Jon's Final Show: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

[VCRTracking]

Vance Degeneres and Mo Rocca! Seeing them again really, REALLY took me back, man!  Also Dave Atell is apparently three feet tall. So glad to see most everybody come back especially Wyatt. Stephen hit me in the feels.

 

I'm going to miss Jon a lot but he's earned a rest.
 

Everybody dancing to "Born to Run" at the end was perfect.

 

They say the SNL cast  you watched when were young will always be your favorite and I think it applies to TDS correspondents. Along with Jon I heart for life:

Edited August 7, 2015 by VCRTracking

[LADreamr]

I'm a mess. I knew I'd be sad, but it hurts even worse than I thought it would. You may have been a selfish conversation hog, Jon, but we greedily soaked up every word, and would have listened for years to come.

I don't think I've missed a single episode of Jon's run. It was so much more than just a show.

The Stephen/Jon love was often the best part of the show and tonight didn't disappoint. Thank God we get Stephen back next month.

I'll be more articulate tomorrow. :(

Edited August 8, 2015 by LADreamr

[The Luvly Junkie]

As one great satirist has quoted, "The human race only has one effective weapon, and that is laughter". 

 

Forgive me if I'm late joining the love puddle after watching Jon's final episode and (whew) I'm still recovering after the tears following Jonny-bun's final remarks. I really don't know what else to comprehend considering what has been said about the finale and everything is said and done before me. All I can say is that Jonny-bun's resiliency and pokery against bullshit for 16 is truly a remarkable feat. But like every weapon it has its limits which doesn't last forever, and so we must let one weapon retire before completely breaking it and to bring the next potential conduit of clownery to the field of bullshit. Or mountain. Either works. 

 

I feel like I need to break down my thoughts into the 4 segments that bestowed on me four emotions/reactions:

 

Segment 1: Anticipation and Fanatic Hype. I was giddy all day waiting to see if TDS will bring back all the correspondent alumni, keeping in mind the promise between Steve Carell and Jonny-bun in 2011. After watching the feed, all I wanted to say is "Hellz Yeah". And I fanatically kept that feeling all the way until the end of the correspondents' reunion. And it was just clever that they amalgamated the number of Republicans from the GOP debate into recruiting more than the 3 house correspondents (MsJWilly, 'Baby' Hasan, and 6 ft Pretty Boy) to follow the remaining candidates' headquarters. And just seeing the older alumni reminiscing or splicing their best/modern works just shows the variety of voices that have moved on to be amazing people. And cake. Because sugar just adds to the bittersweetness of my tears. Funny enough, I didn't cry the whole segment knowing that Stephen had more to say. And just seeing the enormous group reminds me of a retiring teacher's best pupils appreciating him for starting the engines of their own successes. 

         Too bad no one mentioned Jason Jones' video message and his obvious promotion for his and Sam's show "The Detour" on TBS (wink-wink), but it didn't feel incongruent since Bassem Youssef also made a 'video' message, too. It felt fluid and 100% a$$hole Superstar Jason. Hopefully I'm not alone anticipating Sam and Jason's show.

 

Segment 2: Nostalgia and Humility. I didn't cry in this segment mostly because I can totally understand the sentiments and importance of a crew who help construct the show. Kinda like working behind the scenes of a school play, just seeing the crew doing what they do reminds me of the honor and contentment in the work they do every day. I'm glad they're all gonna stick around especially because they have their own individual humor and charisma I wanna see outside the Twitter and Instagram accounts. And if I had to pick a favorite moment from that segment, it would be Daniel Radosh and his "quiet hour". If I had the effort in what I write, I would love to work for him, or at least buy him coffee.

 

Segment 3: Pre-finality and Enlightenment. Since I'm still in college studying and trying to piece out my career path, I was glad Jonny-bun clarified the flaws or "Bullshit" of society and the open-ended option to be vigilant. It finally dawned on me how I can finally face my critics and opponents without being pretentious or letting my emotions tell people what to do (Rolling Eyes to Fox News). It gave me a reality check as well as hope to facing my future without being selfish or weak. 

 

Segment 4: Complete Meltdown. After Jon's final words about the continuation of the conversation, it gave a sense of hope, not just for Trevor and what he will bring to TDS, but for all who are people. Perhaps what Jon said in the final act implies that the teacher has no more to teach, and now it's our job, as a viewer, as a fan, as a person who can think, to carry out these values of decency and well-thought conversations into our own lives. As for Springsteen, yeah I don't listen to him as much, but I do appreciate his lyrics embodying the perspective of the underdog which cleverly equates to Jonny-bun. And I bawled. Hard.

