Earlier this summer, Jezebel ran a story that cherry-picked a few quotes here and there, basically saying that these quotes were “proof” of The Daily Show’s “woman problem.” Basically, Jezebel’s Irin Carmon was calling Jon Stewart specifically and The Daily Show generally sexist because female “correspondents” have a short shelf life on TDS. While it would be nice to see more women on TDS, I don’t think Jon Stewart is sexist in any way shape or form. Just my opinion. Anyway, the story came just as TDS had hired – on a trial basis – a new girl, Olivia Munn. Munn is an actress, “comedienne” and “personality” who is very popular with some dudes because she is seen as “hot.” Mainly her “hotness” comes from the fact that she has never met a camera she couldn’t strip for. Such it is with her new GQ profile, which just came out. Before I even looked at the photos, I skimmed this brief interview, and I was kind of disgusted:
Before this summer, Olivia Munn was best known as co-host of G4’s Attack of the Show!, a gig that demanded a knowledge of gaming nerdery and a willingness to tongue-bathe an iPhone. But now Munn will appear both on NBC’s Perfect Couples and as the newest correspondent on The Daily Show.
The latter prompted some—including this writer—to wonder whether she’d proven her comedic chops to be TDS-ready, igniting a heated women-in-comedy debate, with Munn as the central talking point. (Her reaction: “I took a nap.”)
So how did she win over America’s boyfriend? In part, with a Holocaust quip.
“When we met, Jon mentioned being Jewish, and I asked, ‘The Holocaust—did it really happen?’ ” she recalls. “I mean, clearly it happened, but that’s my sense of humor, and it showed I could joke in that Daily Show way.”
Now that she’s moved on to political satire, does this mean the chocolate-pudding jumps are over? Munn concedes: “If someone got all the chocolate pudding in L.A., I might still dip a toe in.” Angelenos, quick, get ye to a Safeway.
[From GQ]
Now THIS makes me think that Jon Stewart is sexist. Because he would hire this girl who seems to think she’s “funny” if she says something inappropriate while taking off her top. Also: that has to be the worst Holocaust joke ever. Need a good Holocaust joke? Call Ricky Gervais. Olivia reminds me of both Jenny McCarthy and Sarah Silverman – but only the worst parts. This is how McCarthy got her start – she would take off her clothes and make fart jokes. That’s “funny” right? And Sarah Silverman because SS thinks that making awkward, ill-timed, “political” jokes equals hilarity. So why did Jon hire her? Is this affirmative action for unfunny morons who happen to be women? There are some truly talented female comedians out there, and it sucks that they’re not getting this job because Olivia’s got her tits out.
GQ photos courtesy of GQ.
Samantha Bee in a pudding match with Olivia Munn? That’s what Jon Stewart has in mind.
If the rest of the women on The Daily Show were hot and half naked, I’d wonder, but they are not. I’ve seen a lot of male and female correspondents come and go over the years. I doubt it has anything to do with Jon being sexist. Maybe he gave her a chance and she just sucked. I can see him laughing at her joke. It sounds very Stephen Colbert and he got his start on TDS.
I saw an interview where she complains about being asked to strip all the time – yet she still does it. She won’t have anything to offer once no one wants to look at her body anymore.
She’s going to be on the season premiere of “Chuck”, and I’m really mad about that.
Ugh that’s what i think of Olivia. But I am forced to watch G4 every one in awhile and i think she comes across better on TV than in print. On Attack of the Show, she does seem kind of fun and very cute. But when i see her in photos or in print she seems dull and generic, she is one of those girls whose personality is need in convincing you of her appeal. She has that host type feel to her which is why i think i don’t buy her as an actress. But the whole “I am just a hot geeky girl gamer” is starting to become very cliche.
Who cares if she is smart—— look at her!
My main problem is that Samantha Bee set the bar so high with her humor and class, and Olivia Mun cannot compare. She is annoying, and her segments on the Daily show are extremely unfunny. I don’t want to believe that Jon Stewart is sexist, but there is no other plausible explanation for her hiring. The Holocaust joke is offensive and it shows what her idea of funny is.
