He’s been described as Stephen Colbert on the loose.
Meet Martin Eisenstadt, a faux pundit created by Dan Mirvish and Eitan Gorlin, to show how gullible the mainstream media can be. During the 2008 election, the duo created the Eisenstadt character and had him pose as a Harding Institute fellow (a think tank that doesn’t exist) and a top McCain adviser.
Through the fictionalized accounts on his blog, Eisenstadt spread disinformation — like that vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin thought Africa was a country — which was picked up by Fox News, MSNBC and the Los Angeles Times.
Now with a book released that chronicles the fake life of the McCain adviser, “I am Martin Eisenstadt,” creators Mirvish and Gorlin are ready to take on even bigger things.
Producer Joel Westbrook of Interface Media Group told Yeas & Nays he has shopped a pilot of a sur-reality show called “The Pundit” based on the Eisenstadt character to HBO and Comedy Central. But Eisenstadt, who in person is played by Gorlin, said of the cable news networks out here, he envisioned his show on Fox.
“There’s something silly about Fox,” Eisenstadt said. “It’s a little more absurd than the other channels.”
The show would depict the character’s life in Washington at the fictional Harding Institute and his attempts at interacting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, spoofing those who wouldn’t get the joke, a la “Borat.”
Though some in Washington are already in on it. The fake pundit has made friends with former White House press secretary Joe Lockhart, who hosted a book party at his Embassy Row home Wednesday night. Also spotted were some of D.C.’s real pundits, including Karen Finney, Michael Feldman and Amos Hochstein.