 

So yeah. To everyone who thought that I was batshit crazy for fangirl-obsessing over correspondents or thoughts that veneer from the subject at hand as well my poor researching skills, I understand why you don't agree with me. But it's fine, because it's my experience and sometimes the things I write are too wordy or too complicated to respond to. Either way, I appreciate you guys for own thoughts and beliefs and sharing them in this site.

 

And to conclude this incredibly long post: I hope you guys bathe and swallow in your own orgies tomorrow because your "liberal-valued" man is gone, Fox News. Also, Trump is far from escaping his assigned title. Even if Jonny-bun retired doesn't mean we can't continue using it; until you decide to quit, we shall not forget thee, F*%kface Von Clownstick. :)

[SpiritSong]

I enjoyed the McCain cameo, complete with Jon Stewart puppet.  The first time he's been on the show since, what, early 2008?  Or was it earlier than that?

I despise John McCain but I have to admit that was pretty funny.

[vibeology]

That whole episode was amazing! I was smiling the whole time. Watching all the correspondents come back was like having all my babies come home. Its just incredible to be reminded of the talent that been on this show all these years making us laugh. Even with this show gone, look at how Jon's legacy has spread through TV, film and comedy. 

 

As far as Jon's goodbye, I feel like its been going on since the show came back for its final run and this was just the very last act in these three weeks. I loved Stephen's words of thanks, loved Jon highlighting the crew and the final dance party was so happy.

 

I really do believe Jon has changed the way an entire generation comes at media and politics. For the last 16 year, he's been giving us a toolkit to interact with our world. I think it started out a bit of an accident, but he slowly showed us how to recognize corruption, call out bad journalism, how to engage, meaningfully, with political issues and how to let yourself be angry and sad in the face of tragedy. I know what to do because of Jon. I'm happy for him and I'm glad he left on his own terms. He's been looking tired these past few years. Ed Helms is right to ban him from the institute. I'm happy that Jon can choose to turn off the TV as this election cycle unleashes its crazy. 

[fauxphysician]

Loved, loved, LOVED everything .....except Trevor's appearance/bit. It re-enforced him as the interloper for me...I know that that's not his fault, but that's how I feel. He may be successful-- I hope that he is-- but he'll never, ever 'measure' up to Jon.

[Peace 47]

I said this about Stephen's last show, but just to repeat myself, seeing Jon's last show made me nostalgic on a personal level because my mom (who died a few years ago), and I used to watch (and laugh over) these shows together. My mom had great taste in TV.

It was great to see all the correspondents together and really appreciate the influence that the show's talent has had on modern comedy. It's also amazing that the show is as relevant today as it was 5, 10, 15 years ago.

[ABay]

The Scorsese Goodfellas thing was about the long tracking shot? I thought his threat to sue was about Jon's Jersey mob-guy accent.

 

I didn't hear a lot of the lines because someone was sobbing...oh, right...that was me...so I'll have to rewatch this afternoon. With sangria and @midnight right after. And reading all the post-it notes I've stuck up saying "Stephen 9/8".

 

Enjoy the farm and family, Jon. If I smell something I will say something. Maybe we need bracelets with that one side and WWJD on the other to get us through 2016.

Edited August 7, 2015 by ABay

[BusyOctober]

What is the big rift between Wyatt & Jon some of you have mentioned? 

 

It's always sad when a favorite show ends and it's easy for some fans to be disappointed in the finale, but I think this send off hit all the right notes.  I don't knw what could have been done differently. I figured we'd be treated to a look back to all the correspondents, but I was still smiling like a loon as each one came on camera.

 

 Loved seeing Bruce and I sobbed out loud when Max handed Jon the drum sticks.  I also dropped a few tears seeing Jon dance with his kids.  Bye and thanks Jon Stewart!

[Jediknight]

That was complete perfection.  There's no other way around it.  Loved the correspondent cavalcade, the return of Gitmo (would have been great to get Puppet Michael Steele back), McCain with Puppet Stewart, all the Arby's jokes having a payoff with the commercial during the previous episode and the CEO tonight and the Arby's delivery, meeting the behind the scenes people, and Jon's Moment of Zen.

 

When we heard that British lady "Hello!" I may have done a fist pump.

 

Jon may be retiring, but with Oliver, Larry Wilmore, Jordan, Jessica, and Hasan, his influence will continue to be felt.

