Mondays With Jon Stewart

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't get why the talking heads on cable news think the election is about policy at all. The elections haven't been since what? 2008? If that? 1996 probably. 

We got detailed policy plans in 2016. 

I think lean mostly left here, but it seems to be only one side is being held to specifics. 

 

Edited October 1 by DoctorAtomic

[DoctorAtomic]

I liked how frank the Politifact guy was - yes, Republicans lie more than Democrats. The stats are in the book. Interesting that he traced it back to Gingrich, but I can buy it. That was the first time the House was flipped in 40 something years, and he had a win at all costs attitude in shutting down the government. 

One thing I would have liked is to learn how they determine a lie. Politicians do spin, but I don't think that's outright lying. Pointing out favorable economic indicators isn't necessarily lying. Saying, they're eating the dogs, is totally lying. That's way different. 

And the lies are only one half of it. People need to be able to see through that too, in part. 

I think part of the problem is that people just don't know how government works to be able to say, they can't they use FEMA money for that because Congress only authorized it for disaster relief. 

 

[Ottis]

On 6/6/2024 at 12:17 AM, Bastet said:

I do think time has passed his particular style by, and he's even more plagued by false equivalencies and trivial distractions now

That's really well put, and it is why I quit watching him back when he hosted the show. There is plenty of legit material about Trump and his minions to call out without, say, ranting about Trump at a McDonald's fry machine noting workers make "4.25 an hour." Yes he said this was over decades, but if you are citing the minimum wage in 1991-1996, say so, or cite today's rate. The needless hyperbole is constant.

On 10/1/2024 at 12:15 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

I think lean mostly left here, but it seems to be only one side is being held to specifics. 

Which side is that? Because if it is the right, there are no specifics. It changes based on Trump's whim and need. If it is the left, we have quite a few specifics now, enough that I don't agree with some Harris policies. It doesn't matter, because I can't vote for Trump, but still.

Edited October 22 by Ottis

[possibilities]

I think when Jon came back to host Mondays, he was treating politics like it was a game. It really annoyed me. But this week and increasingly over the past few, I think he's figured out either that he was wrong about that, or that his ratings were tanking due to him acting that way. 

He seems to be showing an understanding of the seriousness now,  even as he's missing things like the current minimum wage. Last night he said flat out that there's a double standard, and only one side is being asked to be more specific, or is being treated like what they say is serious, and he's naming names and citing examples of what is terrifying and what is bullshit.

I do agree that there are a lot more people these days doing the job he used to do, and many are doing it better and more consistently. But I also think he's improved a lot since he first came back, and my sense of it is that he genuinely has become very out of touch and was not paying attention before, and now he is trying to catch up, but he's also still halfway out the door anyway, so when he hits it, he's good but he is also kind of sloppy so he doesn't always hit.

I think he wants to "just be funny" but when you are talking about real things with real consequences, you have to sober up and think harder about what you are doing, and he seems like he's kind of ambivalent about that role.

[Sarah 103]

6 hours ago, Ottis said:

Because if it is the right, there are no specifics. It changes based on Trump's whim and need. If it is the left, we have quite a few specifics now, enough that I don't agree with some Harris policies. It doesn't matter, because I can't vote for Trump, but still.

Also, you may not agree with some of the policies Harris has announced, but she has announced clear policies on many issues and explained in some cases how she is going to pay for them. 

Will Jon Stewart host on election night? 

[DoctorAtomic]

7 hours ago, possibilities said:

Last night he said flat out that there's a double standard, and only one side is being asked to be more specific, or is being treated like what they say is serious, and he's naming names and citing examples of what is terrifying and what is bullshit.

Maybe he read my note! That one's on the house. Next will cost ya!

As for doing his 'job', it's a comedy show about the news for me with political satire, which I've always loved since I first saw Dennis Miller on Saturday Night Live. There shouldn't be any more of a job than delivering jokes/satire. I'm not a 'both sides' guy, but I do think both sides should be skewered if that's where the jokes are. Just so happens, there's one side where more of the jokes are. That's fine. Bill Clinton bore a ton of it (remember how quaint that impeachment was?), then W. Now, it's quite the shift where the jokes are. 

