Harry Frankfurt on The Daily Show: No B.S.

Posted on March 15, 2005

Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Princeton University and eminent philosopher Harry Frankfurt blew the lid off The Daily Show's record for most number of swear words uttered in a half-hour segement last night. The brainy prof has a new book out from Princeton University Press entitled, On Bullsh**. It was a funny segment; Jon Stewart has quite a few serious authors on his show who good-naturedly go along with the show's fake news format for the joy of being questioned by the sharp Stewart and the inherent coolness factor bestowed on those who are guests. Professor Frankfurt thinks that BS (our polite euphemism for the title of his book) is pervasive in our society, and that it's different from lying. BS, the professor argues, is actually worse than lying, because the liar at least knows what the truth is. The BS-artist, on the other hand, has no regard for the truth at all. Stewart equated that to the torrent of political spin the public hears now, and the professor had to agree that we're drowning in it. That naughty Professor Frankfurt should sell many books; who can resist showing off their intellectual chops and pepper their conversation with the word "bullsh**" at the same time?