All Episodes Talk: The Best Damn News Team

[nymusix]

Boy does that Anchorman promotional team know how to do a blitz. And yet somehow this was *still* hilarious. Paul Rudd simply does not age, it's true. 

[Tara Ariano]

Leaving this thread immediately because it's Carell and I can't edit the thread title. :(

[nymusix]

Leaving this thread immediately because it's Carell and I can't edit the thread title. :(

Oh no! I'm a monster!Sorry :(

[David T. Cole]

I fix! Now kiss.

[Tara Ariano]

MWA!
 
They can shill but I wish the episode had let them do two interview segments. Not enough Rudd.

[nymusix]

They can shill but I wish the episode had let them do two interview segments. Not enough Rudd.

I love me some Paul Rudd. Especially given the news that he had been cast as Antman that came out earlier that day. Probably too late for them to ask him about it, but it would have been interesting. 

 

Also, I'm 99% sure Paul Rudd has a portrait of his aging self in his attic. Because, as commented upon by Jon Stewart, he *seriously* does not age.

[David T. Cole]

Paul Rudd is going to be Ant Man. I don't know what else to do with this information than tell the two of you.

[nymusix]

Paul Rudd is going to be Ant Man. I don't know what else to do with this information than tell the two of you.

Given his size, it does seem appropriate. 

[formerlyfreedom]

Here's the general discussion board for all things The Daily Show!

[trow125]

Another new correspondent joins the Best F*ing News Team. Also, since diversity always comes up with new TDS hires: Che is African-American. Che is his middle name; he was named after Che Guevara, according to IMDB. Here's a profile from the NYT.

NEW YORK, April 28, 2014 - "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" has tapped comedian and writer Michael Che to become its newest correspondent, joining the roster of "The Best F*ing News Team Ever!" from the Emmy® and Peabody® Award-winning show in June.

Currently a writer on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," Michael Che (@CheThinks) has enjoyed a meteoric rise as a stand-up comedian. In 2013, Che was named by Rolling Stone as one of "The 50 Funniest People" and as one of Variety's "10 Comics to Watch."

The year prior, he was crowned the winner of New York's Funniest Stand-Up competition at the New York Comedy Festival. The New York Times describes him as possessing "a reflective, laid-back stage presence with jokes that draw as much from his city upbringing...as from blunt, insightful points that bring the abstract into focus."

[roamyn]

Having just watched John Oliver's new show, with just him, THAT'S the Best Damn News Team.

I'm not a lover of Brit humor, but he does a nice balance and I've missed him on The Daily Show.

[Fremde Frau]

I'm so enjoying Last Week Tonight. John Oliver is fantastic as a host, and to think that he'll only get better... I can't wait to see what all he's capable of.

 

That said, the other correspondents are so strong right now that I don't honestly miss Oliver on TDS.  It's hard to name my favorite correspondent at any given moment. Even newbie Jordan Klepper has found his feet. I'm excited to see what Michael Che brings to the mix. I do dread the day that Aasif leaves the show, and it seems like Al and Jason are also poised to leave. Poor Jon may experience a bit of empty nest syndrome, what with Stephen also leaving.

[yeswedo]

Is Aasif leaving?

[Victor the Crab]

I'm so enjoying Last Week Tonight. John Oliver is fantastic as a host, and to think that he'll only get better... I can't wait to see what all he's capable of.

 

That said, the other correspondents are so strong right now that I don't honestly miss Oliver on TDS.  It's hard to name my favorite correspondent at any given moment. Even newbie Jordan Klepper has found his feet. I'm excited to see what Michael Che brings to the mix. I do dread the day that Aasif leaves the show, and it seems like Al and Jason are also poised to leave. Poor Jon may experience a bit of empty nest syndrome, what with Stephen also leaving.

Aasif and Al seem to have already left the show, as by their absense in the credits. I don't think Jason's going anywhere, he and his wife Samantha are like a duo over there. Right now, it's those two along with Jessica and Jordan. Jessica has been fantastic, and looks as if she's taken over from Ollie as Jon's go-to correspondant, while Jordan looks OK. I'll be interested to see what Michael Che brings to the table, possibly starting as early as next week. He might be another rising star in the TDS galaxy.

