Oz is a proven fraud & snake oil salesman. He long ago renounced any pretense of medical ethics in a quest for fortune & fame. Then he continued his shameless power grab by running for a Senate seat from a state where he does not live.
He insists that any pregnant individual consult with local political leaders before making a decision about how they handle a pregnancy which has run into a problem. This is wrong on all counts. Reproductive decisions are as private a personal matter as there is. These decisions are properly left to the patient, their physician, & anyone else they wish to involve. Oz fails to grasp this. This demonstrates how totally out-of-touch this guy is.
Oz makes himself fodder for comedians by saying & doing so many stupid things (crudites, anyone?). Every bit of ridicule he receives is well earned.
If Oz doesn't like being made fun of, maybe he shouldn't be running for the US Senate from PA. Fetterman's stroke is no more of a disqualification for a Senate hopeful than is Oz's dishonesty & lack of compassion. I have no hesitation about rejecting my fellow physician in favor of a better qualified lay person.
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This feature is a good idea and I don't even mind that some of the late night hosts take repetitious shots at the same people, but more often than not they are just unpardonably not funny. If they delivered this level of material in a club, they would be booed off the stage. My modest proposal for improving this coverage is get a small panel of comedians that aren't reliant on being booked on these shows (many don't need them any more with podcasts and NetFlix, etc) and don't do a lot of political material in their acts and run their take anonymously on whether the host hit the mark or not and run it below the monologue comment or at the top of the reader comments. If nothing else it will force these shows away from catering to political viewpoint audiences that tune in to a show because the host mirrors MSNBC, CNN and their Fox addictions and reinforces them.
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What bothers me about Colbert and all the other late -night "comedians" is that they're essentially apologists for the Democrats , and guaranteed . Republican bashing. I wish someone would keep track . Won't be me because I never watch them.
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@MAS If the republicans weren't promoting so many wacky candidates like Oz, who wants local politicians to have a say in women's health decisions, and Hershel Walker, who says he's against abortions, but seems to lead the pack in having his former girlfriends getting such procedures, the late night talk hosts wouldn't be cracking jokes about republicans. If candidates from the other party had such characters running for office, the late night hosts would also roast them. Colbert thinks it's hilarious putting on aviator sunglasses and imitating Pres. Biden.
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The US public arena is hardly symmetrical. Democrats make plenty of goofs, and the funny ones do get laughed at on late night TV political comedy.
But the problem (for "conservatives") is that these are comedy entertainment shows. And Biden is not as ridiculous as Trump. Hillary is not as ridiculous as Palin. Harris is not as ridiculous as Pence. Obama is not as ridiculous as Walker. The entire Squad of 4 together is not as ridiculous as MTG or Lauren Boebert on their own. Pelosi is not as ridiculous as Pillow Guy. Etc. etc. etc.
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Being as you never watch them, you have no clue as to how often they make fun of Democrats, so you feel justified in never watching them because you think they're too biased to make fun of Democrats.
Of course, this is not at all limited to TV shows or conservatives, it's how most people generally decide what to try and what not to try. But it still doesn't prove anything, in any case.
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Alas, the "best of late night" is not very good at all, and the main reason is the relentless focus on Democrat talking points, ridicule and cancellation.
Colbert was mildly funny until he decided to be himself, and now he is just another insufferable woke bore.
Will The Times review the Fox News late night offering, Greg Gutfield, who is reportedly destroying Colbert et al in the ratings? Why not?
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@Jorge I agree that Colbert is not funny, and your reason why is spot on. But--Gutfield is even worse. His comedy stylings are sour and cynical, with kind of a bitter undertone. I get that he has a message that people want to hear, but he's not funny.
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You thought Colbert was funny when he was doing a straight-faced devastating parody of conservatism, but now that he's just a guy making jokes about conservatism, he's too woke to be funny?
That's not the criticism of wokeness you apparently think it is
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So Oz wants to put a political operative (I imagine male) in every woman's doctor appointment. How about the men? (I'm for equality) A pol (female) in every urologist's office to control the Viagra prescription?
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@Marguerite
Although Oz said it wrong, he was making the obvious point that after SCOTUS overturned the constitutional right to abortion, it is now up to states and local officials to make the rules about when a state's duty to protect human life outweighs a biological woman's right of bodily autonomy.
I supported the old Roe / Casey rule -- viability, and the undue burden test -- but now local politicians will have to resolve this fraught balancing test.
