Tonight's Daily Show with Jon Stewart

[seriousart]

I’ve raved about this show any number of times on this message board, and I’m gonna again.
Anyone catch the coming back on the air episode?
One of the most honest emotional outbursts I’ve seen from a TV personality. It will be interesting to see how the show continues, keeping in mind good taste.
As Jon Stewart said: “Subliminable” is no longer a punchline.
Stewart said on a recent Charlie Rose interview that the show was only able to exist since since the times were so good now. It was easy to be the wise-ass when in times of relative prosperity and peace.
Now, not so much.

[thinksnow]

That show, tonight, was incredible.
I missed the first minute of his intro, but I’ll be damn sure to catch it tomorrow at 6.

Moving and honest. Really good and clean.

[Jack_Batty]

I’m not generally a “Me too” guy, but thinksnow used every letter in the exact order I had planned on using them. So I think the only ones I got left are these ones - “M” - “E” - “T” - “O” and another “O” with a {space} in between the “E” and the “T”. Oh, and with a period at the end.

Seriously, I wasn’t sure how Jon Stewert would handle that, I certainly didn’t think he would be that moving, or moved. It was very touching.

[Mr.Cynical]

100% class act, it was. Jon Stewart’s credibility went way up in my book…

[Mauvaise]

I’ve never watched the show, but based on this thread, I stayed up late to watch. And I cried right along with him. That was beautiful.

I will be watching the show from now on. Though he said “next week” … The Daily Show is on only once a week?

[Stoid]

I love Jon Stewart, and I love him 50 times as much now. Best of all the comics this week, him and Dave. Then Conan. Which makes sense, given that they are all in NY. (vs. Jay and Kilborn, both of whom suck anyway)

And the Daily Show is on M-Thurs.

stoid

[Agrippina]

I watched it and was moved. I used to not like Jon Stewart, preferring Kilborn better, but I’ve changed my mind completley. I will watch The Daily Show all the time now. I don’t think Kilborn could have done what Stewart was brave enough to do. I mean, how many hosts on Comedy Central would cry?

[tevya]

His words were wonderful and his emotions were genuine. I found it moving. His ability to poke fun at himself in the midst of his grief was amazing and gave us such a complete and rounded picture of the man who is Jon Stewart. To be that open and vulnerable in front of millions (?) of viewers takes courage. And the moment of Zen was unexpected and touching.

I’ve been a fan and will remain a fan. I’ll be watching it again this evening.

[Stoid]

*Originally posted by tevya *
** And the moment of Zen was unexpected and touching. **

YES!!! The moment of zen was terrific! What could bring a smile to the face more readily than a puppy? Absolutely charming.

[The_Big_Cheese]

For the benefit of us cable-less Dopers, can some give a synopsis?

The 5 minute re-cap/highlights they usually have on Real-audio is still from before 9/11.

[moggy]

Wow. I have never seen the Daily Show, but after reading the OP earlier today, I watched the re-run tonight. What a brave and honest monologue. I teared up when he started to tear up. And the things he said were amazing. I really got the sense that Jon Stewart is a human being, not just a smartypants comedian hiding behind his quips. He has a new fan in me.

[Marvel]

I wrote this letter and e-mailed it to the TDS newsletter last night. It gives some highlights of his speech. I hope it isn’t too long-winded.

---

I had to turn off my tape of tonight’s “Daily Show” as
soon as Jon finished his speech and write him
directly.

Thank you, thank you for sharing your feelings at the
top of the show. Yes, other comedy hosts have done it,
but I find it to be as cathartic for me as it must be
for the speaker. And without a doubt, yours moved me
the most. You’re right about the barriers coming down

• after witnessing the single most horrific act in my
  life, I saw and was a party to a parade of human
  decency I never thought I’d see in real life. I can’t
  remember the last time total strangers put aside their
  “elevator mentality” (i.e. pretend you don’t see the
  person standing next to you) and just started TALKING
  with each other. And I can’t begin to list all the
  small but encouraging acts of solidarity I’ve seen on
  TV and all around me - all done by complete and utter
  strangers.

And Jon, thank you, thank you for expressing the quiet
defiance that I’ve been feeling and I’m sure others
have been feeling. We may be wounded, but we’re still
standing. The bastards can’t break us.

And thank you for letting the tears flow freely while
you spoke, as it was so very purging. I was crying
right along with you man, as I’m sure thousands if not
millions of others were (Kleenex must be making a
fortune right about now). I’m sure I speak for many
people on this list when I say I would’ve given you a
great, big hug if only I could reach through the
television screen. Consider this a long-distance hug
to you, the entire TDS staff, and anyone else you know
who needs it.

Hang tough, my brother.

[Crunchy_Frog]

*Originally posted by The Big Cheese *
**For the benefit of us cable-less Dopers, can some give a synopsis? **

Here’s a link from a thread in IMHO:
http://www.tdsexperience.com/count.php?id=58

It shoes the entire intro and is about 8 minutes long.

[SterlingNorth]

Man, I just caught the video of it fron the Daily Show website, damn I don’t know what to sat now. He’s a class act.

[Persephone]

I just got it from the website, too.

Wow.

