Why Today’s Show has more power than the rest of media

Here’s a perfect example of how comedy can quickly turn in to something profound, powerful, and courageous. As some of you know, last week the Swiss government voted to ban minarets. For the whole background of that story, read the entry here. Basically, it’s an architectural structure that are usually built on or near the Mosques. Switzerland only has four today with a population a little more than 4%.

Per norm for Today’s Show, they discuss it, sometimes they do a little of satire with just the actors and writers within the show itself. And then sometimes they go out and interview some relevant people. In this case, it was Switzerland’s UN Ambassador Peter Maure.

It starts a comedy act, but it quickly gets serious and as every Jew, Gypsy, and Homosexual knows, Switzerland’s (not to mention Sweden’s and Norway’s) neutrality on foreign policy has been historically full of warm pile of feces. I won’t get in to it too much here, but here’s the video and a quick transcript of when it really gets good.

OLIVER: How hard was it to remind neutral during World War II?

MAURER: Well, I think this is always a debate and I think we do make a clear distinction between our neutrality as an instrument of foreign policy and what we think as individuals and what the country thinks.

OLIVER: But then, the neutrality issue seems complicated. Now obviously, Hitler did some very bad things, we know that. How do you focus on the positive things to balance that out?

MAURER: It’s not a question of positive. It’s a question of our neutrality has always been a state-driven concept of not participating in war.

OLIVER: Was there not just a little voice of humanity inside you saying this is terrible, we should really do something about it?

MAURER: As a question of principle, it’s unadvisable for a country as small as ours to participate in war. Why should we?
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OLIVER: So: Easy to take a position on neutrality, hard to take a position on Hitler.

MAURER: We did take strong positions on Hitler and many other things. We didn’t participate in the war. That’s two different things.

OLIVER: [imitating Hitler] “Would it be possible for me to keep my gold here?” [Imitating the Swiss] “Ah, Adolf! Of course! Lovely to see you again. Come back in! What have you been up to? Actually, don’t tell me, I want to be able to say I don’t know.”

[uncomfortable pause]

OLIVER: Is this neutral anger, or real anger, Mr. Ambassador?

The facial expression on Maurer was priceless to me. The interview is what should be the real standard of confrontational, and yet professional, standards across of our media. I am just a bit chagrined that a comedy show is leading the way.