But you are welcome to patrol my viagra intake if you like.
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Oz was referring to Pennsylvania’s majority right wing GOP legislature. This is a very serious matter in this state. It will be really bad for women’s health in Pennsylvania if Oz gets elected. It will also be bad if you are on Medicare and social security. Oz will vote with the other GOP in the Senate and House who want to cut these programs that heavily impact most working and middle class people.
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@Therese
Majoritarian democracy is the only authentic form of democracy, we are told almost daily.
I refer to "progressive" moves to abolish the filibuster in order to compel revolutionary change, based on the slimmest majorities, to add DC and Puerto Rico as states, in order to cement D power, to abolish the electoral college, in order to deliver power to D states on the coasts.
Yep, majority rules, except when it results in a political incorrect policy....
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@Jorge
A 60-vote voting requirement is no one’s idea of a “majoritarian democracy.” It is precisely what allows a minority of the Senate to prevent the majority from accomplishing anything the minority opposes for the sole reason of denying credit to the majority party. That should be obvious to everyone by now
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Nothing to ponder. He made it clear that it is a local decision engaging state legislators, medical doctors and voters. The way American democracy was designed.
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@Crewsin
Nope, state legislators have no business in my body. Doctors and voters which is me. Not any politicians, I don't care if they are local, state or federal. It is my right to privacy. Not anyone else's.
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@firlfriend They have business with my body if my body shoots someone on the street.
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@Crewsin Apples and Pears - your comparison is ridiculous.
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Can I just say that Trevor Noah's segment on the rescue rats was TOP NOTCH! I laughed so hard I almost choked. Thanks Trevor for starting my days with lots of smiles. I am going out today to see if I can purchase a rescue rat!
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Whenever the media or comedians talk/write about John Fetterman and Oz running for the senate seat, they highlight Fetterman's what may be a temporary handicap and compare it to Oz's campaign talking points. There is little to no attention paid to Fetterman's talking points. That really smacks of handicap discrimination. Under the ADA, Fetterman can be routinely accommodated without interference with his work performance. At least Fetterman will be able to fully function, compared to Oz who will support whatever the GOP power and corporate flavors of the month are.
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I would rather vote for someone with a health issue that can be managed and improved upon (a stroke) than for someone with idiotic political (and health) views that have no potential for getting better.
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@KPS Why aren't folks more honest....it's either the flawed Dems or the no-longer-kidding insurrectionists. You can vote to continue to muddle along, or to allow a minority to take over and turn this place into a christian theocracy with a dash of corporate ownership.
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@Casey No one is honest when it comes to staying in power. I am saddened by the shortsightedness of so many Americans. Do they really think that gas prices will do down overnight if Congress turns red? The problem is the answer - yes, yes they do.
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@Casey
Actually, if the Dems were in power, good things would be accomplished. But the Republicans use the filibuster like a weapon simply to prevent having to give credit to the Dems for accomplishing anything worthwhile. So much for majority rule. And when a matter is not subject to the filibuster, the Republicans run roughshod over reason and ethics, as they did twice with Supreme Court vacancies, using false flags and hypocrisy as their weapons.
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No one should have to discuss health care with their local political leaders or comedian Stephen Colbert.
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@Peter Barone
Thank you for explaining that to us, Pete.
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@Peter Barone Which politicians advocate that people should have to discuss health care with Stephen Colbert? Even Colbert himself has never suggested such a thing. What is your point?
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I’m a woman and I personally don’t believe in abortion. But what I strongly believe is that this issue has nothing to do with anyone but a woman and her doctor. End of discussion.
It’s outrageous to think politicians should be involved. They can’t even take care of issues on their table like immigration and inflation and crime.
I don’t care which politicians are for or against abortion. There is no other medical procedure that is anyone else’s business but this. We must stand together and remove it from any state’s power to allow or prohibit.
I agree it wasn’t a constitutional right. It’s a medical right that has no business even being discussed. And why doesn’t HIPPA apply here?
The Times should do a poll of its readers to see how many want this eliminated either for or against but have it put back in the doctor’s office where it belongs.
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@Theresa’s It's "HIPAA."
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@Theresa’s I believe HIPAA covers individuals' health records and disclosures. The politicians are passing laws and policies pertaining to the general public. It may become a privacy issue if they start demanding individuals' medical records.
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@Theresa’s What, pray tell, is a "medical right"?
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