According to the Tampa Bay Times, while performing in Florida on Saturday night, Jon Stewart “offered some serious messages, railing against cable TV news channels’ ‘outrage machine’ after noting the Catholic League boycotted him for a joke placing a manger between a woman’s legs.”
Stewart then said, “I’m not going to censor myself to comfort your ignorance.” The newspaper said this remark was made “in a rare moment of seriousness.”
Catholic League president Bill Donohue picked up on what Stewart said:
Nice to know the Catholic League is on Jon Stewart’s mind. Unfortunately for him, we’re going to hang around for weeks, contacting his sponsors and religious leaders from all the major religions. We’re sending them the “vagina manger” picture he is so proud of, asking everyone to pressure Comedy Central into getting Stewart to apologize.
We really don’t need to boycott anyone as the picture is so indefensible—putting a nativity scene ornament in between the legs of a naked woman—that no one save the maliciously sick would even try to defend it.
The good news is that Stewart lashed out at us in a serious moment—the e-mails that are pouring into Comedy Central are obviously getting to him. We’ll see who is branded as “ignorant” when our campaign is done.
Contact Comedy Central Communications head Steve Albani: steve.albani@cc.com