This was pretty much a pointless story. She made a dumb joke but I don’t see writing a whole article bashing her because of it but I guess that’s why I’m not a writer. lol. Eh whatever.
Totally boring. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
@sumodo! I would put $50 on Samantha Bee in that match up- more if I had it.
Waits for the punchline …
Obviously she’s not UNattractive but I don’t see what’s so special about her. She certainly doesn’t stand out in a crowd of other attractive women.
“Olivia reminds me of both Jenny McCarthy and Sarah Silverman – but only the worst parts.”
THANK YOU for summarizing so neatly why I can’t stand OM. She was a “guest host” for a week on a local morning radio show a while back, and she was an obnoxious idiot. But nobody seems to care, because she shows her tits when the wind blows the right way. Sigh. I hope her stint on The Daily Show is short-lived.
The bottom line is that the women on TDS are just not as funny as the guys. And Olivia Munn isn’t going to be anything new.
Comically. Big. Head.
Olivia Munn’s face is extremely unfortunate. She’s meh to say the least! And I don’t find her funny at all.
I never thought about how male dominated The Daily Show is. I just get engrossed in the stories and Jon Stewart owning other morons in the media.
As far as this woman goes I have never heard of her or seen her work. So when she makes her debut on The Daily Show then I will judge.
I love John I really do but comics are an infamous boys club and funny women are shunned. OM is so not up to the Daily Show standards. So it does seem to be affirmative action at its very worst.
@Whatever: Colbert did not get his start on the Daily Show.
I don’t find it sexist for them to hire her at all. I think she’s relatively attractive and she has that frat boy, slightly offensive humor that The Daily Show is known for. She’s found her comedy niche.
The Daily Show has a revolving door of correspondents. They seem to get a trial period and if it doesn’t work out, it just doesn’t work out. I think they have to fit the tenor of the show. I think she fits in well. I think she’s funny.
But then again, I’ve never felt threatened by the “guy’s girl”, which she seems to be.
Yeah.. totally lame. As you say, totally falls into the ‘hot chick’ who thinks she’s funny. McCarthy and Silverman were never funny… Chelsea Handler falls into that category, although I don’t think she’s hot in the slightest…but SHE does. These ‘hotties’ believe they can say anything, and it’ll be considered hilarious, just because it’s coming out of the mouth of an attractive woman. The political equivelant would be Sarah Palin…
I don’t really even know who she is. Is she considered pretty? Really? IDK, she looks to me to be a strip-mall version of Megan Fox. Meh.
I thought they hired her because she is racially ambiguous. The DS episode I saw her in really played on that. Once that joke was over, she wasn’t needed anymore. And don’t they always “test” people first? If the audience has a good response to them, then they are invited back. If not, we never see them again.
Meh. Maybe TDS has more male correspondents because male comedians are just typically much more funny than their female counterparts. Sad, but very true. I’ve found countless male comedians hilarious, but less than 3 female comedians have even made me laugh out loud. And for that matter, I don’t know why all of you seem to think the sun shines out of Samantha Bee’s ass; she’s a snore and a half. It’s not that women aren’t funny, it’s just that they may not be the best fit for the comedy business.
I actually kind of like Olivia Munn, but I’m also clueless as to why she got this job. My guess, though, is because she has a huge, HUGE 18-24 year old male following, and that’s kind of what TDS wants isn’t it?
I don’t feel any shame whatsoever in admitting that I would hit that so many times all that would come out of me on the last go would be a little flag that said “bang” and a puff of dust.
She brings in the male demographic that Jon Stewart wants for his show. To me, it is unfortunate that she took that sexually provocative route rather than just being funny and quirky. She spends half her time in skimpy outfits and acting like an idiot. I’ve seen her website she makes mean spirited jokes. I don’t find her humour funny but rather like high school girl bitchiness.
I find it hard to believe that he’s racist and this chic will definately suck the fun out of watching the show. She’s a dumb twit; I’m hoping that there’a a really good reason behind this because I doubt he’ll submit to PC
i don’t think the question here should be if jon stewart is sexist, but rather, if the daily show is a boys club and whether or not there are any female WRITERS.
btw, since olivia munn is so incredibly unfunny and will only pose in magazines if she’s scantily clad, i think they hired her for her sex, for her sex appeal. so, the TDS is trying to show that they are inclusive but get a major FAIL in my book by falling into the same trap: we’ll put a woman on our show as long as she’s nice to look at and won’t say anything of value or thought-provoking nature.
i like the daily show, and the way they can combat their sexism is to hire more samantha bees. i don’t think jon stewart is sexist persay, but i think he had a say in this choice and didn’t really think it through.