[Skyfall]

Well we know the MOZ for Monday, RIP Maya! :(

[Fremde Frau]

Aasif and Al seem to have already left the show, as by their absense in the credits. I don't think Jason's going anywhere, he and his wife Samantha are like a duo over there. Right now, it's those two along with Jessica and Jordan. Jessica has been fantastic, and looks as if she's taken over from Ollie as Jon's go-to correspondant, while Jordan looks OK. I'll be interested to see what Michael Che brings to the table, possibly starting as early as next week. He might be another rising star in the TDS galaxy.

 

Oh, I hadn't caught that in the credits, thank you! If they're already gone, that's too bad. Aasif is especially good, and I don't have HBO, so it will be hard to watch him now. I agree with you on Jessica; she is brilliant. I've been wondering if we'll see any correspondent changes in January, when the Minority Report starts up.

[The Luvly Junkie]

I'm surprised no one has brought this up yet. After last night I was wondering if Michael Che did well his first night. To me, it was a bit of nostalgia watching it. There's nothing wrong with starting the first day with serious coverage, since that is the only way Egypt's elections can be covered after what the people have been through. I just liked that Che left Jonny-bun speechless longer than anyone (that is if anyone else has surpassed the duration of silence). I'm just sad that we won't have our dose of Aasif anymore.

 

Why, HBO? Why you take our favorite correspondents away? (Sigh, it's fine). I'm still grateful since TDS recruited Che and Klepper, who both bring something new to the table. It's rare they hire two correspondents the same year, so I'm looking forward to see the new chemistry with the other correspondents.

[Fremde Frau]

Not to add to your sadness, The Lovely Junkie, but it's possible Jason is also leaving. Here is some news about a sitcom that might get picked up. And, although I can't stand the thought of losing her work on TDS, I wonder if Jessica will realize her dream in the next few years, to do a one-woman show. She's fantastic and certainly deserves to make it big.

 

The Daily Show really is launching careers, isn't it? One thing I appreciate is that Jon doesn't seem to ever make a correspondent or contributor bit about himself. The "star" of the bit is always the correspondent or contributor.

 

I hope that, when Aasif's show starts, he comes back for a visit and to get a proper send-off. Or did I miss his farewell episode? He deserves a nice, big one, like John.

[formerlyfreedom]

I listened to Aasif on Marc Maron's podcast the other day, and he indicated he was on a leave of absence from TDS while he was working on the HBO show. It posted on 5/22/14, so hopefully that means he'll be back at some point, even if it's just pop-bys.

[Fremde Frau]

Oh, I'm glad there's some hope of him dropping by occasionally. If I had to choose (for instance: Jon Stewart gets stuck on an island with two correspondents, a laptop, and a wifi connection), I would have to say that Aasif and Jessica are probably my very favorites right now. But it's a close thing, especially after Jason's stuff in Russia.

 

Also, I have to know: what episode is this from and what is the context of Jon twirling around in a purple top hat? (I can't tell if that's a Willy Wonka background, Carroll's Wonderland, or maybe something that "Stephen" is dreaming.)

[Bastet]

From another thread:

 

Oh! I also took your advice to look up the Even Stevphen bits, and I ended up watching this piece on Islam vs. Christianity. I was dying, and then they ended it so perfectly! The two of them (the three of them) have such fantastic chemistry. I'll definitely have to watch more of those.

 

If you love yourself at all, you'll watch Drink Responsibly, in which Steve Carrell takes one for the team.

[Jediknight]

I'd suggest watching the week the show was in Washington DC.  Those are some great episodes, from the bus road trip to Jason Jones hating Washington DC it was all great, and it capped off with an interview with Obama.

[formerlyfreedom]

Just wanted to say, I love you guys. *weeps* You are SUCH an awesome forum!

[Wax Lion]

Continuing from the current week's thread.

 

my husband & I were speculating last night if Jon sounds especially bitter about McCain (a.k.a. "Johnny Rotten Judgment") because he was once a "friend of the show." Yes, John McCain used to appear as a guest on "The Daily Show" regularly. I believe his last appearance was a few months before he received the Republican nomination in 2008. McCain's behavior during the campaign, not to mention the Palin pick, was the nail in the coffin to that bromance.

