OT: Jon Stewart

[victoryfactory]

"If you smell something, say something"
-Jon Stewart

Ha Ha Ha Ha

my new motto

[velomonkey]

allow me to buttress your post with a pic

[JAllen]

It's this strange end of an era. I feel like we, the people, are losing something priceless and it cannot be replaced.

[eddief]

Probably means I watch too much media. I do think he is brilliant and did a great job. On the air 20 minutes a day, 4 times a week, with long vacations, and now worth $500M or so. Only in America.

[victoryfactory]

It's this strange end of an era. I feel like we, the people, are losing something priceless and it cannot be replaced.

Don't worry. There is always another smartass out there.
His shoes will be filled.

[Tony T]

Don't worry. There is always another smartass out there.
His shoes will be filled.

…and with Trump, he'll have an easy job :)

[David Kirk]

To discount Jon Stewart as merely a smartass to me seems so far off the mark. His work at educating viewers about such things as campaign finance, care of veterans, and the bias in the news media.....all through satire was, in my opinion, a real public service. He and his writers were able to do what no real news show has been able to do and that is to engage the viewer long enough to actually learn something.

I can understand how some might not appreciate his sense of humor the way I do but to not appreciate the greater good he did by putting a spot light on some of the things out there that have real concrete effects on our lives would be hard for me to understand.

There will be others who step up and try to do similar work but the chance that anyone else will have that magical blend would seem to me to be very small.

Whether one is a fan or not we have all benefitted from his holding up the magnifying glass and making folks think some about what they say and do for fear that The Daily Show would call them out on their bull·····.

Thank you Jon.

dave

[Lewis Moon]

to discount jon stewart as merely a smartass to me seems so far off the mark. His work at educating viewers about such things as campaign finance, care of veterans, and the bias in the new media.....all through satire was, in my opinion, a real public service. He and his writers were able to do what no real news show has been able to do and that is to engage the viewer long enough to actually learn something.

I can understand how some might not appreciate his sense of humor the way i do but to not appreciate the greater good he did by putting a spot light on some of the things out there that have real concrete effects on our lives would be hard for me to understand.

There will be others who step up and try to do similar work but the chance that anyone else will have that magical blend would seem to me to be very small.

Whether one is a fan or not we have all benefitted from his holding up the magnifying glass and making folks think some about what they say and do for fear that the daily show would call them out on their bullï½·ï½·ï½·ï½·ï½·.

Thank you jon.

Dave

+1+

[victoryfactory]

To discount Jon Stewart as merely a smartass to me seems so far off the mark. His work at educating viewers about such things as campaign finance, care of veterans, and the bias in the new media.....all through satire was, in my opinion, a real public service. He and his writers were able to do what no real news show has been able to do and that is to engage the viewer long enough to actually learn something.

I can understand how some might not appreciate his sense of humor the way I do but to not appreciate the greater good he did by putting a spot light on some of the things out there that have real concrete effects on our lives would be hard for me to understand.

There will be others who step up and try to do similar work but the chance that anyone else will have that magical blend would seem to me to be very small.

Whether one is a fan or not we have all benefitted from his holding up the magnifying glass and making folks think some about what they say and do for fear that The Daily Show would call them out on their bullï½·ï½·ï½·ï½·ï½·.

Thank you Jon.

dave

Dave;
I completely agree. Sorry if you misinterpreted my "smartass" remark.
I meant it as a compliment.
Think: Mark Twain, Edward Abbey, Frank Zappa etc.
VF

[fuzzalow]

I agree with the sentiments expressed ^ by Mr. Kirk.

Smartass is a gross oversimplification of what Jon Stewart (meaning he, the bully pulpit of his show & the writers on his staff) has done and accomplished. With far more intelligence and insight than is typically found in any media news outlet. No one and nothing was above getting exposed for their lunacy whether left, right or center.

Finding something meaningful to say or point out as salient can be extremely difficult to do. And Mr. Stewart was not always on the mark either. But through all the pressures in making The Daily Show daily, as it were, he never resorted and devolved to cliche and vindictiveness as found in many daily media entertainments - for example with Howard Stern on the former and Rush Limbaugh on the latter. I don't listen to either of these two so I could be wrong but I think each of their formulas has already been well settled and established. That becomes the parody of an audience interested more in self affirmation and tribalism than the ability and sensibility to look at the world and events with a critical eye.

Thank you Jon Stewart for all the years and laughs. BTW Mr. Stewart's directing in his first film "Rosewater" is worth a view.

[David Kirk]

Dave;
I completely agree. Sorry if you misinterpreted my "smartass" remark.
I meant it as a compliment.
Think: Mark Twain, Edward Abbey, Frank Zappa etc.
VF

Cool - I hear you and we are riding the same bus.

