan law that he is in charge of enforcing, pathetic. This reminds me of the south when police officers would be involved in lynching's, it's disgusting.
Forever27
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 1:43 p.m.
Thank you Ed, that was exactly what I was referring to.
Amy Lesemann
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 1:29 p.m.
I get my news from a variety of sources...but only The Daily Show puts in the time to back and find the damning quotes, from both liberals and conservatives (although, true, mostly conservatives) and lets them hang themselves by their own hypocrisy. Most news shows are too lazy or are in bed with the people they purport to cover, to show the contradictions in statement after statement made by politicos. It's not just funny...it's providing a lot of painful truths. And if you're not cynical by now, you haven't been paying attention.
David Briegel
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 1:27 p.m.
My comedy channel is FAUX News and my news channel is Comedy Central! Reality Has A Distinctly Liberal Bias! Who wouldn't be cynical about the best govt money can buy? Everyone should have to listen to Stewarts closing speech at The Rally To Restore Sanity. Or you could always just keep fear alive!
Forever27
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 1:10 p.m.
@Starzone, what you fail to mention is that, on average, viewers of the Daily Show are more "politically informed" than non-viewers. Granted, there is a heightened sense of cynicism on that show, it is satire, but that doesn't mean that it is biased.
trace_effect
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 1:08 p.m.
Starzone, he has no reason to do that, he has stated time and time again that it is satire. It is up to people to not be silly and get news from a variety of sources. (I personally think the BBC is the best source).
StarZone
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 12:48 p.m.
It's pretty sad if folks consider the Daily Show news. I like the program as much as the next person, but the actual news presented is rather dismal. And academic research has shown those who watch the Daily Show more frequently are consistently more cynical about public affairs. Not that there is no reason to be cynical, but for a show that attacks the other news sources as biasing the news and thus individuals, John Stewart should recognize his show biases individuals as well.
bs
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 12:41 p.m.
The irony here is that the interviewer didn't have to work very hard.. Shirvell is, really, his own worst enemy.
dotdash
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 12:38 p.m.
Wow. That is a painful way to learn how the world sees you. No one delivers a public thrashing like The Daily Show.
Alice
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 12:30 p.m.
God, this is great. And people wonder why I get most of my news from The Daily Show.
topher
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 12:20 p.m.
Why would he agree to do this?! Didn't any who knows Andrew Shirvell tell him what a bad idea it is for him to be interviewed by the Daily Show? Anyway I thought that was hilarious. Always good stuff from the Daily Show!
Corey
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 11:40 a.m.
This clip was great. I love the part where he denies what cyber-bullying is and the interviewer pulled it right of the AG's website.
bedrog
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 11:34 a.m.
great stuff in the spirit of sasha baron cohen....wisdom through wit. There are others in town who would also be wonderful fodder for this approach.