I live in reality, and people do take The Daily Show seriously. To be fair, and I'm not a 'blame the media' guy either, but the media has done an overall poor job this election cycle. The Daily Show has actually had better insight at times. However, I don't really think cable news is news-news, more than it's entertainment news anyway. There's a larger social context on the role of our news, and I think they all need to take a hard look at one another and think about the real damage over the last 6-8 years or so.

I do think there's some exhaustion setting in, but it's taken a long time to get there. 

I don't know if anyone remembers, but Michelle Wolf was dead on in her White House Correspondents' Dinner then, and it's decayed further now. 

Edited October 23 by DoctorAtomic

[purist]

I loved Jon this week. The first part of the show had me laughing out loud several times, and you can bet I screamed with horror when the camera panned out to reveal fake Drumpf in bed with Jon at the end.

I haven't seen an extended interview with Tim Walz before, but damn he's just so likeable, and so clear on what he stands for. I want to hug him.

[gesundheit]

The Walz interview was great. I was a little miffed at Jon for trying to get Walz to criticize places/people (Saginaw/Cheneys) it would impolitic for Walz to criticize right now, but of course that's the game and Walz handled it well.

Anyone who's concerned Stewart isn't taking this all deadly seriously and doing his homework should check out his Weekly Show. It's very in-depth, very wonky, very serious, and has nothing to do with satire/comedy. It's excellent.

Does anyone know the plan down the road for this show? When the Jon Stewart Returns announcement was made, it was a vague "until the election," but does that really mean we lose him in 2 weeks??

[Palimelon]

Quote

I loved Jon this week. The first part of the show had me laughing out loud several times, and you can bet I screamed with horror when the camera panned out to reveal fake Drumpf in bed with Jon at the end.

I've been liking his return overall. The once a week format suits him well.

[gesundheit]

Guess we get to keep our Mondays for a while! https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/jon-stewart-daily-show-extension-through-2025-1236046622/

[Lantern7]

I hope Jon survives the election. I know that he exaggerates for the cameras, but I can see this cycle is pushing the aging process even further. Jessica Williams appearance for the win.

One downside is that this video didn't air. It's from the show's Facebook feed, so I can't embed here. I'm sure it'll make YouTube soon.

Are we getting a live episode next Tuesday?

[gesundheit]

10 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

I hope Jon survives the election. I know that he exaggerates for the cameras, but I can see this cycle is pushing the aging process even further. Jessica Williams appearance for the win.

One downside is that this video didn't air. It's from the show's Facebook feed, so I can't embed here. I'm sure it'll make YouTube soon.

Are we getting a live episode next Tuesday?

I believe so, yes. I think Jon is hosting, too. (That's why he said last night that it was his last show before the election -- there will be a show this coming Monday but someone else is hosting.)

 

I knew this would happen and predictably it did -- social media is outraged because last night Jon said Tony Hinchliffe was funny. Cue furious liberals insisting Jon is one of the bad guys now and "part of the problem" and that they've refused to watch him since his return (so how do they know??). No context provided, of course, about the fact that he showed a different clip and said he thought it was funny. He certainly didn't say the Trump rally jokes were funny! But we've got high-profile people out there fanning the flames about it anyway.

 

Klepper's special last night was excellent. I can't believe that Trump supporter didn't burst into flames when he said Harris is a pure narcissist.

[DoctorAtomic]

It's context though. People go to roasts to expect to be insulted. Jokes at a roast aren't comedians' usual acts. I don't have a problem with Jon laughing at the roast jokes, but they were derivative and bland. Why would you make an ovens joke at Gronk, when the real material is that he's a jock meathead? Or, you make the ovens joke, but then the punchline is that you explain the Holocaust in detail to Gronk because he doesn't know anything about WWII. 

Everyone is focusing on Garbage Island, but he made a way way worse crack after. Also, if he's doing roast jokes, then you'd be roasting Trump, Miller, Guliani because you roast the people that are actually there. 

A better joke is at a political rally is, if Harris shoots a burglar trying to break into her house, does she take her own gun away? Or, I was at Mark Robinson's house and needed to use the bathroom, but I didn't know which one to use. They all were crammed full with trans whores! Those are roast jokes. 