I don’t know enough about Jon Stewart to comment on whether or not I think he particularly is sexist, but I CAN tell you that a show thrives on ratings and this girl is popular. Plain and simple. Yes, wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone had integrity and hired only the ugliest, funniest, most intelligent individuals out there even though they knew it would mean their show would tank. All in the name of INTEGRITTTTY!!
It’s entertainment, people. Jon Stewart is *not* a politician, much as many of us wish he was, and this vehicle is his livelihood. Lighten up.
Yet another reason to skip Stewart and watch Colbert.
One of the funniest things I have ever seen is when Sam B. walked about some big time political convention asking folks if they had tried DC’s famous ‘Hot Carl’, some actually said they had and said it was ‘wonderful’ not sure if they were lying or not (yuk). Others said no they had not so she directed them to a cab driver and said ‘just tell them you really want a ‘Hot Carl’ and they will know just where to take you.’
“On Attack of the Show, she does seem kind of fun and very cute.”
really? I totally disagree…I think it’s because of her behavior on that show that I despise her so much.
“But the whole “I am just a hot geeky girl gamer” is starting to become very cliche.”
and that’s, I think, why I despise her. I think her whole shtick is “look at me, nerdy gamers! I’m a hot girl who likes video games!” and, no offense because I have seen hot female gamers, but most of them are pretty average…or even unattractive, so she’s sort of a novelty for most guy gamers.
“Obviously she’s not UNattractive but I don’t see what’s so special about her. She certainly doesn’t stand out in a crowd of other attractive women.”
that’s it, right there. amongst gaming women, she’s hot, no doubt about it. but amongst the general pop? not so much.
“the TDS is trying to show that they are inclusive but get a major FAIL in my book by falling into the same trap: we’ll put a woman on our show as long as she’s nice to look at”
off-topic, but this is EXACTLY why sarah palin was selected, imo. the GOP knew it was losing the female vote, and when Hillary Clinton lost the primary, they figured a woman, ANY woman, would pull the Hillary voters over to their side.
just goes to show that chauvinism is alive and well, in all walks of life.
@Ohforf: LOL!!
Love the comparison of Munn vs. McCarthy vs. Silverman.
Maybe I’m just bitter because my pretend lover Chris Pine dated her, but I do not care for this woman. Watching Olivia Munn on TDS was painful. She doesn’t have the deadpan delivery necessary to carry off the interview segments. To do this successfully you’ve got to be willing to look like a complete ass, whereas Munn just wants us to look AT her ass.
I don’t think Jon Stewart is sexist. The work environment at The Daily Show may not be female-friendly (in manner of SNL, pre-Tina Fey), and there are too few women correspondents, but Stewart doesn’t make sexist jokes. He has on a lot of intelligent, powerful female guests, to whom he is always gracious and respectful.
On a sidenote: I really hope Jason Jones stops knocking up Samantha Bee. No more mat leaves, Sam, TDS needs you. Desperately.
I don’t know who she is, but ostensibly this interview took place in order to hype her move to TDS. I think it would have made sense for the photo shoot to have some kind of resonance with that program so people would know why she’s there. TDS is established but at this point, she isn’t (within the context of the show), so how’s a person to glean the point of the photos?
Did that sound crazy?
@Whatever: Colbert did not get his start on the Daily Show.
**************
It may not have been his first job, but nobody I know ever heard of him before TDS and he certainly did get his show as a result of his work on TDS.
hmm . . . so i’m the only one here who thinks olivia is hilarious? :-/ i rarely watch tds amymore because jon has gotten very unfunny to me. something about his delivery that just lacks that element of surprise. same issue with samantha bee–used to find her really funny but her delivery is so exaggerated these days that it’s like a caricature. colbert–now that guy is funny!
on the sexist thing, it does seem like a sausage fest over there at tds. i take bigger issue with the girls gone wild commercials that they used to run literally at every commercial break. i like titties and stuff, but that shit grates after awhile.
