I honestly think Stewart’s refusal to pretend Biden was still ok was instrumental in getting him to step down
All the “serious” news closed ranks for him, and even cable late shows like Colbert cracked a few jokes but still backed him.
Stewart was one of the few with the balls to say the bus was headed off a cliff and we needed to slam the brakes now instead of hoping we could land the jump.
I’m so glad he’s back right now. I never got into the Trevor Noah version of the show, it was just a different show.
I liked the Trevor Noah iteration of the show, and I feel he was maligned unfairly. And most of that came from the fact that neither he nor anybody else (except, in hindsight, maybe John Oliver) could have filled the gargantuan shoes Jon Stewart left.
But all that said, Stewart just has a different knock. I respect the guy tremendously. He’s got integrity, razor-sharp intelligence, and a true gift for comedy and comedic timing.
ETA: missed a word.
And his humility went a long way. He was a true journalist, even as and especially after journalism itself died, giving way to an exclusive focus on the profit-seeking motive.
Speaking more of his integrity, he wasn’t afraid to take potentially unpopular stances. Calling for Biden to step down was not the first, and I hope not the last. His stance on cops being bad apples was breathtakingly beautiful imho: not “all cops are bad everywhere all the time”, but rather “we support the true cops who protect & serve, and reject those who pervert that mantra”.
He calls for peace rather than war, staying firm in the principle that the only thing we must not tolerate is intolerance, bc then we’ll lose everything we have built up in civilization to date and revert instead to anarchy. And through that to totalitarianism by people who were just waiting for the organized defenses to be discarded (by idiots not even realizing that is what they are accomplishing by their actions) to move in and take it all for themselves.
Every army knows that you have to have accurate intelligence in order to accomplish anything at all - too bad popular journalism has died and the populace no longer has any clue what’s going on anymore, a prerequisite to being able to vote on matters of substance. But anyway, as for Jon, he did all that he could to warn us as it was happening, so it’s not his fault that nobody would do anything about it. He at least is basically a freaking hero.
+1 to Trevor Noah. I think he, like many late night shows (maybe just Sett Meyers) really had a reset during COVID and built some of their best shows. Working from home gave him a much more relaxed and personal feel. It likely is what ultimately caused Trevor to leave the Daily Show. I think once he returned to the traditional studio setting he realized he wanted the ability to do more. You can do a lot with the Daily Show, but you’re still stuck in a particular frame. Hell Stewart had similar issues which ultimately caused him to leave as well.
I hope Stewart sticks around after the election. He doesn’t need to be on once a week, just give him an open invitation. Same with Trevor, give him a few slots to come back. I like the rotating host thing they’re doing at the moment. (I wish Roy Wood Jr stuck around.) So I hope they keep things rotating.
I mean, Jordan or Desi could easily carry the show.
Ronnie still needs some time, and if you haven’t been watching Josh Johnson on standup you need to start.
He uploads a couple half hour sets a week, and it’s all current topics. Dude could have his own show tomorrow and pull it off.
I started watching his stuff at some point during Covid, and when he made correspondent I knew he was going to be huge.
So it’s great having Stewart come back occasionally, but they don’t really need him, they’ve got the talent to do a second show like Colbert had back in the day even.
John Stewart communicates a sincerity that the rest of the correspondents and hosts haven’t really managed. They mix in a bit too much smugness or something. I find them all fine in small doses, but only John Oliver has really matched those moments where John Stewart looks at the camera and seems to be pleading with ALL of the American people. He had a way of criticizing without being elitist.
Yeah, he’s not funny and has a massive chip on his shoulder. In fact I think that’s why he’s not funny.
You have to also give credit where it’s due to Biden and his team, for having the intelligence and decency to step aside, to acknowledge that the president is vulnerable this election cycle, to play to their party’s strengths and present an ace up their sleeve, and for having picked Kamala as VP four years ago in the first place!
President Joe Biden has proven himself to be a true patriot - country first, ego taking a step or three back. He deserves our applause.
Stewart stepping back from the Daily Show is also probably a big reason why Trump got elected in 2016.
It is, though I think it was just a perfect shitstorm of Stewarts way of eviscerating trump was missing, disillusionment in the obama era (mainly die to republican obstructionism), disillusionment in Hillary as a candidate, some people wanting revenge for Bernie and ofc, reddit+facebook+twitter disinformation campaigns being new and highly effective at manipulating voters
Fuck off Duck Cheney!
Desi is HOT