 

I remember in 2008 (2007?) there were a couple appearances of McCain that had my husband and myself looking at each other and asking "Does Jon know about the stuff they've said about McCain on The Daily Show?" after skewering McCain for something, McCain would show up a few weeks later and Jon would act like that stuff never happened. It was a weird and infuriating time, though the last interview was a tough one.

 

Similarly, TDS used to be safe ground for Huckabee, even though TDS would cover his religious intolerance. Huckabee would avoid all those topics when talking with Jon until the last couple of interviews where Jon insistently brought the interview back to Huckabee's theocratic comments.

[Julia]

I really like Jon Stewart - always have, all the way back to his first show - but as Stephen Colbert is a little better about pointing out, he's extremely privileged in most of the ways you can be privileged in this world.

 

So, while I appreciate his romantic attachment to the idea of returning to some neverland of civil political discourse that never existed, I thought it was a little tone deaf of him to be concern trolling citizens who had a much greater price to pay when they showed an unseemly enthusiasm for not dropping the subject when it was time for the people who did the damage to ride off into the sunset. There were actual crimes committed. That's not something you insist people move on from because the new administration wants to be a city on a hill.

 

And I, in return, find it a bit unseemly how fast he moved back to being oppositional when he didn't get what _he_ wanted out of our brave new world. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he's (mostly) on my side, but that was not a shining period for him.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Julia

[solotrek]

"Does Jon know about the stuff they've said about McCain on The Daily Show?" after skewering McCain for something, McCain would show up a few weeks later and Jon would act like that stuff never happened. It was a weird and infuriating time, though the last interview was a tough one.

 

I think it's more that Jon knows that McCain (or Huckabee or anyone else) has seen or heard from aids/interns about the segments already. However they continue to choose to honor their commitment, so Jon will maybe bring it up briefly and then let it pass. This is until it gets unbelievably egregious on the other person's part- then Jon gives them a really tough interview and they never come back again.

 

TDS is not a "must go on" show for politicians in the same vein as Meet the Press or whatever those news shows are on Fox or MSNBC. Who wants to get ripped apart by a comedian on a channel called Comedy Central? I think Jon innately knows that politicians on the left will come on the show, regardless of how the interview goes that's why we see so many people from the Obama/ex-Obama administration come on to listen to Jon (because the man doesn't really let people speak). Harry Reid aside, they generally come back for more (Fremde Frau, if you like watching cringe worthy interviews, that's another one. It wasn't even Jon's fault really, Harry Reid seemed to have no interest in promoting his autobiography or even speak and it just got worse and worse from there).  They don't really have a pipeline like that to the right, so by treating one guest with semi-kid gloves, perhaps they'll come back or maybe someone else will come.  As it is, not many sitting Republican politicians come on the show anymore. Mostly they're former-____'s coming on to hawk whatever book they're selling.

 

TL;DR -  what I'm saying is that I think it has more to do with access especially to those on the right.

 

Also, I have to know: what episode is this from and what is the context of Jon twirling around in a purple top hat? (I can't tell if that's a Willy Wonka background, Carroll's Wonderland, or maybe something that "Stephen" is dreaming.)

 

I think you're looking for what's at the end of this clip.

[FartyPants]

How about a clip recommendation thread? (both here and in colbert report)

[Fremde Frau]

Oh my god, my face hurts from laughing!! Thank you, Bastet! I had no idea Stephen and Steve had hosted TDS before! That would be fun sometimes, if Jon took a break and let a couple of correspondents host the show for a day. Jessica and Samantha? Samantha and Jason?

 

Jediknight, I wasn't sure when they filmed the show from Washington DC, so I looked up interviews with Obama. Is it the 2010 interview, before the rally?