[Bastet]

On 10/29/2024 at 10:19 AM, DoctorAtomic said:

It's context though. People go to roasts to expect to be insulted. Jokes at a roast aren't comedians' usual acts. I don't have a problem with Jon laughing at the roast jokes, but they were derivative and bland. Why would you make an ovens joke at Gronk, when the real material is that he's a jock meathead? Or, you make the ovens joke, but then the punchline is that you explain the Holocaust in detail to Gronk because he doesn't know anything about WWII. 

Everyone is focusing on Garbage Island, but he made a way way worse crack after. Also, if he's doing roast jokes, then you'd be roasting Trump, Miller, Guliani because you roast the people that are actually there. 

I just watched Jon's segment on this, and, yeah, it was completely tone deaf.  Because Hinchcliffe is (allegedly) funny in a roast, somehow inviting him to speak at a Trump rally without roasting - which means roasting everyone but Trump, mind you - is somehow equivalent to inviting Beyoncé to speak at a Harris rally without singing and so what did we all expect?  Fuck off.

It was a stupid, false equivalency instance to which he's been prone his entire tenure, and that he used to do it X times per 5 days/week a season is different than doing it X times per weekly appearance doesn't negate the fundamental problem despite all the good he brings to the show.

The rest of his episode was good, blasting anti-immigrant bullshit and bringing back the fantastic Jessica Williams, but he can't complain if that got lost in coverage of his opening stupidity.

[Lantern7]

I found the title for Tuesday night's extended episode: “The Daily Show Presents A Live Election Night Special With Jon Stewart: Indecision 2024: Nothing We Can Do About It Now.”

That sounds about right.

[shok]

Jesus Jon. Let her finish a sentence and make her point.

I'm so tired of him bashing the Democrats all the time.

[DXD526]

I've about had it with Jon. I've been watching him for nearly 20 years, but he's really trying my patience. Delivery-wise, his style has degenerated into him basically shouting everything, and politically, his morphing into Dennis Miller is nearly complete. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't know if I'd go as far as Miller, but Jon certainly missed the mark last night. I'm not sure if he forgot how politics worked or what, but this whole pardon issue is just so low on my meter. A politician went back on his word? In the lame duck session of his term? 

Presidents have wide latitude issuing pardons; typically, when they feel there's some injustice done. Also, acceptance of a pardon is still an admission of guilt. Here, Hunter is already convicted and stays convicted. There's no automatic innocence. One could argue that he was pursued a little much being a Biden; no one is saying he's innocent. So what? 

Sure, I would have said, "I don't know what I'm going to do. He's my son" You can criticize about the future charges in this pardon too. But literally no one is talking about this by the Inauguration, let alone by xmas. 

All this 'moral high ground' argument is just as invalid as 'norms'. If a norm is so important, make it a rule or law. What is moral high ground? This 'We know better' holier than thou attitude cost the election in part. Why is Biden held to some higher standard. I'm not saying get in the mud, two wrongs make a right. I'd say the best you can do is be the adult in the room and don't worry about 'morality' in politics. There wasn't any moral high ground in this election. It was 'we aren't going to trash democracy; they're talking about using the government to pursue political enemies.' That should have been enough, but, you know, the price of eggs got everyone bent out of shape. 

I'm glad, when she could actually talk, that Yates pointed out the massive false equivalencies in the arguments. Let's not forget when Biden found documents in his garage, Pence also found some too. And, there was an investigation in to Biden. I think the main point is that we classify too much, but both of them notified the FBI as soon as they found out. No harm, no foul. Not even remotely the same as deliberately taking documents then lying about having them and SHOWING some of them to other people. Come on. 

I do agree people would just like plain spoken politicians, but I don't think it's fair to apply less standards unequally. 

I mean, dial it down and look at the bigger picture.

'chrissakes, you got Stewart over here, clutching on them pearls like Mary Todd Lincoln at a seance.' (That's my Dennis Miller impersonation over the internet. Not bad, eh?) 

Edited December 3 by DoctorAtomic

[DanaMB]

I turned off last night’s episode before Jon even finished. I think I’m done with him. 

