The weakest bits on The Daily Show, dating back to the Craig Kilborn days, are the “let’s go out and have an embarrassing conversation with a weirdo!” segments. The best of those segments come about when the subject is smart enough to get the joke but merrily plays along anyway. The worst is when it comes across as a whole lot of bullying at the expense of someone who clearly isn’t used to television at all.

So that’s one reason I enjoyed this confessional from a former Daily Show producer about going out in the field and finding out that some people really aren’t that bad. Misguided, maybe. But The Daily Show is at its best when it makes fun of the ideas, not the people behind them.

The “Daily Show” guide to my enemies – The Daily Show – Salon.com.