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If you thought the first political debate didn't mix it up enough, the second one is much more likely to deliver.聽

No, not the meeting between Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin on Oct. 11, but rather the 鈥淩umble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium,鈥� the hyped-up showdown Saturday night between rival cable personalities Jon Stewart, in the left corner, and Bill O鈥橰eilly, in the right.

In 鈥渁n old-fashioned duel of the wits,鈥� O鈥橰eilly and Stewart will step up to the podiums at 8 p.m. EDT in front of a sold-out auditorium at George Washington University. Those who can鈥檛 make it to Washington, D.C., can pay $4.95 to watch the live-streamed event , which the promotional video calls 鈥渢he reason Al Gore invented the Internet.鈥�

Half the proceeds from the "debate" will go to charities, but let's be honest here. The rumble serves as a giant promotion to attract more followers to 鈥�The Daily Show with Jon Stewart鈥� on Comedy Central and 鈥淭he O鈥橰eilly Factor鈥� on Fox News.

Still, the O'Reilly-Stewart tussle is not without redeeming social value. The "info" part of infotainment, some argue, can actually serve to breed interest 聽in real political and civic issues聽among those who are politically disengaged.

Entertainment provides a 鈥済ateway鈥� to broader political engagement, says Lauren Feldman, an assistant professor at American University in Washington, D.C. She observed this connection in her research on how 鈥淒aily Show鈥� viewers are engaged in issues like climate change.聽鈥淗umor and substance are not dichotomous phenomena,鈥� she says.

The debate will appeal to people who are already fans of their shows and already politically engaged, Dr. Feldman says. But the "substantive discussion" that Stewart and O'Reilly have promised may, in fact, inspire more people to pay attention, especially when debate clips circulate over social media afterward.聽

Comedy Central鈥檚 other fake news host, Stephen Colbert of 鈥�The Colbert Report,鈥� has occasionally inserted his TV persona into the real world of politics, as well 鈥� he testified before Congress in 2010 and, this year, created his own "super PAC" (Making A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow) during the Republican presidential primary.

鈥淸Mr.] Colbert found an entertaining way to inform people: What does it mean to start a super PAC? How is it legal? What is the process?鈥� says Lindsay Hoffman, assistant professor at the University of Delaware.聽鈥淚t鈥檚 like hiding broccoli in chocolate cake.鈥澛�

How much of an ideological prizefight the rumble turns out to be remains to be seen. O'Reilly and Stewart have appeared numerous times on each other's shows, and over time their sparring has become increasingly civil 鈥� some might even say friendly. Still, viewers who still aren't sure if the two like each other or not may be eager to see them match wits.聽

鈥淚t always strikes me as bizarre, this idea that the people you disagree with you should not ever engage with,鈥� Stewart said Thursday on "Good Morning America." 鈥淗e will weep most likely like a child, but that鈥檚 not the most important part. We鈥檙e going to have fun and a good, substantive conversation.鈥�

The debate is expected to be full of the jocular insults that the two men are fond of hurling at each other. O鈥橰eilly鈥檚 suggestion for the debate鈥檚 first question: why Jon Stewart is a pinhead.

So, what colors will their ties be? How will their body language demonstrate their leadership styles?

Pundits and political junkies have yet to weigh in on these issues. Nor have they anticipated Stewart鈥檚 strategy for dealing with the height difference. At 6 feet, 4 inches, O鈥橰eilly towers over Stewart鈥檚 5-feet, 6-inch frame. When O'Reilly joined Stewart Thursday on "The Daily Show" to plump for the rumble and his new book, he made repeated references to Stewart as "tiny." Stewart, in turn, said to O'Reilly: "I see you as, like, an Abominable Snowman, ... like all I have to do is get out of your peripheral vision and I'll be fine."聽