Daily Show appearance
President Obama makes his last appearance on The Daily Show before Stewart’s retirement.
I can’t believe you’re leaving before me, I’m going to issue an executive order. Jon Stewart cannot leave the show. It’s being challenged in courts.
Explains leaving Daily Show
Stewart explains why he is leaving The Daily Show:
It’s not like I thought the show wasn’t working any more, or that I didn’t know how to do it. It was more, Yup, it’s working. But I’m not getting the same satisfaction…Honestly, it was a combination of the limitations of my brain and a format that is geared towards following an increasingly redundant process, which is our political process. Another plus of leaving? Not having to watch the news to keep up: Watching these channels all day is incredibly depressing.
‘I don’t think of taking over. I’m joining the team.’
In an interview with the Associated Press, Noah talks about The Daily Show and his role. Noah doesn’t consider himself to be taking over the show, but rather he is simply joining a successful team of writers and producers. He goes on to talk about similarities between he and Stewart: they share the same progressive ideology and “think in a global space.” Noah says he is looking forward to being a part of election coverage because he loves the drama surrounding the campaigns.
I don’t think of taking over. I’m joining the team. It’s a huge ship that has won Emmys and Peabodys for a reason, because it’s a fantastic team of writers and producers working to make that show magic…One thing we both share: We are both progressives. Obviously where you’re from may inform a lot of your decisions. But traveling the world I’ve learned that progressives, regardless of their locations, think in a global space…When you are honest in your comedy, you have to acknowledge the world that you’re in. Through a comedic voice you’re talking about what needs to be talked about, whether it’s race relations or politics or anything that’s happening on a global or an American scale. That’s exactly the space “The Daily Show” is in.
Daily Show interview
Hirsi Ali is interviewed by Stewart on The Daily Show:
Talk of reformation in Islam has been underway for a while, Yes, there is a great deal of violence in the name of Islam, but there is a emerging and incredibly imporat minority of reformers who are risking their lives to get this change done. And I stand with them. I hope you stand with them.
On Air interview
Seacrest interviews Stewart during On Air With Ryan Seacrest about writing and directing his film Rosewater. The film is about the life and capture of Maziar Bahari by Iranian forces.
He was an Iranian journalist that we met when we sent somebody to Iran to cover the new Axis of Evil. And he spoke with us, along with a couple of other people, and the Iranian officials arrested him in 2009 and showed him the piece he did with our stupid show as evidence that he was a spy. And they kept him in solitary for 118 days. So I thought, ‘Jeez, I could either give him a gift certificate to like a Baskin Robins, or maybe make a movie about him?’ I had to make it up somehow.
Hillary Clinton interview
Stewart interviews Hillary Clinton in promotion of her upcoming book. During the interview, Stewart attempts to get Clinton to make the big announcement of her presidential candidacy on his show. Clinton:
You kind of spoiled it, so I have to reconsider where I go do it.
O Magazine interview
Stewart speaks about his comedy taking on a more political tone in an interview with O Magazine.
It was a conscious decision to move to relevance—to make the show something people care about. I had done a talk show where it was, Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we’re doing three segments instead of two with Maria Conchita Alonso. Because it turns out the guy with the falcons is not going to come tonight. I thought, This can’t be how I live my life. So I decided not to give a crap about what anybody else thought anymore.