Be well,

dave

[redir]

Dave;
I completely agree. Sorry if you misinterpreted my "smartass" remark.
I meant it as a compliment.
Think: Mark Twain, Edward Abbey, Frank Zappa etc.
VF

He interviewed George Carlin when he was very young and some time after that Carlin mentioned to some one else that that Jon Stewart guy was a pretty good comedian. So that's sayin' something for sure. Twain was top of the line when it comes to being a wise guy LOL for sure.

[tuxbailey]

He was awesome.

His appearance on CNN's Crossfire was one of the highlights of CNN.... :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFQFB5YpDZE

[makoti]

He was awesome.

His appearance on CNN's Crossfire was one of the highlights of CNN.... :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFQFB5YpDZE

Ok. That was brilliant. Thanks for that link.

[Jaq]

I liked him, but I will say that as he walked that fine line between skepticism and cynicism, he usually erred (it seemed to me) on the side of the latter, which waxed tiresome.

And I think he, his co-hosts, and his writers tended to oversimplify things for the sake of the humor, and the truth would suffer a little. Even so, he and his crew were nothing short of brilliant.

[MadRocketSci]

The correspondent interviews are/were one of the best parts of the show. I hope they maintain that standard with Trevor Noah. They have a real ability to get their subjects to drop their guard (which is so strange...hadn't these people seen the show beforehand?) and draw their candid thoughts better than any "serious" journalist, who typically just keep asking the same questions over and over from slightly different angles. Jason Jones, Samantha Bee, Assif Mandvi, Al Madrigal...to the newer guys...Jordan, Jessica, Hassan....keep it going, please! :)

[redir]

He was awesome.

His appearance on CNN's Crossfire was one of the highlights of CNN.... :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFQFB5YpDZE

Ooof that was tough to watch. I can only imagine either the total silence or the words that were said during the commercial breaks.

[eddief]

The reason he was so successful was the incredible balancing act he brought to the tube every show. He was not afraid to mix it up, take chances, be funny, laugh at himself, skewer the dumb guys, express anger and rage, and tell something approaching the f-ing truth most of the time. Not all interviews were great, but he went toe to toe with everyone and was rarely overwhelmed by anyone.


I liked him, but I will say that as he walked that fine line between skepticism and cynicism, he usually erred (it seemed to me) on the side of the latter, which waxed tiresome.

And I think he, his co-hosts, and his writers tended to oversimplify things for the sake of the humor, and the truth would suffer a little. Even so, he and his crew were nothing short of brilliant.

[victoryfactory]

Really though, I remember watching that Crossfire thing and thinking it was a pot calling the kettle black situation in a way.
He lambasted those people for "reporting" "News" only to illustrate a skewed political viewpoint.
Uhh.....

Can't hit a home run every time.
Although I liked his show because I agree with much of what he said,
I don't consider that his finest moment.
VF

[makoti]

And I think he, his co-hosts, and his writers tended to oversimplify things for the sake of the humor, and the truth would suffer a little. Even so, he and his crew were nothing short of brilliant.

It was a comedy show, so that was the idea.

[MadRocketSci]

Really though, I remember watching that Crossfire thing and thinking it was a pot calling the kettle black situation in a way.
He lambasted those people for "reporting" "News" only to illustrate a skewed political viewpoint.
Uhh.....

Can't hit a home run every time.
Although I liked his show because I agree with much of what he said,
I don't consider that his finest moment.
VF

"It's not fake news. We are not newsmen, but it's jokes about real news. We don't make anything up, other than the fact we're not really standing in Baghdad."

[bironi]

From everything I have read and heard, he treated his staff very well. I do think Colbert's spinoff was better. I wish him well.

[Tony T]

From everything I have read and heard, he treated his staff very well. I do think Colbert's spinoff was better. I wish him well.

Well, not all: Former writer: Jon Stewart told me to "f off when challenged about black joke" - CNN.com (https://www.google.com/#q=jon+stewart+writer+fight)

It will be interesting to see Colbert as his real self when he hosts the Late Show

[Seramount]

while I generally liked the show and Stewart's comedic treatment of the news, after 17 years, it got to be more than a little formulaic. in the last decade, probably tuned 3-4 times a month at most. and I frequently bailed on the 'interview' segment at the end. mostly just people pushing books and movies that I'd never read or watch...

the last episode was a bit weak...while it was interesting to see cast members making appearances (I'd forgotten a lot of them), there really wasn't much happening.

[bironi]

Well Tony,
I stand corrected. Looks like there was at least one unhappy employee.
Byron

[velomonkey]

There are a few instances of employees who had really tense times with Stewart. However, it was a 16 year run - of course you're gonna find people with some stories.