 

Wax Lion, I haven't caught up with the McCain interviews, but I watched two Huckabee interviews (one from 2008 and one during the 9/11 first responders episode). It's nice to see how he continues to push against Huckabee's theocratic fantasy. He's incredibly patient with Huckabee while making these very pointed arguments that pick apart Huckabee's position. The one from 2008 was especially well handled, I thought. What maculae says makes sense, that he probably feels obligated to be as polite as possible as a host when they appear in person, perhaps especially because they know they are entering a hostile territory (the audience and the show's history of them). He's pretty good at discrediting them so gently in person that they don't always realize they're being discredited.

 

maculae, it's interesting to see him interview people from the left and people from the right. I started downloading the show in December, so I watched the recent Pelosi and DeMint interviews several times, mainly because I just enjoy conversation analysis. There was a sense of him expecting more from Pelosi and almost mildly lecturing her at times with a "c'mon, our side can do better!" With DeMint, Jon kept pointing out the holes in his logic, but mostly he seemed to be caught between hoping DeMint would meet him halfway on anything at all and resigned to the fact that it wasn't going to happen. It also felt like Jon found DeMint distasteful but felt compelled to understand why he believes what he believes (or says he believes). I did find it interesting that, following the Pelosi interview, so many conservative blogs made hay of him laughing, while Jon laughing during the DeMint interview (with the "heart" comment, etc.) was completely ignored.

 

And thank you for that clip! It was infuriating to listen to Fox's arrogance, as though America has a patent on liberty, but I loved Jon dancing at the end. It's fun to watch him step away from the desk, like the Lincoln game show with Napolitano. I wish he would do that more often. (But, god, the orangutan peeing into its own mouth. My brain needs bleach!)

 

EDIT: Following maculae's advice from the other thread, I went back and watched Jon's first episode from January 11, 1999. Popeye and Olive Oyl's marriage, Stephen already cracking Jon up, Jon being taller than his first guest (Michael J Fox), and Jon in general being very nervous, brown-haired, and tiny! That was far cuter than it had any right to be. Now I've gotta see more!

Edited June 19, 2014 by Fremde Frau

[The Luvly Junkie]

Fremde Frau, I feel your pain- since John Ollie-Scone's hosting duties a summer ago I've always wondered who would be the next host if at any point Jonny-bun decides to promote his new movie. Now that "Rosewater" has a U.S. distributor, it's back to his heavy promotion. It's bound to happen. Eventually there will be a finalized release date that Jonny-bun has to prepare for. If I had to bet who would guest host, my money's more on Jessica and Sam. While I love Sam and Jason's intimate chemistry (and that a married couple guest hosting together was effective with Steve and his wife, Nancy), it would be awesome to see two women hosting. It almost happened, sort of.

http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/6sdsp6/schaal---bee---hosting-duties

 

As for every Republican barely appearing on TDS, I can see why they only show up when they're promoting an autobiography. When they're not writing, they're busy 24/7 working in the Senate/House, trying to throw blocks and opposing bickers on the problems Obama's trying to resolve. Classic Republican Curve (by curve I mean their elephant trunks).

[dubbel zout]

he probably feels obligated to be as polite as possible as a host when they appear in person,

 

Jon is rarely hostile to any guest. He has better manners than that. He's given guests a hard time—Jim Cramer, Betsy McCaughey, and the Spice Girls come to mind—but he also treated Lynne Cheney with kid gloves.

Edited June 19, 2014 by dubbel zout

[ruby24]

A person like Lynn Cheney doesn't deserve to be treated with kid gloves. I can't handle it- I get too upset about some people, even seeing them makes my blood boil.

 

Seeing Dick Cheney all over TV treated as if he wasn't completely wrong about EVERYTHING just makes me so angry. And you're right Julia, I really do think the only people who can tolerate that kind of thing are those who are so privileged that it really doesn't matter to them personally... I mean their own life isn't really going to be affected no matter what, right? So they can sit there and be friendly and welcoming and avoid dogging the person because the truth is they're set, and whatever policies or whatever party is elected may hurt other people, but never them.

 

I'm too emotional over these things :(

Edited June 19, 2014 by ruby24

[solotrek]

Now that "Rosewater" has a U.S. distributor, it's back to his heavy promotion. It's bound to happen. Eventually there will be a finalized release date that Jonny-bun has to prepare for.