 

You just lost Jon, Daily Show and Comedy Central.  Whatever Jessica, Jordan, and Hasan are making, they're worth every penny and more.  When their contracts come up, give them what they want, I have a feeling they won't make you regret it.

Edited August 7, 2015 by Jediknight

[Primetimer]

Jon Stewart's final Daily Show pays tribute to all the good fellas behind the scenes.

Read the story

[teddysmom]

COME ON CORDDRY!!!!

 

Riggle!!  Carell  & Nancy!!  Wyatt!! (yay I'm glad they made up)  Jesus they even brought back Kilbourne!!  

 

And then you top it off with Springsteen & the E Street Band playing Born to Run? Are you fucking kidding me??! 

 

Perfection. 

 

Except for the part where Jon won't be there any more.  

[alynch]

The initial setup of them reporting on the debate reminded me of this old Mo Rocca bit:

 

http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/vmssbe/state-of-the-union

[Morrigan2575]

Wow, this really got me.  I've been watching The Daily Show since Kilborn, I remember when he left for CBS (I think) and everyone was unsure of this Jon Stewart guy.  I loved this finale and it was amazing to see all the correspondents together again, even Olivia Munn who was on for a few weeks and really didn't seem to fit the show. 

 

This was a wonderfully sad goodbye but it certainly made me laugh.  It was lovely to see Oliver, Wilcox and Colbert show up in the send off, especially Colbert's goodbye.  As a Jersey girl, Bruce is always the perfect choice, so I totally get why Stewart picked him.  I wonder if they're farms are next to each other?  LOL

 

Things that made me Laugh: Darth Vadar, Gitmo (always loved him), John McCain - sorry it cracked me up, Arby's
Things that made me sad: The ode to the Crew, Colbert's unscripted send off and Jon's final goodbye.

 

BTW - Did anyone else notice that Arby's now has a Jon Stewart sandwich?  I saw a commercial for it the other day...cracked me up.

[MrWhyt]

The Scorsese Goodfellas thing was about the long tracking shot? I thought his threat to sue was about Jon's Jersey mob-guy accent.

A long tracking shot with a voice over introducing the various people popping up in it is a pretty notable bit from Scorses's Goodfellas.

[HelenBaby]

Oh I almost forgot about the poor people behind the scenes who have to watch the news channels with blood streaming from their eyes. Hilarious.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Last night was everything I'd hoped for and more.

 

I am sad today. And tired. Exhausted actually. I watched it live and got about 3 hours of sleep before I had to be up to come to work this morning.

 

I especially loved seeing Stephen Colbert and saying, no we're not going to commercial. *sniff*

 

And even though I know it won't happen, I want Jon to be Stephen's first guest on his new show.

 

I watched the marathon while waiting for 11:00 to roll around, and have kept most of them. The one where Stephen and Jon call their lawyer about money for Stephen's Super Pac, The first show after 9-11, and yes, Jon's meltdown over Trump using a fork to eat pizza. I laughed so hard.

 

The group hug. Loved it.

 

I'm glad I also recorded this, because I tried to find Jon in the crowd while Bruce was playing and only saw him briefly hug a woman--couldn't tell if it was his wife, or someone from his staff...did not see him dancing with his kids, so I will definitely go back to see if I can catch it second go-round.

[dubbel zout]

Jesus they even brought back Kilbourne!!

He had a very Playboy Mansion vibe going on. Ew.

 

I loved seeing the correspondents. I listened to Wyatt's WTF podcast, and he said he and Jon had had a few e-mail exchanges where he felt they'd basically cleared the air. There's still no love lost on his side, but Wyatt has a lot of warm feelings for everyone else on the show, and that was probably the main reason he decided to participate.

 

It was really sweet of Jon to make that long video about the staff. Even though the names went by way too quickly, it was a great tribute.

 

And how lovely that Jon finally got his Moment of Zen.

[mtlchick]

 

And even though I know it won't happen, I want Jon to be Stephen's first guest on his new show.

 

And sadly it won't be: Stephen announced it will be George Clooney. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

And sadly it won't be: Stephen announced it will be George Clooney. 

 

Bleah!

[dusang]

And sadly it won't be: Stephen announced it will be George Clooney. 

 

Ah, co-founder of Helms' Institute.  Really, Carrell should have been there too.

[Gulftastic]

Blimey, that made me cry. A lot. I'm a UK viewer, lately thanks to some firefox jiggery-pokery, but Jon's ability to highlight the lies and hypocrisy of the world has been invaluable and has relevance on this side of the pond, too.

 

Colbert's segment was excellent, but closing with 'Born To Run' was perfection.

