I've never watched a full episode of The Daily Show, but if that program is as funny as the book penned by its host, then I have a new show to watch. This unfailingly sarcastic, alternate history of America, while wildly and intentionally inaccurate, hits upon a core truth of politics in America, that it is brutish, ugly, and, well, dumb.
With hilarious interjections from political figures like Thomas Jefferson and John Kerry, America is essentially a mock study guide to that nation's government. In acerbic detail, it lays out the basics of the Constitution, the branches of government, the positions of power and the ways that power is abused. No shortcoming of the American system is overlooked; after all, there's plenty of happy scorn to be flung about. All this is contained in some 200 pages of tight, hilarious history that will in no way prepare anyone for an election in America, but it certainly will prepare one for the ceaselessly inane thunderings of politicians and the pundits who judge them
There are times when we lose sight of just how ridiculous life has become in an age of 24/7 media. Mr. Stewart's effort may trivialize important issues, but if it gets just one person to crack open a real history of America, or if it gets just one person to stop caring about the pontifications of pandering politicians, then it has done good. (3/5 Stars)
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