# Who is Jon Stewart’s greatest Apprentice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523 "2017-12-14T18:41:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/1 "2017-12-14T18:41:08Z")
I’ve listed 19 major regulars and of course an \*other \*option. I am not including Lewis Black as he was already established and Mo Rocca as he was really from the Kilborn version of the show. Use your own criteria: Ex. best at continuing the fight, biggest star, most successful, or just like this one the best because … ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/2 "2017-12-14T18:49:05Z")
John Oliver. I might have answered Colbert if he hadn’t decided that being wealthy was a better goal than being meaningful. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/3 "2017-12-14T18:50:31Z")
Oliver. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/4 "2017-12-14T18:52:17Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I might have answered Colbert if he hadn’t decided that being wealthy was a better goal than being meaningful. I did go with Colbert, but agree that the Colbert Report should have stayed on the air. Sad that he left that show right before we needed it most. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/5 "2017-12-14T18:52:46Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I might have answered Colbert if he hadn’t decided that being wealthy was a better goal than being meaningful. Um… he’s arguably more meaningful now. More people watch him bash Trump than ever watched his persona go after Republicans - and besides, how many years do you really want to be ‘in character’. I think he did enough time there. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/6 "2017-12-14T18:54:46Z")
I voted Samantha Bee, as a buy in the buy/hold/sell spectrum. Colbert did genius work, but has moved on so I see him as a sell. Oliver is a hold for me, I think he has peaked. Whereas I see Bee as continuing to build, with more better things to come. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/7 "2017-12-14T19:01:29Z")
I picked Olivia Munn because she’s hot. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/8 "2017-12-14T19:02:44Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Um… he’s arguably more meaningful now. More people watch him bash Trump than ever watched his persona go after Republicans - and besides, how many years do you really want to be ‘in character’. I think he did enough time there. I agree, I think the Colbert Report had largely played out anyway. It was a perfect time to jump. He is doing very well with the Late Show. That said I voted Oliver. John makes me laugh the most and damn that bastard, he keeps teaching me almost every episode. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/9 "2017-12-14T19:04:06Z")
I don’t blame Colbert for leaving. It must have been exhausting to keep doing that persona night after night (almost 1500 episodes!), especially considering Colbert’s personal beliefs. He looks like he’s having way more fun now. I miss it, but I don’t blame him. Still voted for Oliver. _Last Week Tonight_’s longer-form format lets them do some really impressive work that none of the other apprentices have even approached on their own shows. He was also really funny on \*Community. \* I don’t really get John Hodgman being on this list - he first appeared on TDS to promote _The Areas of My Expertise_, a particularly wonderful book, and was never a regular contributor. His success isn’t really tied to Stewart in the same way most of these other folks are. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/10 "2017-12-14T19:04:44Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Um… he’s arguably more meaningful now. More people watch him bash Trump than ever watched his persona go after Republicans - and besides, how many years do you really want to be ‘in character’. I think he did enough time there. Popular ≠ meaningful. Stephen Colbert used to do comedy, now he tells jokes. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/11 "2017-12-14T19:09:03Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I don’t really get John Hodgman being on this list - he first appeared on TDS to promote _The Areas of My Expertise_, a particularly wonderful book, and was never a regular contributor. I debated on him, he was on fairly often for a stretch of time though. He is actually credited with 75 appearances so I think he counts. The Daily Show did launch his public presence like those Mac commercials. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/12 "2017-12-14T19:10:07Z")
I wanted to make a sympathy vote for Ed Helms, because his bits were often hilarious. But Colbert and Oliver brought both humor and depth, so it was a tossup between those two. I went with Colbert on a coin flip. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/13 "2017-12-14T19:30:04Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I picked Olivia Munn because she’s hot. I figured she would get a few votes for well her figure. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/14 "2017-12-14T19:43:31Z")
Steve Carell has become a huge star, but I don’t feel like what he does now has anything to do with what he did on _The Daily Show_. I doubt most people even remember he was on that show (I didn’t). So, Colbert. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/15 "2017-12-14T19:56:43Z")
John Oliver probably learned the most but Steve Carell arguably had the biggest career but probably not through anything he learned from Jon. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/16 "2017-12-14T20:06:16Z")
Tough call between Oliver and Colbert, with Bee close behind. I ended up choosing Oliver because Colbert’s taste in music is different from mine. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/17 "2017-12-14T20:08:06Z")
Since we’re talking about apprentices, formative experiences and what they learned, what is it that the best apprentices learned from their cooperation with Stewart? Did some learn different things? What did each come into the apprenticeship with? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/18 "2017-12-14T21:30:54Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Since we’re talking about apprentices, formative experiences and what they learned, what is it that the best apprentices learned from their cooperation with Stewart? Did some learn different things? What did each come into the apprenticeship with? That would take me a while to find the relevant parts in _The Daily Show_ book, but many people in the book listed what they brought with them, what they learned and why they are better now because of it. Samantha Bee and John Oliver, I seem to recall, had particularly objective insights into their situations, careers and approach to comedy and how Jon Stewart had affected each of those things. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/19 "2017-12-14T21:54:36Z")
I chose Samantha Bee. I think Oliver was doing just fine as a political comedian before _The Daily Show_ and was doing a ton of good work on his podcast\* The Bugle\* aside from _The Daily Show_. As for Colbert I kind of feel that he was a peer to Stewart, not a student. I don’t know that Bee would have made it without her \*TDS \*cred (she is the longest-tenured correspondent) but for me she was the biggest surprise. I honestly did not care for her on \*TDS \*but now on her own show I want to have her babies. Shout out to Larry Wilmore. I really did enjoy his show and don’t know why it didn’t succeed. It was extremely refreshing! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523/20 "2017-12-14T21:58:41Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Shout out to Larry Wilmore. I really did enjoy his show and don’t know why it didn’t succeed. It was extremely refreshing! I don’t think it was him, it was the panel format that didn’t work. Jordan is basically doing a Colbert Report type show and it seems like a better format, especially following the Daily Show. Larry Wilmore was usually very good and then the panel would come out and I would fall asleep or get tired of it and turn it off. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-jon-stewart-s-greatest-apprentice/804523.md?page=2)