 

Goodbye Jon. Gonna miss you.

[ABay]

Stephen can probably have more than one guest per show. And Jon and Clooney have history.

[elzin]

I laughed, I cried. What more can you ask from a finale?  So many shows end in an unsatisfactory way. I liked Colbert's last show a lot so I should have had more confidence in this, but I was a little worried. I knew old correspondents were appearing because apparently I follow like all of them on Twitter and they were mentioning how they were getting on the plane or whatever, but I didn't know in what capacity.

 

I should have known Bruce would close it out. So mad at myself I didn't figure it out. I don't dislike him, but I'm not a superfan. However, I started bawling even harder because I know Jon is that superfan. And it was an incredible performance.

 

I'm sure Trevor will be adequate. I don't know if anyone can really do as well as Jon, but I'll be ok with adequate. There's still Larry Wilmore and John Oliver, so it's not like this kind of show is gone... just a little less awesome.

[VCRTracking]

I always pity the staff members whose job it is to watch FOX news all the time even if their eyes don't really bleed!

 

I should have known Bruce would close it out. So mad at myself I didn't figure it out. I don't dislike him, but I'm not a superfan. However, I started bawling even harder because I know Jon is that superfan. And it was an incredible performance.

 

 

Growing up I only knew the "Born in the USA" Springsteen who huge stadiums with biceps and tight jeans and danced awkwardly with Courtney Cox in a video. It wasn't until I happened to watch a DVD of the full show he did at the Odeon Hammersmith in London back in 1975 where I became a huge fan.  The energy and fun and rapport he had with the E street band and their musicianship in front of was fantastic. The "Detroit Medley" Michael Palin from Monty Python was at one of the shows. If only Clarance "Big Man" Clemons was alive playing the saxophone.

Edited August 11, 2015 by VCRTracking

[stillshimpy]

By the way, complete agreement on the "Oh cool...Kilbourne...or the wax mannequin who is now passing as Kilbourne, because dude, you have done something to thy visage! And blissfully, he's now gone."  It was still kind of classy to film anything for Jon's departure on his part. 

 

Like almost everyone else, I laughed at the McCain segment, but whereas people like Graham couldn't seem to put any real heart into it and were obviously not used to acting....Oh.My.God....pure venom dripped from McCain's line delivery.   He either missed his calling on the stage, or there was a lot of ire behind that final farewell.  Still, the guy was willing to operate a puppet, so he wasn't without a sense of fun...he just seemed genuinely "kiss my ass!" about it all. 

 

Someone up thread asked about Wyatt Cenac and Jon.  Cenac was on Mark Maron's WTF podcast and said (in essence) that he had hoped for a father-figure in Jon, but that there were times when they didn't get along.  Cenac thought one of Jon's jokes crossed a racial line and apparently it led to some FUs flying.  Wyatt says he cried, later by himself and Salon reported all of this...and left out the fact that they made up at the time.   Also, the thing that no one ever really addressed is that Wyatt seems like he might have a depressive streak as it is (I do not mean that as any kind of insult) and that even his special has a really weird, kind of downer vibe to it.  

So basically he wanted a father figure, got a boss instead and one who is perfectly capable of having a passionate and heated response.  

 

Wyatt told Maron that he was not going to go for the final roundup...but Wyatt may just be one of those guys who has moods and that's what he said at the moment.  Also, Mark Maron has a VERY complicated relationship with Jon Stewart (he was openly and oddly critical of him in the past) and when he tried to make peace with Jon by inviting him on WTF (Maron's podcast) , Jon told him, "No" (again, this is all in essence), so it isn't as if Maron might not have had his own emotional view on the whole thing and those podcasts are recorded in his garage.  They've done studies where ...when you hang out in a conversation with like-minded people ...(politically, religiously, etc.)  the views you state are stated with more oomph or vehemence the longer the conversation goes on.   

 

Maron has done fine for himself, but if anyone in that garage genuinely did not like Jon for kind of long time, it was Mark Maron and he (I sincerely believe unintentionally and without malice) was kind of egging the whole thing on...while trying to appear the diplomat.  

I like all three guys, but comedians are usually pretty complex psychological beings and the relationship that people have towards people who they know who are wildly successful can be very complicated.  