I miss Rob Riggle! I miss Rob Riggle! I just had to get that off my chest.
Take away the photoshop and she is nothin more than some average chick.
She has no tits, a flat ass, and a gang of freckles. Only people goin nuts over this braud are video game nerds.
Wow. There sure is a lot of hate for her. I’ve only seen her once on TDS and the bit was funny. She was a bit stiff but so was Wyatt Cenac, when he first started. So I figure she’s got potential. And she is SERIOUSLY hot.
As for the poster who claimed women just aren’t as talented as men for comedy…speechless…I’m seriously speechless.
And as for JS being sexist. I can’t believe it. What I can believe is that like hires like. So when the people in charge are men…well I just think the front door opens less frequently for women.
READ THIS: WOMEN OF THE DAILY SHOW SPEAK
http://www.thedailyshow.com/message
JOHN STEWART SEXIST? COME ON.
I don’t get Olivia Munn. She’s not that hot, or that much of a geek either (imo). I know much hotter female geeks and nerds. Gamers and otherwise! Big meh from me.
Love the response. Like I said in my first post, maybe she just sucked. It is possible. People get fired for sucking all the time.
Re picture 2: Love the mouth agape look, as if she’s shocked by her own behaviour. lol.
As for Stewart and his mate Colbert, it’s a bit rich for guys like them to paint themselves as progressives. They’re both multi millionaires who probably vote for the Democrats. Guys like them make millions from making sanctimonious comments about people just like themselves. Criticising rich white guys has become an industry within itself and it’s an industry that seems to churn out its own share of rich white guys: Stewart, Colbert, and Moore just to name a few.
finally. people agree shes a moron! thank god
Cannot stand this mentioning of Jenny McCarthy and Munn with Sarah Silverman in the same sentence. Now, I totally understand people not liking Sarah Silverman but in my book she is one of the most genuinely funny and provocative comedians- male or female-of all time. I never miss an episode of her show and her new book is awesomely hilarious yet tragic from cover to cover.
I like Munn on Attack of the Show. A lot. But if she’s gonna try to get on Silverman’s turf that’s a big mistake. She can’t pull it off. She’s closer to McCarthy, whom I’ve never found funny or appealing in any way. Munn may or may not suck on DS but as I said, she really is pretty good on G4. I’ll give her a shot.
@ Bea: Maybe I’m just bitter because my pretend lover Chris Pine dated her, but I do not care for this woman.
LOL! That’s the only reason I know who she is, because they dated for a few months. Which came the same time as a huge rocket in publicity for her. Hmm…
Way to misinterpret the article. They weren’t directly calling Jon sexist, just more of calling the place a boy’s club. Even if the place is a revolving door of performers, there have still been far less. And of course, since there are so few women, it’s sad to see a woman who’s claim to fame is putting hot dogs in her mouth suggestively got the gig instead of someone with talent. She subscribes to the “if you don’t like me you’re just jealous” line of BS that token “men’s women” adopt all the time. It’s just a defense mechanism because they know they sold out their personality to become a male ideal.
@duke
Notice how few women there were to actually sign it? THAT is the point. It’s amazing how everyone completely misinterpreted the point of the original piece.
I really like Olivia. I think she’s hilarious and I watched her on G4 for a few years. She’s never done any nudity as far as I’ve ever seen. (And I’ve seen alot of her, not only because I’m a fan but because my fiancee is absolutely in love with her and wishes that she would pose nude!)
I compare her pics to comical Victoria Secret ads. I was sad to hear she was leaving G4. But I’m glad to hear that she gaining some more recognition.
I really don’t understand the hate towards her. Is it because her sense of humor doesn’t align perfectly with some of you?
And I think she does have knowledge and understand the gaming industry. I think that’s why she is so incredibly popular with the gamers out there. Trust me, these guys and gals can sniff out a poser a mile away. Olivia knows her stuff.
*Phew* And I’m spent.
she’s not great on the show. i love the daily show, but she’s boring.
