DVD Review

by Brian Everstine & r & The Daily Show: Indecision 2004 -- Ah, election season -- the time of mud-slinging, constant campaigning and those wonderful and "truthful" 527 ads. We all fondly remember the great Kerry-Bush race of just a few months ago. OK, so maybe we don't. Thanks to those sarcastic satirists over at The Daily Show, though, we can relive the election over and over again.


With The Daily Show With Jon Stewart -- Indecision 2004, the comedy show takes a swipe at packaged, marketable television, and with perfect comic timing. Just as many of us have begun to forget November, Jon Stewart & amp; Co. come back to rip the scab off and force us to laugh at it.


This three-disc set includes four episodes on the Democratic National Convention, four on the Republican National Convention, and a bonus disc which features election night and debate coverage, correspondent reports and a few extras.


Disc two figured to be the pinnacle of the set, because it has what The Daily Show does best, bashing those on the right side of the aisle. Highlights of their coverage of the RNC include speeches by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (the great "economic girly men" line) and Sen. Zell Miller (including his challenging Chris Matthews to a duel on MSNBC's Hardball). But it is disc three, however, that proves to be the best, mostly because it contains the great correspondent reports that helped make the show famous along with some hilarious bonus features. These include the debate and election night coverage, plus the hysterical "Daily Show Rock Presents - Midterm Elections" (an outlandish yet fairly realistic take on midterm elections), a rousing rendition of the national anthem performed by the correspondents and finally, best of all, the "Skiff Boat Oarsmen for Veracity" 527 ad, a hilarious spoof on the infamous "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" -- except this time, the target of the attacks is the Father of Our Country, George Washington.


This set is a must-have for anyone who likes comedy, but it is truly a diamond in the rough for those of a political mindset. When they recall last November, Democrats usually start crying; thanks to TDS, however, you can't help but laugh. With Indecision 2004, Jon Stewart and his team prove, once again, that The Daily Show is the smartest show on television.