 

So anyway, that was a really long answer, but the reason I gave it, is I do think that context of where and when Wyatt said those "man, we didn't always get along" type of remarks were influenced by a huge variety of factors...including that when Jon Stewart leaves the airway , it's something reported on internationally.  Maron only recently had anything that big happen when Obama did his podcast...and if you listen to all of them, Maron was so freaked out by the enormity of that, he damn near blew the whole thing and his producer had to handhold him through almost canceling, because Maron was super concerned about losing his credit card vacation points.  Seriously, Maron had to be walked back from almost canceling the reason that almost everyone now knows his name, because he was clearly freaked.the.hell.out over the enormity of it all.  

 

So two comedians, in a garage, with varying degrees of success that isn't yet in the same stratosphere of Jon, got together and the least successful (thus far) of the three sounded the most bitter.   Just saying, it's not hard to spot how there were a lot of factors at play in what was said and not many of them had to do with that one time Jon yelled at Wyatt.  

 

So I am not in least surprised that he showed up, and was delighted that he and Jon set it up so they could actually riff on the whole thing.   

 

If that first segment proved anything, it's that Jon Stewart had a hand in establishing a lot of people's careers.  

 

 

 

The memory I'll take with me is seeing Jon dancing with his kids while Bruce sang Born to Run. *sniff* And Max giving him the sticks. *sniff*

 

Oh my God, how good was it to see Max Weinberg looking so damned healthy, by the way?  When he left Conan to tour with Springsteen and then didn't make the move to TBS with Conan, rumor flew....and it turned out that he'd had either triple or quadruple bypass surgery after a massive blockage was discovered.  So I was already in floods of tears, but then there he was looking like the Risen Weinberg who will live for many years....and he gave Jon the sticks.  

 

I don't personally care much for Springsteen's music, even though I lived part of my life in South New Jersey (not the Springsteen part of the state) , but just knowing how much all of that must have meant to him made me blubber. 

 

Also, finally on Wyatt?  I thought it showed a lot of generosity of spirit on the part of both men to riff on it...and it showed why it was the right thing for Wyatt to do when Jon asked (seemingly nervously) "We good?"  like it truly mattered to him if Wyatt forgave him.   

Edited August 7, 2015 by stillshimpy

[justjen]

I knew Craig Kilborn would be there! At least for a second! (see also: my only other post in this Forum ;) )

 

The one thing I didn't understand is why didn't Jon look at Josh Gad AT ALL  when he (Gad) did his cameo?

[purist]

Absolutely perfect final episode. The only thing I can add that hasn't yet been said here is that on Twitter, the hashtag #JonVoyage has been trending for many hours.

Edited August 7, 2015 by purist

[khyber]

I said this about Stephen's last show, but just to repeat myself, seeing Jon's last show made me nostalgic on a personal level because my mom (who died a few years ago), and I used to watch (and laugh over) these shows together. My mom had great taste in TV.

It was great to see all the correspondents together and really appreciate the influence that the show's talent has had on modern comedy. It's also amazing that the show is as relevant today as it was 5, 10, 15 years ago.

My mother died this April and just before I played my recording of the show I thought of her. Like you we also talked about the show, and the Colbert report as well.

[alynch]

The one thing I didn't understand is why didn't Jon look at Josh Gad AT ALL  when he (Gad) did his cameo?

 

Yeah, that was weird. At first I thought they were setting up one final montage reel, since that was the same framing as they've used for all of those, but then Gad just took off.

[MrWhyt]

watching again I noticed something: they were showing clips on the screens during Springsteen's performance, the last one? Stephen and the banana. 

[Traveller519]

A couple stray observations, and I'm sure more will come to me over the course of the day.

 

I liked the way they handled both the Kilborn (Senior Former Daily Show Correspondent) and Noah bits. They were brief, but acknowledged the past and future of the show with easy comedy.

 

I've dropped in and out of following the show over the years so some of the correspondents were surprises to me (namely Bakkedahl and Walsh -- which is incredible because I love Veep). Oliva Munn may have been very short lived, but she still has one of the greatest correspondent pieces I've ever seen, the Tiger Mom's one, where she interviewed her own mother, who showed the dent in the refrigerator door from where she disciplined Olivia as a child.

 

I waded through everyone's pictures on Social Media last night, which were fantastic to see all these people who had the common connection of John reminiscing. It was also cool to get that behind the scenes look.

 

Finally, I took Jon's words to heart. Last night before I went to bed, I saw one of my friends had posted the Julia Gillard Meme about Muslims in Australia. In the past I just chose to ignore these things. They happen pretty infrequently on my social media and I try to let everyone have their piece. But given how outwardly wrong that is on the whole, and Jon's words ringing in my ears I took the most measured response I could think of, I linked to the Snopes article debunking it, and added in my own observations from my time living in Australia, and gently pointed out that Gillard hasn't been Prime Minister for over three years. I woke up this morning to see that he'd taken it down. I guess when I see him next will be the true test.

