Discussion for article #233121
I got more truth (truthiness?) from Jon and Stephen than from any politician, news outfit, punditā¦whatever. Without Jon doing tha Daily Show life will be cheapened. Measurably. He did his best to keep us honest.
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He did that and even more. He launched and supported and encouraged others who will be continuing to bring wit and sense to news comedy, Colbert, Oliver, Mandvi, and many others. Weāll benefit from his stint at Comedy Central long after he is gone on to new venues. But ā¦ there wonāt be another Jon Stewart; heās a one-off.
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Iām going to miss him so, so much
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Makes the exchange with Bob Odenkirk from last week a little more revealing (at 4:13 in the video):
Iāve told friends for years that I would be crushed the day this cameā¦
sometimes it seems like this show is the number one thing keeping me sane:
No matter how stupid, dishonest or weasely the politicians and media can be,
these writers & Jon could succinctly nail 'em
and give the rest of us a much needed laugh.
Thanks so much, Jon.
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Oh, dammit, his timing is terrible. He wonāt be around to comment on the 2016 GOP presidential clown circusā¦ Right-wingers are breathing a sigh of relief all over the countryāthatās what that nasty smell isā¦
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This couldnāt have come at a worse time for Comedy Central. I think Larry Wilmoreās pretty good, but heās not holding the audience the way Stephen Colbert did. And when Colbertās Late Show starts this September, a lot of Comedy Centralās audience will flip to CBS, which will also take viewers from Comedy Centralās āAt Midnight.ā
My prediction: Comedy Central will have to invest in name-brand stars for both their 11 and 11:30 pm shows. I could see Amy Poehler and/or Tina Fey hosting āThe Daily Showā (maybe Ricky Gervais or Patton Oswalt), and a new show with Chris Rock replacing Larry Wilmore. The entire cable/satellite industry will push for Comedy Central to āGo Big,ā because losing that hour to broadcast TV will result in some cord-cutting by their customers.
He talked of āideasā. He mentioned 3 concerns: restless host/pilot syndrome (which may have a lot to do with this form heās been in 16 years running), now not enjoying the stresses of producing a new production 4 days of most weeks, and his family (son 10, daughter 8 - about when dadhood becomes more relevant). Leaving this forum doesnāt necessarily mean leaving television (particularly as itās been going thru something of a renaissance with mostly cable seriesā and long form shows. Even leaving as host/pilot doesnāt necessarily mean not being available in future for THIS show (which, it would appear, will go on). And recuse from Indecision 2016? Seems unpossible.
In one sense, Iām glad Stewartās left TDS shortly after Colbert ended with TCR: the two shows changed my viewing hours in a not-good way.
Nooooooooooooooo!
Maybe.
Go back 20 years. Stewart was mostly seen as Substitute Host on several talk shows, mostly the Tonight Show. Whoās doing that now, who doesnāt already have a big commitment otherwise to a show he himself designed or wanted more? Itās not necessarily the case that a show thatās established a ābrandā (which Oliverās stint as substitute host proved it has) needs some outside ānameā. And remember, too, that TDS was sinking with Craig Kilborn, and that Stewart radically altered the format when he came in.
Still: maybe. And maybe because the most obvious replacement - wife/husband Sam Bee and Jason Jones - wonāt want to take over (We should have no doubt about Stewart going first to them), as they too have a young family. But Iām inclined to think that, whoever takes over, weāve already seen that person on TDS, a lot.
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Poehler & Fey co-hosting The Daily Show? On a basic cable series, 4 nights a week?
Iām not sure what drugs youāre on, but can I get the name of your doctor?
I hear ESPN is looking for a football commentator to rant about the āconservative sports mediaā.
I find myself still reacting to the meme (pushed by Stewart as well) that what he peddled was āfake newsā. Nothing can be farther from the truth. What first turned me on to TDS was his insistence on showing the actual words these bozos say, day in and day out; turning a spotlight on hypocrisy by running back to back statements by someone 180 degrees opposite. The latest was Jonās running Christieās statement insisting that public health concerns demand the isolation of anyone who could be carrying an illness, reminding us that this was during the Ebola scare, and then Christieās waffling on the measles outbreak. Who else does this? Nobody. Would any of us know how far off the deep end is Fox News if Stewart didnāt force it on us? The guy will be missed.
Still, I was very impressed with the manner in which John Oliver filled in for Stewart while Jon was making his movie. I donāt know about Oliverās contract with HBO, but TDS wouldnāt miss too many beats if Comedy Channel could get him back.
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āItās been the honor of my professional life.ā
thus far.
Like Obama, Stewart has nowhere āupā to go. Any movement henceforth is lateral, at best, unless he can start something extremely new and edgy.
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Wellā¦crap.
Thought the same thing. Even when I first saw that, I was afraid he was telegraphing something. Crap.
yup i was thinking the same thing when i saw it last week.
The Daily Show has been revolutionary. I took solace in being able to see this show and Keith Olbermannās Countdown particularly during the craziness of the Bush years. However, over the past few years it became obvious to me that Jon was getting ā¦ less bold, a bit tired of doing the same oleā. His humor, his expressions, etc. was that of someone who knows heās been doing it for years and it comes out a bit too easily. Which is not to say it isnāt still funny - but itās definitely not as edgy anymore. One thing that bothers me about his show today is that heās just a bit too friendly to the people he otherwise criticizes. As Jonās name has become more mainstream, so has he on his show - he tends to be more friendly with conservative guests who try to look rational on his show but off the show are making outrageous statements / doing outrageous things. Over time Jon seemed to go more easy on them with his questions in order not to offend. Maybe thatās an inevitable result of getting famous and having to not piss off the corporate overlords.
As sad as it makes me that this era has come to an end, the timing feels right. I just hope someone else with his spirit can fill his shoes and bring a freshness to the show / this time slot. Frankly I was (and still am) more distraught over Colbertās show ending, because Colbertās show was much more daring / bold / questioning of the powers that be relative to the Daily Show in recent years. And God help us if anything happens to John Oliverās show! 
But I digressā¦
Thank you Jon for carrying us through some rough years and bringing amazing talent to our lives - both you and your proteges! Best of luck and I will definitely be tuning in to your next project!