The New York Times reports that along with concerns about some of the guests booked to be on The Problem With Jon Stewart, Stewart’s intended discussions of artificial intelligence and China were a major concern for Apple. Though new episodes of the show were scheduled to begin shooting in just a few weeks, staffers learned today that production had been halted.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ahead of its decision to end The Problem, Apple approached Stewart directly and expressed its need for the host and his team to be “aligned” with the company’s views on topics discussed. Rather than falling in line when Apple threatened to cancel the show, Stewart reportedly decided to walk.
Props to Stewart for telling Apple to shove it, but this once again highlights that Apple and Tim Cook are nothing but propaganda mouthpieces for the Chinese Communist Party.
It would be one thing for apple to say John Stewart’s show doesn’t reflect apple’s values. But to actually take a hands on approach in censoring it is really ugly move for apple. On the plus side, maybe the show will get syndication elsewhere? I don’t have apple TV and haven’t been able to watch shows like this one.
As i understand the show it is mostly a mega rich person (Jon Stewart) telling the plebs how they should live their life.
I don’t watch his show but I’ve seen him on earlier shows and in interviews and he seems to be one of the good guys. I like this about him in particular, from the Wikipedia entry on him:
Seems like a really stand-up guy (no pun intended).
Not completely accurate as documented by Morgan. However…. the issue I’ve always had with him, is that his humor comes with exaggeration of the truth for comedic affect. Which is fine when you are talking about your own personal history or maybe every day things or ancient history or inconsequential things, but doing it with politics and current events to people who have low news iq has always rubbed me as very dangerous regardless of the political bent. I think many people who oppose his political stance studied him during his prime and replicated it for their own very different political goals. Not a fan at all. I think we’re overall worse off because of his work.
My comment below at 1:26pm was meant to be in reply to you but of course the broken comment system here flagged me as a robot for the millionth time and when it finally posted it was a top level comment. Sorry!
Jon Stewart isn’t remotely close to being “mega rich”, but that aside, what do you disagree with him on exactly? Term limits for supreme court justices? The real “mega rich” be it individual or corporation, paying their fair share in taxes? That citizens should have the same access to healthcare that congress does? That government and corporate surveillance of the people has gotten too invasive? That rape victims, especially those who are underage, should have the option of abortion?
Those are just a few bulletpoints… Curious which of those you are against.
Regarding his comedy vs his politics, from what I can see of late he separates the two. Here’s an excerpt from the show in question, where he is 100% serious and seems to be very patient with the circular logic employed by the senator he’s interviewing. I would have been fuming and at a loss for words at that senator’s blatant hypocrisy. And I say that as a supporter of 2nd Amendment rights (though with the firm belief that “well regulated” should be as strongly enforced as the rest of the law).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCuIxIJBfCY
“Apple and Tim Cook are nothing but propaganda mouthpieces for the Chinese Communist Party”
This has got to be one of the silliest things I’ve ever read. The CEO of the largest company in history, who oversees an empire of software, hardware, music, hell, even fashion, is “nothing but a propaganda mouthpiece” for China? Hyperbole much?
It’s fair to criticize Apple’s cozy relationship with China. But to imply they exist solely to further the cause of China – when we know these moves are primarily so they can expand their business in Asia – is irresponsible and anything but impartial.
Apple is no where near the largest in history. VoC, Mississippi Company and the east india companies was a LOT bigger. And so was standard oil, bell and many more. Today there are several state owned enterprises larger than apple. NHS comes to mind. and walmart is also larger in most aspects.
But i agree that the statement is hyperbolic and bordering on absurd either way.
here is a small chart to show the size of the VoC compared to the valuation of the top 20 listed companies. https://www.worldsfirststockexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/visualcapitalist_infographicVOC.jpg
The size of a company doesn’t directly equate to how far into people’s lives and to what degree people are politically and socially influenced by them. Who do you think has had more penetration in those areas, Standard Oil or Apple?
Uh oh, osnews vs osnews, this is how civil wars start. Which osnews faction will everyone choose?
(hopefully the edit button works for one of them 🙂 )
Except if China says “FU Apple” and shuts them out of the country? They are pretty much boned. 90% of all their products are made in the CCP and the reason they make such huge profit margins is because an iPhone 6 (the last one I could find hard data on) that cost over $700 in the states cost just $238 to make in China thanks in large part to their lax laws when it comes to pollution.
So just as Disney claims they are pro LGBT while removing gays and even editing out the African American in the Star wars posters showing in China so too will Cook bend down and kiss the ring to insure they can keep exploiting that cheap labor.
Remember the wise words of Thomas Jefferson “Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.”
I mean, its better than the Verge who refuse to post anything negative about Apple. Including this pretty significant news story.
rhetoric.sendmemoney,
Apple has a history of blacklisting reviewers with negative coverage. Such was steve job’s authoritarian nature. I don’t know if they still do it today, but blacklisting and whitelisting can seriously harm/help a reporter’s career when it comes to such covering popular companies.
https://www.cultofmac.com/255618/how-apples-blacklist-manipulates-the-press/
https://techaeris.com/2015/01/29/have-i-been-blacklisted-by-apple-possibly/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-prs-dirty-little-secret/
I don’t pay much attention to early apple coverage because the informational “spam to ham ratio” is so poor with the vast majority of early news cycle coverage merely echoing apple’s talking points and unverifiable cherry picked data designed for media consumption. Apple benefits very much from this pro-apple media storm. Some pro-apple coverage has merit, but consumers really don’t get the benefit of a full picture if they’re only seeing pro-apple coverage. This is why it is important to wait for 3rd party reviews, independent testing, etc and to avoid the marketing hype bias. I think one of the few topics to really burst through apple’s media grip has been the right to repair movement, their anti-repair tactics have been so egregious that even their talented PR departments have struggled to cover it up and spin the story in a pro-apple light.
Students in China and the US often turn to artificial intelligence to write essays, raising serious questions about the integrity and quality of education. As Jon Stewart said, it undermines intellectual integrity. I share these concerns and believe that relying on professional services like nursing essay writing is a more reliable way to get quality papers and develop your skills, which is more valuable in the long run.