She looks constipated in the top pic.
hmmm…i watch the daily show but i’ve never seen this chick. that top photo of her squatting is hilarious, though; she is clearly trying to be sexy and she just looks like she’s taking a big steamer. samantha bee was/is awesome – i wish she would come back.
With all the pressure TDS was under from that BS story they had to hire someone. The problem is, most of the female talent has been awful. The male talent was pretty bad there for a while too until the last 2 years. After Colbert and Carrell left they were in supporting cast limbo. Munn has been awful. Ever since the hot dog thing Munn has been big on G4, but her replacement is a hell of a lot funnier. And hotter.
TDS was probably looking for proven talent instead of another unknown, and they just didnt do their homework.
I miss Rosanne Rosannadanna. Or Jane Curtin. Now, when I see Jon Stewart turn to this wench and say, ‘Olivia, you ignorant slut’, then I’ll laugh my ass off.
Hey Olivia, if you’re going to build a career on little more than whipping out your tits whenever a dude with a camera and ten bucks in his pocket tells you to, the least you could do is get implants and turn those mosquito bites into something worth looking at. A nose job wouldn’t hurt either. To whoever is dumb enough to think this bimbo is an actual geek, I’ll paraphrase a comment from elsewhere: just because you haltingly read a teleprompter that occasionally requires you to say the words “digital camera” or “Xbox” that hardly makes you a geek or a gamer. She’s just an attention-seeking famewhore who’s being marketed in a very obvious way to a dopey drooling demographic. The fact that she got hired at TDS is pretty much all that needs to be said about what Jon Stewart thinks about women in comedy.
@getlostolivia
Snap!
To answer your question, no, she’s just a moron!
As for the commenters who are saying she is not a geek poseur, I have to say “Yeah, she is.” Even the guys she is supposed to be captivating with her “charms” know she is just trying to cash in on them. I’m sorry, but most of the men I’ve seen on gaming sites that comment on Olivia Munn articles either say one of these comments:
“Yeah, I’d hit that, but I don’t want to talk to her about games.”
or
“Fug! Why is she relevant to gaming again?”
Kind of sad when your “fanbase” can see right through you.
The author of this article will have to put their judgement up against that of Tina Fey who recommended her for the job on Perfect Couples. Shame that people can’t be supportive of success.
When all of you commenters have careers like Munn’s then you can talk. Her future will make your unkind words regrettable.
TRASH, plain and simple. You can pose in undies and even nude, and still maintain class and grace. She fails miserably. TRASH.
I would love to see a female comic who looks like Olivia Munn and makes a crowd laugh like Tina Fey. And yes, I know Tina Fey is totes gorg, but she isn’t “classic hot” like Olivia. So, no disrespect to Tina, but why can’t a woman be funny AND hot? Why does it have to be one or another?
‘Her future will make your unkind words regrettable.’
Tee hee – your words made this post somehow even more laughable.
Sex sells, get over it.
Nature is “sexist”, evolutionary imperatives have designated two sexes and thus differences are inherent.
Jeeez.
Gosh, I think she’s awful on TDS. I cringe whenever she has a segment.
Sexism got her to where she is today. Why can she exploit it for so long, and now have people act like she is a victim of it?
Before the hotdog video she was just another G4 nobody (which is fine).
I think this is much ado over little.
Munn does not have large implants. I hate implants. She does not have a perfect face and body. I hate plastic surgery in general. Olivia is a pretty ‘human’ girl. These are sadly lacking in the media.
As to her not being funny- I’ve seen some funny things with her, I’ve seen some unfunny.
Humor and beauty are subjective.
Olivia had a following and Stewart took a chance on her. I don’t think she is going to take the long haul. But Stewart is an idiot or sexist. People who don’t take chances don’t go anywhere.
If you don’t think Olivia Munn is any good, you need to realize other people don’t agree with you and the world does revolve around your opinion, or mine. Get over yourself.
The writers aren’t exactly tossing her the ‘A’ material. I don’t know if it’s intentional – that is she can’t deliver that well, or if it’s just the way it goes for a newbie.
Maybe she shouldn’t talk so much for now and cultivate the capacity to be laughed at and not with.
Personally, I think someone like Tina Fey is way more attractive.
