Somewhere Between the Cross Streets of Serious and Satire

A A A Comments By Ken Switzer Tuesday, Aug 24 2004

illustration: Ward Sutton

Strange bedfellows

Details

'The State of the Union: A Benefit to Assist the Voice of Independent Media'
Town Hall
123 West 43rd Street
212.713.6300, motherjones.com
Saturday at 8

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If the Bush administration has achieved anything, it's been to unify those divided against it: Progressive grassroots organizations have been popping up like crazy over the past few years, and those that have been around since before Dubya started squatting in the White House are stronger and more active than ever. Box office sales from movies like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Control Room indicate that a growing number of Americans are interested in obtaining a broader perspective on their world than the one currently being offered by major media conglomerates. Political magazine Mother Jones aims to further feed this demand. Every cent raised tonight will be used to fund a forthcoming media leadership conference, with the goal of providing "a framework for independent news media to collaborate in increasing the reach and influence of their reporting while strengthening their financial health." Pitching in with their time and comedic talents are Janeane Garofalo, who you've probably seen on-screen, but may not have heard yet on Air America's The Majority Report; Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show; the sardonic Todd Barry, whose deadpan mug recently graced the cover of Stay Free!; up-and-coming comic Eugene Mirman, who delivers hilarious versions of classic-rock favorites on his website and wry wit live; Ward Sutton, whose scathing Sutton Impact comic runs weekly in the Voice; and heavyweight Will Durst, who wonders, "Wouldn't it just save a lot of time and money to make our tax checks out to Halliburton?"