To people asking why Stewart would make a show for Apple in the first place, in some circles Apple is seen as a basically ethical company. I won’t comment on whether it’s valid to see them this way, but they make a lot of comforting noises regarding privacy and green tech. Plus, being what amounts to a broadcaster, one might expect them to keep their hands off shows being made for them.
What I find interesting to think about is, if China is able to apply pressure on Apple concerning shows made for them, what kind of pressure could they have over TikTok?
Jon Stewart actually covered this in his podcast.
Basically, Apple gave him editorial freedom and the ability to put his message out there. You have to pick your battles, and he shit on apple a bit during his show and podcast.
He did what he could. When Apple asked him to compromise on his rhetoric, Jon said “fuck you” to which Apple then cancelled the show.
This is a paraphrase obviously.
Jon is a fucking hero for putting his morals first. He is also pragmatic. But he didn’t cowtoe to Apple when push came to shove.
