Ah, Jonny, we hardly knew ye. Even after 16 years.
I saw this coming a while back. His was a fine line to walk with an impossible burden to bear — being both a comedian and a newsman at the same time. He knew it was wrong, but he did it anyway.
And Jon Stewart was very good at it, for a very long time.
But it had become clear that he’d lost his enthusiasm for professional multiple-personality disorder — Am I a comedian? A newsman? Something else entirely? — and the nightly performance anxiety must have been withering, with acolytes and assholes alike hanging on his every word.
The targets of his barbs will be cackling with glee and flinging a few feeble darts of their own in his direction as he departs. That will be irksome, but not as irksome as wondering who — if anyone — can follow Jon Stewart’s act.
What, now we have to start paying attention to the real news? That shit don’t be funny, yo.
• Editor’s note: The video up top may be Jon Stewart’s first interview. It’s a clip from the special “George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy,” which first aired in February 1997. If you’ve never seen it, check Kindly Old Doc Google. You probably won’t find the entire thing in one place, but there are bits here and here and here.
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George went away. Shit. But at least Obama is honest.
You already know the riposte to that one.
Mark Twain. H L Mencken. Will Rogers. Jon Stewart. Very short list there.
I think Hunter S. Thompson deserves a spot on that list. The early version, anyway. Also P.J. O’Rourke, if only for “Parliament of Whores.”
“Finally someone is being held to account for misleading America about the Iraq War.”
So well said.
+1 Now if they could just get the rest of ’em. They’ll certainly find someone else to host the show, I thought it was pretty good with Kilborn back-in-the-day, so I hope it continues and creates a new career for someone. Maybe Brian Williams could take it over?
People will be laughing at Brian Williams for a very long time, but not because he wants them to.
Yeah, poor guy, laughing all the way to the bank. He gets 6 months off and what…. only $2.5 million instead of working all year for something like $5 million? I wish someone would “punish” me like that.
Dude signed for $10 million per year, if memory serves. I’m 55, and down to $5 mil’ per annum, I’m starting to think about plasma centers and pawnshops, how’bout you?
Shit, $10 Mill here, $10 Mill there, and pretty soon you’re talking big money. $10 Mill in a lifetime of work would’ve tickled the shit out of me.
The good news about Stewart stepping down?
Death to Smoochie 2!
Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! He shoots, he scores!
NOOOOOOO!!! Damn, now I’ll have to watch the real news. My TV won’t survive.
Gonna miss Jon but I’ve been wondering if this was coming for a few years…sigh. Well we still have Daily Show alum, and funny Brit, Mr. Oliver over on HBO doing “Last Week Tonight” . I really hope someone steps in to keep on making us laugh and skewering those in need of it.
And Bill Maher’s REAL TIME.