Jon Stewart 2. Jim Cramer 0

Wow!
Jon Stewart really wiped the carpet with Jim Cramer last night. Stewart last week raised a really important point about the lack of aggressive reporting by the financial media and pointed fingers at CNBC and Jim Cramer in particular. The tone of his message was accurate even if it was supported by some clever editing.

Jim Cramer did what every good PR agency would tell him to do. Face your accuser. So Jimbo sauntered on to The Daily Show last night expecting - it seems - to have a relatively light-hearted debate with this very humorous speaker and comedian. I presume that is what he expected because he appeared stunned by the vigor and intensity of Stewart's questioning.

In boxing parlance, the fight should have been stopped early. Cramer's inability to respond and Stewart's increasingly aggressive tone almost became uncomfortable as the interview continued. I don't recall one good laugh in the whole show which is really unusual for that program.

A few points strike me about all of this.
1) As a humorous motivational keynote business speaker (motivational humorist is shorter Conor) (I know but not as effective for search engines as motivational, humorous, inspirational keynote speaker) (Get to the point, will you?)
As I was saying as a humorous motivational keynote business speaker, I do my homework to understand my audience before I get in front of them. Jim Cramer did not.

2) I also prepare aggressively: I rehearse: I articulate my keynote out loud. I prepare.
Jim Cramer did not prepare and paid for it - Bigtime. I find The Cramer Report completely off-putting but when I see Cramer interviewed on Street Signs or other shows, he seems a genuinely likable guy, so I felt a little sorry for him, but it was his own fault or that of his PR people.

3) I blogged some time ago about the fawning interviews the financial press does with the hero of the day. The first time I realized Enron's Jeffrey Skilling was 'special' was when I saw an obsequious fawning interview with him on a financial show.
The same type of hero worship is now being presented to J.P. Morgan's Jamie Dimon. Just to make sure there is no confusion I am not comparing Dimon to the criminal Skilling. My point is how the media treat financial superstars. To be fair, as a TV producer or Booker, I'd jump at the chance of having Dimon on my show. As well as doing apparently a good job at J.P. Morgan he is a very media friendly personality. Even if he is the only saint on Wall Street (OK my geography is suspect) let's stop canonizing him.

4) Why are the best interviews done by Comics? Stewart / Cramer is one example. Dave Letterman's interview with John McCain was excellent as was The View's interview with the same candidate.

GO ON - BEAT THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF THE RECESSION