There a million better looking chicks to look at. Don’t understand the comments ‘oh but look at her’. I’d rather watch goat porn than be subjected to a minute of her badly timed, poorly delivered jokes. Munn…you are not funny.
I remember Olivia Munn as a very camera shy but sweet and attractive girl who was brought in to work with Kevin Pereira and the then ever expanding and still speculative G4 network. She did impress me as she quickly came out of her shell and learned how to riff comedy and be a good sport with Kevin who I think is a good natured but funny and talented show host. I am still scratching my head at why she Blew up and grew beyond the bounds of the G4 network all of the sudden. She is cute but not more so than a number of ladies working in the tech slash gaming hosting area of media, and I am not surprised that she is coming off as the least funny person around in the Daily show. I put the wit and intelligence of Jon Stewart on a clearly higher level. But she was just sort of a wall flower on G4 for a good year there too so who knows. I am sort of staggered at her growth. And I mean no disrespect to here either. ON G4 She and Kevin grew into a very tight little nerd informed comedy team. She must have one hell of an agent as I know her immediate family is not big in the biz unless the last Step father is someone. But she has really made inroads. Even considering all her use her looks to pander most specifically to the Gamer and Geek Crowd And having done a number of Maxim or Maxim like spreads, it just makes no sense to me that she go plucked over others fro suddenly being in a movie with Sarah Jessica Parker, an ongoing Gig at the Daily show, and a new sit com that is coming out. I almost wonder if the success of what would have been pegged as niche audience sit coms like The big Bang have helped those in charge of Green lighting to regard her cred with the digital young ones with much more clout than they would have two years ago. Now as far as the whole feminist rant about Jon Stewart, I am not even taking that seriously. Jon Stewart is one of the most cool and funny guys that also has a brain and a sense of editorial responsibility. When I was very young, and I suppose I am dating myself to say in the 80, I used to think, man I really want to see us make progress on minority access, ( I was a strangely overly serious child I guess), but now I am so effing sick of all the changes. I mean we have pseudo leaders on the democratic side of things, suggesting things like out right censorship as if they have no idea how fundamentally unconstitutional it is. Now smarter folk like Obama have been Great and not only sane but inspirational in his most recent speech, but whenI was a kid a personality that got on TV would never talk about doing something that was so clearly ant-american in its ideation’s. And all these minority or specific category advocacy groups seem to be losing their mind to. And lest a progressive think I am a cave man, I am not talking about legit things like, I am an ex Marine and I am glad they are now going to allow Gays to openly serve in the military. But it seems now that everyone equates fair with having one of evreything on every show, unless its a minority only group then you can discriminate and it’s not only fine its “Empowering” . Or the other day when the Black Caucus was getting emotional at having the constitution being read on the Senate floor. Why because the pain was all too much of the things that were left out in the earliest form of the constitution. I hated slavery and the Jim Crowe law s and the attitudes of fear and hate that the represented. But wow all this dividing into your various minority status groups and raising hell as a way to gain more consideration or remuneration or attention from anything that is a mainstream or white run endeavor of any kind is really sort of nauseating. Equality does not mean a show has to literally have to be all things to all people and hire proportional to the population every time. I feel like with how shitty the schools are but how easy it is to google people we have a group of americans with the facts at their fingertips but who have not been well educated in our countries best ideas or documents as well as not being taught how to think critically on any basic level and I am saying this here on Celebitchy, but I am because at a site that talks about celeb break ups and such we have PC advocacy being mentioned. Everyone needs to chill out and appreciate that this is a country where every one can gripe and that we are all american citizens first and then our various minority designations. I am sick of hearing about discrimination in areas now where it is serving no real societal purpose.
“both Jenny McCarthy and Sarah Silverman – but only the worst parts.”
Both of these women are no more funny and definitely more offensive than Olivia Munn. she’s attractive and kind of funny, but hasn’t done anything really offensive or harmful.
Mccarthy is a dumb hot girl who doesn’t realize she’s dumb and even thinks she’s well-informed (Vaccine stuff). Which is more tragic than funny since it spilled over into real life.
Silverman is actually funny, but oftentimes just offensive and unpleasant.