 

I don't think they'd have to do a guest host. Between all the NYC based shows (Letterman, Fallon, Charlie Rose(?)) and radio shows (Fresh Air, Leonard Lopate) he could do, it won't really take up that much time. There's also those week long breaks that he'd have off that they'd probably schedule near the release date so he could do LA based shows (Kimmel, Conan).  He also has Friday's off. He managed to go to Cannes for his film for a Saturday night screening without any sort of TDS break.  Or they could have Gael García Bernal do most of the promotion that Jon can't do.

[Wax Lion]

TDS used to be a go-to show for politicians, especially conservative ones because it was a show younger people who don't watch news programming watch.

 

In the early interviews with Huckabee, he comes off as a nice guy with a different worldview and Jon never brings up his extremism. It worked for a while, I knew a few people who could see themselves voting for him if the alternative were a less charismatic Democrat (like, say, Hillary Clinton or John Kerry) based on how affable he was around Jon. There was no doubt he was conservative but he came off as someone who could have a reasonable discussion.

 

Now, however, I suspect Jimmy Fallon has taken over Jon's spot as the guy politicians want to visit. Fallon's a lot more interested in having a good relationship with guests and being able to come up with a new viral video, so he rarely goes after them. And when he did a piece about the Chris Christie scandal, he called Christie in advance to apologize. The Tonight Show is a better place nowadays to reach those young viewers .

[Fremde Frau]

The Luvly Junkie, thank you for that link! Kristen and Samantha were fantastic. Now I want to see a female hosting duo more than ever!

 

Jon is rarely hostile to any guest. He has better manners than that. He's given guests a hard time—Jim Cramer, Betsy McCaughey, and the Spice Girls come to mind—but he also treated Lynne Cheney with kid gloves.

The Spice Girls? It was hard to believe what could have possibly happened there, so I had to look that one up. Wow, you're right; that was truly painful. I also watched the Lynne Cheney interview (part 2). I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was at the same time more respectful and more hardball than anticipated, if that makes sense? It's hard to say how else he could have handled that; it's such an unusual interview for them to get, that the wife of Dick Cheney (of all people) should volunteer to sit down and talk with Jon Stewart (of all people). There were definitely some intensely uncomfortable moments when he corrected or gently challenged her a few times.

 

I feel ill-equipped to comment on the rally or Jon's message about civility, since I don't understand the full context of it like everyone else. I didn't get the sense from his speech, though, that he was speaking only to one side but that he was specifically speaking to both sides (or outside the whole concept of "sides")? This is totally anecdotal, but my father has been a dedicated Fox viewer for years, a true Bible Belter, and a working class believer in the grassroots myth of the Tea Party (although he's not a gun nut and is disgusted by the NRA and Open Carry nonsense and never quite believed that Obama was Kenyan, so there's that). When I started watching TDS last October, I expected that my father (a retired missionary) wouldn't like the crudity in some of the bits, but I felt he might appreciate Jon's interview style and maybe open up his heart and mind a little by watching some of his interviews with conservatives. He's since then actually stopped watching Fox and started watching Al Jazeera America for his news, and he loves to watch Jon's interviews with non-celebrities. I can't credit it all to Jon (I've been trying to reach my dad for years), but I can say that he went from believing Fox's BS to now wanting to listen to the other side and being willing to admit that he didn't see his white, Christian, male privilege before. Anyway, my point is that Jon's approach did move my dad and encouraged me also to have the patience to keep working on my ultra conservative family here in Georgia. A lot of them have trouble reconciling the fact that Sarah (me) their relative is the same person as Sarah the bisexual woman whose reproductive rights, marriage equality, and protection from employment discrimination they have no interest in, but I can't just shut them out. If my 78-year-old, Paul Harvey-adoring, Fox-watching, Bush & Cheney-supporting, creationism-believing dad can be moved to change his views on foundational things, then I believe there is hope and it's worth the effort, I think, because that change becomes how people vote and what they support. So maybe it's a valuable thing to have a person with white, male, class privilege like Jon speaking in a tone that can reach other people whose privilege might overlap with that. I'm not straight, and I'm not a man, but I try to educate other white people who dismiss white privilege as the "PC myth of the liberal media" or whatnot, not by saying they're assholes but by trying to deconstruct their perspective in conversations with them. It seems like that's what he's doing? I think that's different from saying people without privilege should treat people with privilege with civility, regardless of offense. He seems pretty aware of his privilege, just based on the stories they cover and the kinds of points he brings up when speaking with someone like DeMint or Huckabee. But I'm basing this mostly on the last six months or so that I've seen. I know I'm missing a lot of TDS history. I didn't intend to bring up a sore point for longtime viewers; it's a bit of TDS history that's been a mystery to me.

