Jon Stewart’s Humble, Remarkable Farewell
A speech from Stephen Colbert highlighted the Daily Show host’s willingness to share the spotlight, as well as his immense contribution to broadcast comedy.
After nearly 17 years as the star, Jon Stewart tried his best to make his final night at The Daily Show about
anyone but himself—and he almost succeeded. On Thursday, Stewart
wheeled out a parade of current and former correspondents, aired taped
goodbyes from longtime rivals, and paid tribute to the show’s
behind-the-scenes crew with a lengthy, faux-single-shot segment. When
his longtime correspondent and friend Stephen Colbert appeared to give
an impromptu speech about Stewart’s contribution to their lives, the
host squirmed in his chair, choking up, waiting for the moment to end.
It was a warm reminder that for all the lionizing of Stewart’s TV
persona over the years, he’s always been happy to share the spotlight.
anyone but himself—and he almost succeeded. On Thursday, Stewart
wheeled out a parade of current and former correspondents, aired taped
goodbyes from longtime rivals, and paid tribute to the show’s
behind-the-scenes crew with a lengthy, faux-single-shot segment. When
his longtime correspondent and friend Stephen Colbert appeared to give
an impromptu speech about Stewart’s contribution to their lives, the
host squirmed in his chair, choking up, waiting for the moment to end.
It was a warm reminder that for all the lionizing of Stewart’s TV
persona over the years, he’s always been happy to share the spotlight.
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Sure,
there were many moments during his tenure where Stewart would use the
show as a platform to bring about change he cared about. Every look back
at the history of The Daily Show includes his impassioned on-air rant against CNN’s Crossfire (which led to its swift cancellation),
his advocacy for the James Zadroga Act that provides healthcare for
Ground Zero workers, his “Rally to Restore Sanity” on the Washington
Mall. But Stewart was first and foremost a comedian, and from start to
finish, it was clear he took the most delight in playing the befuddled
straight man as his correspondents and guests acted out opposite him.
there were many moments during his tenure where Stewart would use the
show as a platform to bring about change he cared about. Every look back
at the history of The Daily Show includes his impassioned on-air rant against CNN’s Crossfire (which led to its swift cancellation),
his advocacy for the James Zadroga Act that provides healthcare for
Ground Zero workers, his “Rally to Restore Sanity” on the Washington
Mall. But Stewart was first and foremost a comedian, and from start to
finish, it was clear he took the most delight in playing the befuddled
straight man as his correspondents and guests acted out opposite him.
When Stewart took over The Daily Show
in 1999, it was nothing more than a Comedy Central take on the classic
late-night show, crunched into a bite-sized half-hour and focusing
mostly on the day’s pop-culture tidbits. Under Craig Kilborn, it was a
lot of Monica Lewinsky jokes and segments like “This Day in Hasselhoff
History.” Stewart refocused on news and politics and allowed
correspondents like Colbert to define their own “characters” on the
show. That way, their bits together felt less like scripted banter and
more like an ongoing dialogue between Stewart’s sane but exasperated host and the ever-louder, ever-crazier voices of the pundit world.
in 1999, it was nothing more than a Comedy Central take on the classic
late-night show, crunched into a bite-sized half-hour and focusing
mostly on the day’s pop-culture tidbits. Under Craig Kilborn, it was a
lot of Monica Lewinsky jokes and segments like “This Day in Hasselhoff
History.” Stewart refocused on news and politics and allowed
correspondents like Colbert to define their own “characters” on the
show. That way, their bits together felt less like scripted banter and
more like an ongoing dialogue between Stewart’s sane but exasperated host and the ever-louder, ever-crazier voices of the pundit world.
It
was a beat that seemed to expand with every passing year the show
aired, but Stewart’s frustration always stayed on the same even keel
that he showed on that Crossfire appearance.
While he was happy to joke around about it night after night, he
genuinely thought the nightly structure of a right vs. left debate that
played out on news channels was harming the country. When Stewart
announced his decision to retire from The Daily Show
earlier this year, he referenced a growing weariness at his role as
cable-news watchdog, saying, “This show doesn’t deserve an even slightly
restless host and neither do you.” As he signed off, that weariness was
apparent.
was a beat that seemed to expand with every passing year the show
aired, but Stewart’s frustration always stayed on the same even keel
that he showed on that Crossfire appearance.
While he was happy to joke around about it night after night, he
genuinely thought the nightly structure of a right vs. left debate that
played out on news channels was harming the country. When Stewart
announced his decision to retire from The Daily Show
earlier this year, he referenced a growing weariness at his role as
cable-news watchdog, saying, “This show doesn’t deserve an even slightly
restless host and neither do you.” As he signed off, that weariness was
apparent.