[mmecorday]

I really shouldn't have ventured in here while my pinot noir hangover is still hitting me pretty hard. I don't think I've cried so hard watching anything since Mr. Hooper died on "Sesame Street."

[gesundheit]

 

 

Loved the Kilborn cameo. ...I think the fact that his bit was pre-taped, short, and without much setup also didn't provide much time for any reaction. It was like, "Hey is that Craig Kilb... he's gone." 

Agreed, I think it was that it was pre-taped and not live and so brief. In fact, I'd put money on the fact that damn near everyone who was able to score a seat to the final taping of Jon Stewart's tenure knows exactly who Kilborn is.

 

I really shouldn't have ventured in here while my pinot noir hangover is still hitting me pretty hard. I don't think I've cried so hard watching anything since Mr. Hooper died on "Sesame Street."

WE DON'T TALK ABOUT MR HOOPER I CAN'T HEAR YOU

Edited August 7, 2015 by gesundheit

[ganesh]

I didn't really like the finale that much. Maybe it needed an extra half hour. I did like the Goodfellas segment though. I didn't like the opening segment at all. It went on way too long, and it didn't have a huge amount of meaning beyond "look, it's that guy! Hey, lady!" Colbert did a great job with putting the show in context, but that was only at the end. I thought they could have done a better job showcasing all the great talent that's come through the show over the years. 

 

Honestly, I don't really care if there was some rift with JS/Wyatt or whomever else. I can't imagine that everything was sunshine and roses when you have to put out 20 minutes of solid content 4 nights a week, for 40 something weeks out of the year. Times 16. People aren't going to get along sometimes. Good for them for moving past it, but that's life sometimes. 

 

I also would have liked some more reflection by JS. Which, to be fair, he has done some of that this week. But, everyone talks about his impact on the political sphere, and he always responds with "I'm a comedian," which I tend to agree. It's a comedy show using politics as its medium. But clearly, when you essentially get Crossfire cancelled, and are cited as actually getting a law passed, by a *sitting Senator*, I think there needs to be more reflection on that. The segment on BS was good, but incomplete imo. 

 

Seriously though, McCain was funny.

[formerlyfreedom]

Business Insider put together all the guests at the last show.

[CaughtOnTape]

Colbert man.....Colbert got me.

 

I will miss you Jon.

[VCRTracking]

Maron was so freaked out by the enormity of that, he damn near blew the whole thing and his producer had to handhold him through almost canceling, because Maron was super concerned about losing his credit card vacation points.  Seriously, Maron had to be walked back from almost canceling the reason that almost everyone now knows his name, because he was clearly freaked.the.hell.out over the enormity of it all.

 

 

That's why, even though I can understand being envious of a peer who's become so successful than Maron should realize in his case it's like a hot dog vendor being resentful that Neil Armstrong got to be the first man on the moon instead of him. It wasn't luck it was years of hard work that got Jon to the point where he is invited by the most powerful man in the world so he could ask Jon to go easy on him. Jon had to put up with shit that would have given Maron or anybody else a nervous breakdown. Maybe Maron knows that's deep down. Jon had a lot of help of course but The Daily Show could have been another entertaining trifle like The Soup(No offense Joel McHale) that would have lost it's relevancy. It was going that way in Kilborne's era. Jon took it to a whole level reacting to the political and news landscape that was becoming increasingly toxic. And it aged him up severely. Wyatt wanted Jon to be a father figure but he's not that old and he already has a son(whom he does things like appear on wrestling shows)If he had just thought of him as a friend he could take advice from like Stephen Colbert and John Oliver he wouldn't have been disappointed.

Edited August 7, 2015 by VCRTracking

[ABay]

I've been reading pieces on Deadline, HollywoodReporter and that ilk this morning and, while most are generally positive and even the comments aren't too awful overall, some are really off-base. I'm particulalry surprised at the grousing about the tribute to the staff and comments that some parts were too inside. In my opinion, the send-off was for the people who worked on the show and steady, long time viewers. And I'm perfectly happy with that.

[gesundheit]

Business Insider put together all the guests at the last show.

Thanks for the link! I guess rumors of additional former contributors being in the dancing at the end weren't accurate?

 

Classy how in a list that just names former correspondents who appeared, Nancy Walls needed to be identified as Carrell's wife (and also a former correspondent!). Not sure why that was necessary, but thanks for clarifying that she's someone's wife!