 

Wow, that was really long-winded. Sorry! In happier news: I somehow stumbled across this video today. Pizza porn and boobies! How did Stephen get Sheinkopf to participate? That was priceless! I loved hearing Jon laughing in the background at the end as Stephen made love to the bread, but I kind of wish they'd carried that gag to its logical conclusion: sharing the pizza with Jon. Oh, well!

 

This is so much fun. What more will I find as I sift through the archives?? I feel like a kid in a candy store!

[Julia]

fremde-frau, I hear you, and good on you for not giving up on your loved ones.

 

The issue I have with the push for civility in '08, when there were a great many things which I think should have at least had some antiseptic sunshine shone on them, had to do with moving the Overton Window (which is an abstract measure of which ideas are considered not extreme in politics). Throughout the last thirty or so years, that window has been moved to the right to the point where polls show that the public is overwhelmingly to the left of what's considered "centrist" in Washington a startling amount of times. A lot of that had to do with the framing we heard over and over, from the media and from "centrist" politicians, that the center sits halfway between the hardest right conservative position and not-particularly-liberal democrats in Congress.

 

I think mutual respect for each others' political differences, or at least civil disagreement, is great (and my politics are probably as far to the left of my familys' as yours are, so I feel your pain). It just seems to me that marching into the cafeteria with a touching song and dance about civility and the dangers of extremism and everyone getting along is problematic when one side has bloody noses, wedgies and torn-up homework and the other is walking out with everyone else's lunch money.

 

What I heard, granted I was pretty badly pissed off, was someone who a lot of folks see as an honest broker saying that people who wanted accountability were equally as unbalanced as the people who were equating Democrats with Satan, gay folks with pedophiles and fans of bestiality, and people who wanted a real reason to go to war with the 9/11 terrorists.

 

Clearly, I have issues here, but I still think it was unfortunate behavior.

[Fremde Frau]

Julia, I appreciate your comment, and I feel your pain, too! We'll have to keep working on our families!

 

It seems like the type of disconnect in the rhetoric vs. the reality of how the public feels about an issue is part of Jon's theme? I think he'd rather the media not let the politicians control the dialogue but take more of an advocate role for truth/facts/science/etc. and not be so in bed with the power players. I don't get the sense that he meant to suggest there is an equal amount of BS or offense from the left as from the right but that his point was about tone, not content? As far as content, at least in the last eight months or so since I've been watching, he keeps ripping apart GOP ideology and policies and mostly leaves the ideology of Democrats alone, although he does pick on any inconsistencies or poor behavior. (I've noticed that conservatives and libertarians commenting on news articles label his criticism of the right "propaganda for Obama," but to me it just seems like what he described to Chris Wallace in the 2011 interview I saw: that his ideology informs his comedy.)

 

EDIT: I forgot to post what I found! Even Stevphen on the Clinton years. Stephen has a complete meltdown, and it is glorious! I think this is my favorite so far. How ever did Steve Carrell keep a straight face? Oh, and I found this bit on bloggers, too! Jon is so cute trying not to laugh, and Stephen is having such a blast trolling him. Perfection!

Edited June 20, 2014 by Fremde Frau

[Bastet]

I forgot to post what I found! Even Stevphen on the Clinton years. Stephen has a complete meltdown, and it is glorious! I think this is my favorite so far. How ever did Steve Carrell keep a straight face?

 

I love Stephen's meltdown, but the segment is not a favorite as I just can't get past listing "welfare reform" as one of Bill Clinton's accomplishments, as I consider the dismantling of AFDC and replacement with TANF one of the darkest stains on his presidency.

