Jon Stewart focused on the media panic surrounding the hantavirus outbreak on the latest episode of The Daily Show. After playing a series of clips from the news media discussing the “deadly virus,” Stewart urged viewers not to buy into the hype that this is the next Covid pandemic.
The host, clad in a hazmat suit, responded, “What? Another pandemic? Are we going to have to start washing our hands again or freaking the fuck out in a Target?”
After explaining the differences between the two diseases, he said, “The point is, some people may get pretty sick, but forget Covid. This ain’t no pandemic. Hell, this hantavirus, it’s not even in monkeypox territory. But I guess reality don’t sell papers.”
Stewart commented how the news media has been overly panicked about the potential for an outbreak. “Expert upon expert, scientist upon scientist, very transparently explained why this illness, while a serious illness, is a low-level public health threat,” he recounted. “Their words went a long way to easing the concerns of a curious public. And Lord knows the news can’t let that happen.”
Passengers on the infected cruise ship, the MV Hondius, disembarked over the weekend and were returned to their home countries, where they would be isolated. The coverage of the disembarkation was particuarly chaotic, causing Stewart to quip, “The news experts say ‘Stay calm,’ but the news media says, ‘No, I believe we prefer panic.'”
Stewart accused reporters of treating it “like the OJ case” and noted that the media using drones to take images of passengers getting off a bus was a completely waste of resources. “Spectacular,” he said. “Such good use of drones. Ukraine uses theirs to defeat Russia, but good on you.”
The host concluded his monologue by commenting that “it’s like they’re all trying to recapture that pandemic ratings magic.” He added, “This is spreading like—what’s something that doesn’t spread? Cold butter? The legs of a prude? So it’s fine. It’s not a thing. Go about your lives!”