[iMonrey]

Who else feels like they went to a funeral? That's really the way I felt after it was over, seeing all my "old friends" again, who've come together to say goodbye to someone they all loved. I know Jon Stewart's not dead, but the emptiness and sadness I feel after that last show is something I can't describe as anything else than the feeling I get after a funeral. It's weird.

 

Colbert's tribute to Jon was really moving and I loved how Jon was trying to scoot away and avoid it until Stephen said "It will all be over quickly if you just sit still for it." Jon did a good job keeping his face covered through that whole bit. You could tell he was breaking down.

 

 

Kilborn seems to have Done Something to his face.

 

Yeah, and whatever it is didn't work. I once attended a taping of TDS way back when Kilborn was the host, and it doesn't seem like sixteen years have passed since then. Our time with Jon Stewart flew by way too fast.

[stillshimpy]

For my money, the "now that was awesome" short bit winner is Bassem Youssef, popping out from under that sheet saying, "Jon? Jon did they come for you too?"  

[dusang]

The one thing I didn't understand is why didn't Jon look at Josh Gad AT ALL  when he (Gad) did his cameo?

 

Yeah, I noticed that too -- I hate that shot frame, it's so intensely awkward.  I disliked it every time they used it for a montage intro, too.

 

watching again I noticed something: they were showing clips on the screens during Springsteen's performance, the last one? Stephen and the banana. 

 

AWESOME!

[ThomasAAnderson]

I'm so glad Wyatt was there! I'm not going to speculate on Wyatt's moods or mental state but having been "the only one in the room" ; I really GOT the point he was trying to make on Maron's podcast. When you're Jon Stewart and someone like Wyatt reveals such an unflattering thing, all you need do is let your fans tear Wyatt apart. I'm glad he and Jon went with a sort of mutual acknowledgement.  I see the riff between Jon and Wyatt as a microcosm of what's happening between Black people and Bernie Sanders supporters and the Progressive movement in general. This discounting of Wyatt's feelings and disdain for his seeking a mentor/father figure..  Did you notice in the BTS there were maybe 5 POC?   

 

It's going to be an interesting election season indeed. I really hope Noah approaches the role from a "you crazy Americans" perspective because  egos are out of control.

Edited August 7, 2015 by ThomasAAnderson

[HelenBaby]

I don't want to quote the entire post stillshimpy made, but I heard an interview that Mark Maron did with Bob Edwards a couple of years ago. Maron was (is?) an addict & alcoholic back in the days when he & Stewart were doing the clubs and I think Maron burned a lot of bridges. He was also close friends during that time with Louis C.K. but they had a major falling out during that time. Seeing that Louis & Jon appear to be very good friends, I feel sure that there's a story there that we don't know about, like maybe Jon had to choose between them. Maron was on Charlie Rose the other day and paid "Stewart" a compliment about his tenure on the Daily Show. But it was just a brief comment. If I remember correctly Rose asked him about Jon's influence in the political arena, and Maron basically stated that Jon had more time to delve into that area and Maron's focus is on other things. I like both of them but Jon is the more stable and less insecure.

[stillshimpy]

This discounting of Wyatt's feelings and disdain for his seeking a mentor/father figure..  Did you notice in the BTS there were maybe 5 POC?

 

What I noticed was there was a fair amount of diversity in the correspondents and less in the BS area.   To be clear though, I'm not dismissing Wyatt's feelings or saying they weren't valid, genuine and perhaps warranted.  I mentioned that he seems to have a brooding thing going on at times, which to me, is just the mark of someone who is introspective and takes things very much to heart.  It's not an insult or a way of discounting someone to say that he or she seems like a sensitive person.   I don't mean over-sensitive, either, I mean he seems like someone who truly felt hurt and the hurt lingered.  

 

However, I do think dismissing the "wanted a father-figure" thing is an entirely valid thing, because it's not a reasonable expectation of a workplace.  A mentor, someone to look up to and emulate, I understand that is likely what he meant, but it's funny in that he actually did end up with a father-figure.  Sooner or later, no matter how great or bad someone's dad is or isn't, they have a moment that proves they have feet of clay and are completely fallible.  

 

Also, primarily the state of their personal relationship is really just indicative of their personal relationship, but I do think the depth of the hurt that Wyatt felt is because it involved a very understandably sensitive topic to him.  But I think the heat of Jon's reaction also speaks to how volatile the subject matter is from anyone's standpoint.  I'm not surprised that Jon became angry, I'm truly not surprised that it deeply hurt Wyatt's feelings either.  