He put the news broadcasters on notice. Hard. He was check to them and they got, to a degree, better because of it. Apparently the Trevor is gonna switch from Fox News to Buzzfeed.

I will say, it was kind of ironic that the last show was overshadowed by the Fox debates. Maybe not ironic, actually, but totally representative of how stupid some of this has become.

[choke]

That fact that his show was successful and that people got their news from there says a lot about the state of 'journalism' in America.

[Tony T]

That fact that his show was successful and that people got their news from there says a lot about the state of 'journalism' in America.

…and a little about America.

[eddief]

seemed to be the one the news was ranting about last week...and even he showed up for the show last night. The piece was a bit tense / funny, but they must of smoothed it over...or paid him to be nice.

There are a few instances of employees who had really tense times with Stewart. However, it was a 16 year run - of course you're gonna find people with some stories.

He put the news broadcasters on notice. Hard. He was check to them and they got, to a degree, better because of it. Apparently the Trevor is gonna switch from Fox News to Buzzfeed.

I will say, it was kind of ironic that the last show was overshadowed by the Fox debates. Maybe not ironic, actually, but totally representative of how stupid some of this has become.

[shovelhd]

That fact that his show was successful and that people got their news from there says a lot about the state of 'journalism' in America.

Exactly. The progressives rallied around him like he was some kind of pariah. Viewed as entertainment, he was occasionally entertaining. Otherwise, he was a joke.

[eddief]

check out definitions for pariah and messiah and get back to us. Or maybe you did that already and were trying to be as funny as Jon Stewart?

Exactly. The progressives rallied around him like he was some kind of pariah. Viewed as entertainment, he was occasionally entertaining. Otherwise, he was a joke.

[makoti]

Exactly. The progressives rallied around him like he was some kind of pariah. Viewed as entertainment, he was occasionally entertaining. Otherwise, he was a joke.

And of course he was a joke. The only question is: did you get it?

[dustyrider]

I haven't been able to sit through an entire one of his shows for more than 2-3 years. Thought I'd check the last few episodes...total yawn fest.
I like to read/listen/see media from all sides and come to my own assertions based on my life experiences and my morale principles, so I get that I'm in the minority on this.

Bob Dylan:Seriously, if I want to find out anything, I'm not going to read Time Magazine, I'm not going to read Newsweek, I'm not going to read any of these magazines. I mean, because they've just got too much to lose by printing the truth, you know that.

Time reporter (I believe):What kinds of truths are they omitting?

Bob Dylan: Well, anything. Even on a worldwide basis.
They'd just go off the stands in a day if they printed really the truth.

Time reporter (I believe): What is really the truth?

Bod Dylan: Well, really the truth is just a plain picture.

Stewart was the master of controlling that picture for the sake of his humor, but in the end does "starting a conversation" really lead to change? Or is it just a clever catch phrase for "kicking the can down the road"?

[bikinchris]

Well Tony,
I stand corrected. Looks like there was at least one unhappy employee.
Byron

There's ALWAYS that one guy even in the best places to work. Not that I know a thing about the show behind the scenes.

[shovelhd]

check out definitions for pariah and messiah and get back to us. Or maybe you did that already and were trying to be as funny as Jon Stewart?

Jon Stewart is not funny. Why would I want to be like him?

[shovelhd]

And of course he was a joke. The only question is: did you get it?

Of course not. I'm a dumbass conservative.

[fuzzalow]

I am a conservative also. Conservative as from the definition from Edmund Burke, not in the doppelganger sense as from Rush Limbaugh. Of course as a NYC conservative that makes me only just slightly right of Al Sharpton in the mass market political spectrum.

I am not a dumbass but I am a cultural imperialist.

[Repack Rider]

Exactly. The progressives rallied around him like he was some kind of pariah.

I do not think that word means what you think it means.

Jon Stewart was a national treasure. He created a niche that had never before existed, while paying homage to the Smothers Brothers and Bill Maher for paving the way for him. In addition to his amazing creativity, he mentored a host of other hosts, John Oliver, Colbert, Steve Carrell to name the biggest. He had an eye for spotting talent and a gift for developing it.

No one else on TV called out FOX News for lies and propaganda, but Jon did it, illustrated with film clips. If he performed no other service to humanity, that alone would be a sufficient legacy.

One of the smartest, quickest, and of course funniest people on TV, when he interviewed an author, HE HAD ALWAYS READ THE BOOK.

[goonster]

That fact that his show was successful and that people got their news from there says a lot about the state of 'journalism' in America.
Nobody "got their news" from the Daily Show, for the same reason nobody "got their news" from the Carson or Letterman monologue. If you weren't up on events, and how various outlets spun them, the commentary on it didn't make any sense.