[shapeshifter]

I'm still catching up. There were some good points and zingers in his Pardon bit, like:

• [Jon paraphrasing Donald] Oh, you pardoned your son. Well, what about the people who tried to help me overthrow the government?
• [Jon's response] That's kind of a leap there. It's like going, you know, oh, you're going to let the kids stay up to watch SNL, but you're not even going to try to help me burn the neighbor's house down?(https://youtu.be/V5BcIHPMAHw?si=rPrBAZsQm36hPDeL&t=399)

 

ETA: Jon's interview with Sally Yates was interesting; she seems to be, as Mom would put it, "a sharp cookie," and she has a relatable laugh. 

 

Edited December 4 by shapeshifter

[Bastet]

Jon can fuck right off.  He has one episode a week and this is what he chooses to harp on?  This show is supposed to call the media out for its BS - like frothing about the pardon of Hunter Biden rather than noting it happened and moving on to discussing the autocratic nightmare that is Trump's collection of nominees - not emulate it.

[possibilities]

I fast forwarded when I saw what he was doing, but I tried to hang in for the Sally Yates interview. But when he said "to be fair" a certain someone thinks that HE's the victim of what he's doing to others.... It just pisses me off because just because someone thinks something, or says something, doesn't mean it's true. And if you're going to use your megaphone to amplify it, you ought to know the difference.

I deleted the episode and I'm not going to give him another chance. I hope the Monday ratings plummet so low that they cancel his Monday gig once and for all. He's lazy, irresponsible, and not even funny anymore.

Even if he occasionally sprinkles in a funny line or a smidgen of insight, it's not enough to counter the 90% garbage.

 

[DoctorAtomic]

On 12/3/2024 at 5:12 PM, shapeshifter said:

Jon's interview with Sally Yates was interesting; she seems to be, as Mom would put it, "a sharp cookie," and she has a relatable laugh. 

Yates has been on the Daily Show a bunch of times before with Trevor. She's always been good.

 

[possibilities]

Jimmy Kimmel was smarter last night than Jon was on Monday. How times have changed! I used to think Kimmel was a useless frat boy. Now I enjoy his commentary more often than not.

[Sarah 103]

People can grow up and change. At one point, Jimmy Kimmel may have been a useless frat boy, but those days are long behind him. He grew up and matured. 

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

People can grow up and change. At one point, Jimmy Kimmel may have been a useless frat boy, but those days are long behind him. He grew up and matured. 

Yes, but every once in a while this show does one of their on-the-street bits that crosses the line into territory that seems to think it’s funny to embarrass people on national TV for being uninformed.

[Ms Lark]

I've been thinking for a while that I like the episodes with the usual crew better than any with Jon. I just can't relate to his style or humor. I guess he's the "big draw" and probably makes more in one episode than the rest of them combined all week. I could really do without him and just have the revolving rota. Take his salary and divide it among the cast (and crew). That's just me, I'm sure TPTB feel differently.

[gesundheit]

I definitely prefer Jon's The Weekly Show to his Mondays on The Daily Show. On TWS he doesn't have the pressure of comedy (even though he just naturally inserts it from time to time), he's not delivering anyone else's writing while feeling like he has to punch it up with physical humor, and he gets to do a wonderful deep dive with incredibly intelligent guests. I still really like him -- maybe more than before as a political observer (anyone who's convinced he's drifted center is definitely not checking out TWS), but far less than before as a poitical satirist. 

 

I'd like Klepper to take over, though it may be an impolitic choice if they're choosing strictly from the current rotation.

[SusieQ]

Klepper would be great and he truly needs to be rewarded after all the rallies he had to attend. How he survived that is a miracle!

[Barbarblacksheep]

As much as I really like all the current correspondents (except for Grace, but I know I'm in the minority there), Klepper would be my choice for permanent host as well.

[SoMuchTV]

17 minutes ago, Barbarblacksheep said:

As much as I really like all the current correspondents (except for Grace, but I know I'm in the minority there), Klepper would be my choice for permanent host as well.

I gotta say, I think I prefer the current rotation to picking a single permanent host. And re:Grace, I’m not sure if she’s not my favorite based on her actual skills, or because she seems to be getting the assignments I tend to think of as, well, dumb? Because she’s the new kid?  Now if she’s pitching and getting her own bits then that would help me decide. 
 

oops, just realized I’m in the Monday thread. Moving to the general season thread.  

Edited December 14 by SoMuchTV