 

Almost everyone has that moment when they think their boss is a jackass.  It's got to be that much worse if you really thought you'd like that person, all the time.  But no one is likable all the time.    I remember years ago a friend of mine, who was universally declared "you're such a nice man" by pretty much everyone told me something that I've never forgotten:  That it would actually be better to be universally considered a jackass, because if you have a nice moment you get "Maybe he's not so bad" extended....a person'a opinion of someone they dislike can often go up....but for someone universally liked, an off day, a snappish comment, feels like a personal betrayal, when really?  It's just evidence of being capable of having an off day or a bad moment, even if you are a good guy.  

 

I didn't notice Jon not looking at Gaad (made sense with the camera angle, as they both had to face the same camera) , but what I noticed was during the group hug at the very end, Samantha Bee was off to the side and from her expression it seemed clear "Heels were not meant for hopping up and down in, I'll just stand here...."  

 

 

 

. I like both of them but Jon is the more stable and less insecure.

 

I like Maron too, by the way and am glad he got his life together.    

But on the subject of the finale?  Another tiny moment of pure, unadulterated awesome?  John Oliver's heel kick.  

Edited August 7, 2015 by stillshimpy

[ThomasAAnderson]

 

What I noticed was there was a fair amount of diversity in the correspondents and less in the BS area.

You can't have a "progressive/liberal" show and not have POC on camera. More POC in the writers room is more important than on-camera because the writers drive the topics the show addresses. They should represent many different perspectives. Wyatt's reveal just showed there's a legit reason to feel sometimes Jon misses the mark i.e. dinging Obama for not having a diverse staff when there was a fair skinned black man in the room + you don't have the most diverse staff either...

 

not dismissing Wyatt's feelings or saying they weren't valid, genuine and perhaps warranted

 

and yet...

 

he seems to have a brooding thing going on at times, which to me, is just the mark of someone who is introspective and takes things very much to heart.                                                                                                                                                     

Edited August 7, 2015 by ThomasAAnderson

[stillshimpy]

he seems to have a brooding thing going on at times, which to me, is just the mark of someone who is introspective and takes things very much to heart.

 

...and that's also the way I would describe myself, by the way*.   I'm not in the habit of dismissing myself, in case that's at question.  (I also exercise almost chronically, because it is the thing that helps eliminate my own tendency towards depression, what you are seeing as my discounting Wyatt is actually recognizing some characteristics I see as being a shared trait with him...which isn't to say that's entirely accurate, but that "I do that...and whereas it is possible I'm projecting, after seeing his special, I was pretty certain 'yup, we have that in common'). 

 

Saying that someone feels things deeply is not the same thing as saying their feelings are invalid or inaccurate.  Just that they are deeply felt. 

 

*There's a form of memory that is essentially emotional memory.  Sometimes people with very good memories have it.  It's that when you recall a situation, you also recall and then feel the attendant emotion from that memory.  I have that.  When listening to Wyatt on Maron's podcast, listening to him, again it was a case of "Oh, I wonder if he does too?" because he seems to recall the emotion with the memory.  

 

I was glad Wyatt was there last night, but I like both men and they are both feeling beings.  Truly, Jon has a gigantic fanbase, so to your point about how difficult it is to say something about someone like Jon Stewart and just wait for his fans to rip Wyatt apart, I think that's a good point.  Personally, I'm a fan of both and I'm not choosing one guy over the other, just trying to see both viewpoints. 

Edited August 7, 2015 by stillshimpy

[Sharpie66]

In the tribute to the behind-the-scenes people, I loved the bleeding eyes of those watching Faux News and the launderers from Accounting ("Go get yourself something nice, Jon!"). And were the pooches in the Executive Lounge everyone's dogs, or were they dog actors who could perform on cue?

[stillshimpy]

And were the pooches in the Executive Lounge everyone's dogs, or were they dog actors who could perform on cue?

 

They had to be professional dogs, right? I mean, I have two dogs and can't get them to both look at the camera at the same moment, let alone from seated positions.  That and the giant Arbys delivery were my favorite things from that montage. 

 

Oh and the young woman they referred to as something like, "Midwest Cait" and she said "I'm from Colorado!"  (I lived there for more than twenty years, please don't tell people from Colorado it's technically the midwest, they sincerely don't seem to know, and seem to think it's an insult*). 

 

*My son is still there, by the way and he was so mad that apparently the finale was being aired starting at midnight there.  Bunch of bumming people in the rockies last night.  

Edited August 7, 2015 by stillshimpy