Journalism needs all the help it can get, but that's not Jon Stewart's fault. Blame a) the economic drivers, and b) those who will always accuse the profession of supposed pervasive ideological bias.

[oldpotatoe]

That fact that his show was successful and that people got their news from there says a lot about the state of 'journalism' in America.

Hear, hear..and those on the other end of the political spectrum say the same about Rush, Beck, Hannity and O'reilly..not news but biased entertainment.

[Repack Rider]

The Daily Show was funny if you are smart and aware of current events. Unlike FOX News, TDS stuck to the truth, and the humor came from exposing lies by people who were supposed to be in the "truth" business.

People who didn't find it funny have only themselves to blame.

[rugbysecondrow]

I do not think that word means what you think it means.

Jon Stewart was a national treasure. He created a niche that had never before existed, while paying homage to the Smothers Brothers and Bill Maher for paving the way for him. In addition to his amazing creativity, he mentored a host of other hosts, John Oliver, Colbert, Steve Carrell to name the biggest. He had an eye for spotting talent and a gift for developing it.

No one else on TV called out FOX News for lies and propaganda, but Jon did it, illustrated with film clips. If he performed no other service to humanity, that alone would be a sufficient legacy.

One of the smartest, quickest, and of course funniest people on TV, when he interviewed an author, HE HAD ALWAYS READ THE BOOK.


The daily show was funnier in the beginning. It seemed to take itself a little too seriously in later years. Not a bad thing, just a difference maker for me.

Was it innovative? I don't think it was. I think it took the Weekend Update from SNL and made it better. It improved upon something that had been done successfully for the last 30 years. No harm in that at all. Jon Stewart is funny, funny as hell as he found the perfect roll on TDS.

while I generally liked the show and Stewart's comedic treatment of the news, after 17 years, it got to be more than a little formulaic. in the last decade, probably tuned 3-4 times a month at most. and I frequently bailed on the 'interview' segment at the end. mostly just people pushing books and movies that I'd never read or watch...

the last episode was a bit weak...while it was interesting to see cast members making appearances (I'd forgotten a lot of them), there really wasn't much happening.

I agree. I watched a lot in the beginning, but didn't really watch in later years. News clip (cue smirk) another news clip (cue sarcasm) News clip (cue bigger smirk). Certainly this is an oversimplification, but I think the daily show eventually became more akin to the shows they originally mocked in the beginning.

[jblande]

Jon Stewart showed how amazingly powerful a funnyman can be. The wonderful thing about comic satire is that it is a *form* distinct from journalistic reporting. The CNN clip is perfect in this sense: he keeps insisting that his is just a comedy show. He's not wrong at all: the form allows him to be one-sided, polemical, exaggerated, etc.

I always thought that the greatest cruelty in Shakespeare is not in the tragedies but the torture of Molvolio in Twelfth Night. At his best, Stewart brought something of that to American TV.

[choke]

Journalism needs all the help it can get, but that's not Jon Stewart's fault. Blame a) the economic drivers, and b) those who will always accuse the profession of supposed pervasive ideological bias.I never put the blame on him. But then a bias has existed in journalism for a long time. This was written by (http://web.archive.org/web/20110221124111/http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=JefLett.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=176&division=div1) Thomas Jefferson in 1807:To your request of my opinion of the manner in which a newspaper should be conducted, so as to be most useful, I should answer, `by restraining it to true facts & sound principles only.' Yet I fear such a paper would find few subscribers. It is a melancholy truth, that a suppression of the press could not more compleatly deprive the nation of it's benefits, than is done by it's abandoned prostitution to falsehood. Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. The real extent of this state of misinformation is known only to those who are in situations to confront facts within their knolege with the lies of the day.

Hear, hear..and those on the other end of the political spectrum say the same about Rush, Beck, Hannity and O'reilly..not news but biased entertainment.I agree, those are all 'entertainment' as well.

[Ray]

I agree, those are all 'entertainment' as well.
Yeah, but they're not funny...

Stewart is just the last of my "sanity filters" to leave in the past year. First Andrew Sullivan stops blogging, then Letterman bails, now Stewart.

I never looked at it as news, real or fake, but as an interpretation almost exactly as I'd do it if I was even 1% as smart or funny.

-Ray

[Seramount]

Jon Stewart is not funny.

never, not once...? in 2500 shows, I'll bet he managed to get off at least one comment that was laugh-inducing.

you seem to have some kind of bias.

[Tony T]

Personally, I just found his facial expressions over-the-top, and used too often.

http://media.salon.com/2012/07/stewart_rect.jpg

[makoti]

Of course not. I'm a dumbass conservative.

As long as you know, it's ok. :beer: