Eugene David<br>...The One-Minute Pundit

Posted 9:09 AM by Gene

And speaking of the Os-CARS®:

Take a look at the Nielsen figures for the show, and the numbers are startling. This supposedly terrific program, with its high hipness factor - people actually say they get their only news from "The Daily Show" - is averaging 1.3 million viewers in January, most of them men between the ages of 18 and 49. During November, the political high season in which Stewart and his cohorts supposedly thrive, the show averaged 1.45 million viewers.

For comparison, Nielsen estimates there are 218 million people over the age of 18 in the nation's 112 million homes with televisions.

That's a lot of people not getting Stewart's comedy.

Now, before the legions of Stewartites start bellyaching that the show airs on Comedy Central, so the numbers are going to be smaller, stop. Comedy Central is in 88 million homes, so it's well-distributed.

What's more, Stewart gets amazing press for his work - a level far outstripping his reach - so even if people aren't watching, they've heard about him.

But that's the point.

Stewart's appeal - at least from what's on Comedy Central - is limited at best. He's playing to a small crowd, just like many of the other critically acclaimed phenoms dotting the pop-culture landscape.

There's the rub.

There's the rub indeed.

(Via ROMY, who no doubt fumed)