[Jediknight]

Jediknight, I wasn't sure when they filmed the show from Washington DC, so I looked up interviews with Obama. Is it the 2010 interview, before the rally?

Yep, that's it.  That whole week is some of the best work The Daily Show has ever done.

 

Since you've been watching Even Stevphen, please tell me you watched the one about Elian Gonzalez.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Jediknight

[solotrek]

Fremde Frau, have you seen the Even Stevphen where Steve Carrell gets piss drunk? It's great. The episode was cohosted by the two Stevphen's. I can't believe they actually had him drink.

 

Now, however, I suspect Jimmy Fallon has taken over Jon's spot as the guy politicians want to visit. Fallon's a lot more interested in having a good relationship with guests and being able to come up with a new viral video, so he rarely goes after them. And when he did a piece about the Chris Christie scandal, he called Christie in advance to apologize. The Tonight Show is a better place nowadays to reach those young viewers .

 

Yeah, I don't think people watch Fallon for his interviews, just his viral videos. I frankly think he's pretty terrible at interviewing, stop with the sycophantic laughter. So for sure politicians would rather be recorded having fun on a viral video rather than being grilled by Jon like  a teacher scolding their student.  I think when Colbert takes over the Late Show, that'll really siphon Jon's guests. And really, Colbert is just going to be so much better than Fallon.

[Fremde Frau]

Jediknight, thank you! (I have not seen that one on Elian Gonzalez. I'll have to look that one up, too! EDIT: Found it! My face hurts again from laughing! My gosh, it's easy to see why Steve Carrell went on to become so famous and sought-after.)

 

maculae, I did see that one! I thought I was going to die from laughing so hard! Was he really drunk, or is he that phenomenal an actor?? Steve and Stephen were so fantastic together. Their comic timing sparkles.

 

(I cannot watch Fallon. I tried once, when he interviewed John Oliver, but his fake, exaggerated laughter was painful. I endured it for John, but once was enough. Well, okay, I watched that particular bit more than once because it's always so lovely to hear them talk about each other so warmly--Jon about Stephen and John, John about Jon and Stephen, Stephen about Jon and John, and just various people from the shows on various other people, etc. I can't get enough of interviews. They seem like such a close-knit family and so genuinely happy for each other's success. It's infectious! I just smile and smile and want to listen to more!)

 

I think when Colbert takes over the Late Show, that'll really siphon Jon's guests. And really, Colbert is just going to be so much better than Fallon.

 

I wonder, too, if Jon's viewership will drop a bit when Stephen moves to CBS. I know The Daily Show has a larger audience than The Colbert Report, but it's not by very much, is it? I do hope Stephen steals away some of Fallon's demo, but I also hope for Larry Wilmore's sake that he finds a solid viewership, too. He's in such a tough position, not only taking Stephen's old slot but being in direct competition with his new show. (Mostly, I just hope they all visit each other--for fun, love, and trolling.)

 

Speaking of Wilmore and Oliver, my latest discovery is N-Word! Simply brilliant! I don't think I'd seen Larry in a field piece before. Wilmore & Oliver, what a dream team! Could they come back sometime to do a buddy/guest episode together for TDS? I wish there was a tag for them, like Even Stevphen! Man, this show is like a kaleidoscope of comedy. You think you've seen the best cast member or the most hilarious bit, but a few clicks and the newest video is full of brilliance, too! How have they managed to sustain this for 15 years? It's incredible!

Edited June 20, 2014 by Fremde Frau

[Victor the Crab]

Fremde Frau. You have seen the bit where Stephen deep throats a banana. Because that's an absolute classic.

 

I'm not sure how Stephen will steal away Jon's audience, seeing as TDS will end five minutes before Stephen's Late Show will start. I am concerned that it may have an effect on Larry's new show, which will follow TDS on CC. But anything that would wound that overrated douche Fallon in the ratings is always welcome.

[Bastet]

You have seen the bit where Stephen deep throats a banana. Because that's an absolute classic.

 

Indeed.

 

I love when Jon and Stephen crack each other up and break character.  Thus, I also adore the pirate toss.