[MsRobyn]

I just downloaded it and watched it.

Right now, it’s very easy to engage in cheap patriotism and call for Bin Laden’s head on a platter. Stewart made some excellent points that no one else has made, and that made me feel better. I especially liked the part where he talked about the view from his apartment.

It brought tears to my eyes.

Robin

[thinksnow]

If the bolded part doesn’t have your chest heaving, I don’t know what will.

[ul]-ts[/ul]

JON STEWART’S OPENING MONOLOGUE
DATE: September 20, 2001

[ul]
Good evening and welcome to “The Daily Show.” We are back. This is our first show since the tragedy in New York City. There is no other way really to start this show than to ask you at home the question that we’ve asked the audience here tonight and that we’ve asked everybody that we know here in New York since September 11th, and that is, “Are you okay?” We pray that you are and that your family is. I’m sorry to do this to you. It’s another entertainment show beginning with an overwrought speech of a shaken host. TV is nothing, if not redundant. So, I apologize for that. It’s something that unfortunately, we do for ourselves so that we can drain whatever abscess is in our hearts and move onto the business of making you laugh, which we really haven’t been able to do very effectively lately. Everyone’s checked in already, I know we’re late. I’m sure we’re getting in right under the wire before the cast of “Survivor” offers their insight into what to do in these situations.

They said to get back to work. There were no jobs available for a man in the fetal position under his desk crying, which I would have gladly taken. So I came back here. Tonight’s show is obviously not a regular show. We looked through the vaults, we found some clips that we thought might make you smile, which is really what’s necessary, I think, right about now. A lot of folks have asked me, “What are you going to do when you get back? What are you going to say?” I mean, what a terrible thing to have to do. I don’t see it as a burden at all. I see it as a privilege. I see it as a privilege and everyone here does see it that way. The show in general, we feel like is a privilege. Just even the idea that we can sit in the back of the country and make wise cracks, which is really what we do. We sit in the back and we throw spitballs, but never forgetting the fact that is a luxury in this country that allows us to do that. This is a country that allows for open satire, and I know that sounds basic and it sounds as though it goes without saying - but that’s really what this whole situation is about. It’s the difference between closed and open. It’s the difference between free and burden and we don’t take that for granted here by any stretch of the imagination and our show has changed. I don’t doubt that. What it’s become, I don’t know. “Subliminable” is not a punch line anymore. One day it will become that again, and Lord willing, it will become that again because that means we have ridden out the storm.

But the main reason that I wanted to speak tonight is not to tell you what the show is going to be. Not to tell you about all the incredibly brave people that are here in New York and in Washington and around the country. But we’ve had an enduring pain here - an endurable pain. I wanted to tell you why I grieve, but why I don’t despair…I’m sorry. Luckily we can edit this. One of my first memories is of Martin Luther King being shot. I was five and if you wonder if this feeling will pass…When I was five, he was shot. Here’s what I remember about it. I was in a school in Trenton. They shut the lights off and we got to sit under our desks and we thought that was really cool and they gave us cottage cheese, which was a cold lunch because there was rioting, but we didn’t know that. We just thought that “My god. We get to sit under our desks and eat cottage cheese.” That’s what I remember about it. That was a tremendous test of this country’s fabric and this country’s had many tests before that and after that.

The reason I don’t despair is because this attack happened. It’s not a dream. But the aftermath of it, the recovery is a dream realized. And that is Martin Luther King’s dream. Whatever barriers we’ve put up are gone even if it’s momentary. We’re judging people by not the color of their skin but the content of their character. You know, all this talk about “These guys are criminal masterminds. They’ve gotten together and their extraordinary guile…and their wit and their skill.” It’s a lie. Any fool can blow something up. Any fool can destroy. But to see these guys, these firefighters, these policemen and people from all over the country, literally, with buckets rebuilding. That’s extraordinary. That’s why we’ve already won. It’s light. It’s democracy. We’ve already won. They can’t shut that down. They live in chaos and chaos…it can’t sustain itself. It never could. It’s too easy and it’s too unsatisfying.
**
The view from my apartment was the World Trade Center and now it’s gone. They attacked it. This symbol of American ingenuity and strength and labor and imagination and commerce and it is gone. But you know what the view is now? The Statue of Liberty. The view from the south of Manhattan is now the Statue of Liberty. You can’t beat that.
**
So we’re going to take a break and I’m going to stop slobbering on myself and on the desk. We’re going to get back to this. It’s gonna be fun and funny and it’s going to be the same as it was and I thank you. We’ll be right back.
[/ul]

[slackergirl]

I finally got the download of the intro going. That was very impressive.

For years this has been the only show that has made me regret my decision to not have cable, I’m glad to see that I’m still right about that, and sorry that I missed the whole thing.

I never thought I’d see the day when he and Letterman could make my cry before Oprah or Baba Wawa did.

[Bluesman]

Thank you for posting that up. It helped me, as much as my friends (I love you, Paul) and my chaplain have. And my beautiful Lucretia, my Heaven Is, who makes me feel better when I feel like Hell.

I hope that all of you, my friends, find the right kind of balm for your personal wound, and I hope you’re feeling better soon.