“Bullshit
is everywhere,” Stewart told the camera in last night’s episode, his
one big sendoff moment that actually focused on him, a final screed
against a polarized news media and obfuscating political class that
drove him so gently mad over the last 16-and-a-half years. “The good
news is this: bullshitters have gotten pretty lazy, and their work is
easily detected. And looking for it is kind of a pleasant way to pass
the time, like an I Spy of bullshit. So I say to you tonight, my
friends, the best defense against bullshit is vigilance—so if you smell
something, say something.”
is everywhere,” Stewart told the camera in last night’s episode, his
one big sendoff moment that actually focused on him, a final screed
against a polarized news media and obfuscating political class that
drove him so gently mad over the last 16-and-a-half years. “The good
news is this: bullshitters have gotten pretty lazy, and their work is
easily detected. And looking for it is kind of a pleasant way to pass
the time, like an I Spy of bullshit. So I say to you tonight, my
friends, the best defense against bullshit is vigilance—so if you smell
something, say something.”
Stewart’s
rants served to grab the audience by the lapels and remind them not to
listen to the noise of cable news, that the correct answer was usually
the most rational one.
rants served to grab the audience by the lapels and remind them not to
listen to the noise of cable news, that the correct answer was usually
the most rational one.
It
was the kind of speech (to his old friend, Camera Three) that Stewart
often delivered, sometimes manic, sometimes sarcastic, in his tenure on
the show. In later years, these monologues
became their own strange form of online content, producing endless
streams of aggregated articles demanding the viewer watch him “destroy” or “eviscerate”
some politician or pressing issue. But Stewart (to his credit) was
never much of an online creature. His rants served not to destroy, but
to shake the viewer out of a supposed reverie, to grab the audience by
the lapels and remind them not to listen to the noise of cable news,
that the correct answer was usually the most rational one.
was the kind of speech (to his old friend, Camera Three) that Stewart
often delivered, sometimes manic, sometimes sarcastic, in his tenure on
the show. In later years, these monologues
became their own strange form of online content, producing endless
streams of aggregated articles demanding the viewer watch him “destroy” or “eviscerate”
some politician or pressing issue. But Stewart (to his credit) was
never much of an online creature. His rants served not to destroy, but
to shake the viewer out of a supposed reverie, to grab the audience by
the lapels and remind them not to listen to the noise of cable news,
that the correct answer was usually the most rational one.
Over
the years, younger audiences came to rely on Stewart as some strange
blend of moral polestar and media truth-teller. Stewart liked to loudly
insist that The Daily Show was
just “the fake news,” and that he was a simple joke-huckster having a
little fun at Fox News’s expense, but by the time he was staging a rally
on the Washington Mall, he clearly had an understanding of his
generational appeal. The way he stayed relevant, though, was by keeping
the show light and funny 99 percent of the time, allowing new crops of
correspondents to come through and make their own stamps on the show,
and never hijacking his fame for cheap hits.
the years, younger audiences came to rely on Stewart as some strange
blend of moral polestar and media truth-teller. Stewart liked to loudly
insist that The Daily Show was
just “the fake news,” and that he was a simple joke-huckster having a
little fun at Fox News’s expense, but by the time he was staging a rally
on the Washington Mall, he clearly had an understanding of his
generational appeal. The way he stayed relevant, though, was by keeping
the show light and funny 99 percent of the time, allowing new crops of
correspondents to come through and make their own stamps on the show,
and never hijacking his fame for cheap hits.
So while Stewart’s farewell monologue
on bullshit was certainly on brand, Colbert’s unscripted goodbye
(which, delightfully, caught Stewart off-guard) was the emotional high
point of the evening. “We learned from you by example how to do a show
with intention, how to work with clarity, how to treat people with
respect,” Colbert said as Stewart buried his face in his hands. “I know
you are not asking for this, but on behalf of so many people whose lives
you changed over the past 16 years: Thank you.”
on bullshit was certainly on brand, Colbert’s unscripted goodbye
(which, delightfully, caught Stewart off-guard) was the emotional high
point of the evening. “We learned from you by example how to do a show
with intention, how to work with clarity, how to treat people with
respect,” Colbert said as Stewart buried his face in his hands. “I know
you are not asking for this, but on behalf of so many people whose lives
you changed over the past 16 years: Thank you.”
Though Colbert was speaking for the large cast and crew who have passed through The Daily Show studio
over the years, he also tapped into the sentiments of a grateful
audience. Like Carson or Letterman, Stewart defined intelligent
broadcast comedy for a generation of TV-watchers, and his show always
had the kind of intent, clarity and intelligence Colbert spoke of,
defined by a community larger than its titular star. For 16 years, The Daily Show was
a reliable source of perceptive criticism that never forgot to be
funny, and that alone is an achievement the medium may find impossible
to match.
over the years, he also tapped into the sentiments of a grateful
audience. Like Carson or Letterman, Stewart defined intelligent
broadcast comedy for a generation of TV-watchers, and his show always
had the kind of intent, clarity and intelligence Colbert spoke of,
defined by a community larger than its titular star. For 16 years, The Daily Show was
a reliable source of perceptive criticism that never forgot to be
funny, and that alone is an achievement the medium may find impossible
to match.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/08/daily-show-jon-stewart-final-episode/400724/
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