[Victor the Crab]

Indeed.

 

I love when Jon and Stephen crack each other up and break character.  Thus, I also adore the pirate toss.

The pirate toss was also a LOL classic. I missed seeing it live by one day though.

[The Luvly Junkie]

Indeed.

 

I love when Jon and Stephen crack each other up and break character.  Thus, I also adore the pirate toss.

  Anytime Stephen drops by TDS or tosses is always a genuine moment (to hear Jon break into laughter, especially). If I may contribute, try this toss, and this one, and how 'bout this one? My personal favorite Tosses.

[Fremde Frau]

Oh my god, they're fucking adorable! I need more! What are these?? What's a Toss?? Are they in the same studio?

 

You have seen the bit where Stephen deep throats a banana. Because that's an absolute classic.

 

Thank you so much for this, Victor the Crab and Bastet!! I tried to find this video a while ago, but to no avail. I didn't know how to find it when I saw the bit of it when Jon announced about Stephen going to CBS. I was crying, I was laughing so hard. I think this may be my favorite thing that Stephen's ever done on the show! How did he manage to pull it back at the end?

 

God, I hope they release the show on DVD someday. I couldn't take it if Comedy Central ever decides to take down the website.

[trow125]

Oh my god, they're fucking adorable! I need more! What are these?? What's a Toss?? Are they in the same studio?

 

In the early days of "Colbert," at the end of "The Daily Show," Jon and Stephen would briefly banter with each other via (I presume) satellite -- "Colbert" is taped after TDS, and it would be timed so that they could film this segment at the end of TDS' taping and the beginning of Colbert's. (I was once in the Colbert live audience when they did it, and Jon appeared on the monitors.) I suspect it was mostly to remind TDS viewers to stay up and watch Colbert, and once the Report became mega-popular, it wasn't really necessary. It was probably a logistical nightmare to coordinate the taping times, so they gradually let it go, to the dismay of many of us old-timers.

[The Luvly Junkie]

I suspect it was mostly to remind TDS viewers to stay up and watch Colbert, and once the Report became mega-popular, it wasn't really necessary. It was probably a logistical nightmare to coordinate the taping times, so they gradually let it go, to the dismay of many of us old-timers.

 

   o_o Imma gonna hold your horses on this one, trow125. I don't know if it's because I freakin' adore the chemistry between Jon and Stephen, or it's my inner self keeping the faith for that short (but precious) segment, but I think it's in my fan-devoted soul that they should go for a Toss one last time before Colbert's show ends, maybe to bring nostalgia to those early days (or at least properly sending him off by doing what Jon did when TCR premiered).  I really hope TCR is keeping a bucket list of things (like this) to accomplish before transitioning to the Late Show. IMO, it would feel incomplete if they couldn't do it at least once. I'm literally crossing my fingers for this to happen by the very last episode (or maybe during Midterms, which I think they did once before).

[Fremde Frau]

Thank you for that background, trow. That sounds like so much fun! Man, I wish they would do it once in a while. I love The Luvly Junkie's idea of them doing a nostalgic toss. Maybe TDS will do a toss with TMR once Wilmore has taken over that slot? That would be neat, too!

 

This is so much fun, you guys. I just realized how many exclamation points I've been using lately, and I should be embarrassed. But this is so exciting, and I appreciate all of your recommendations and links!

[trow125]

Can anyone give me a short summary of the conflict between Jon and Bill re: the rally? I'm not remembering that. Also, when is Jon's interview of Bill taking place? (Sorry, I must have been living under a rock recently.)

 

Here's a Huffington Post piece with a good summary of the Maher-Stewart kerfuffle.

Afterwards, Jon went on Rachel Maddow's show (despite a serious case of the bubons) to defend himself.

[alexvillage]

I don't think Bill Maher spends much of his time thinking about Jon. Or vice versa. I mostly agree with Maher concerning the Rally but I kind of get it why Jon did that. The thing is, it was a big party and did not make a difference.

In many ways Bill Maher and Jon Stewart are alike, the most evident to me is the huge ego and self-righteousness. And, in my opinion, Bill is actually much more cordial than Jon during interviews