Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, writer, producer, director,
political commentator
A pundit is a person who offers opinion in an authoritative manner on a particular subject area (typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport), usually through the mass media. The term pundit describes both women and men, altho ...
, actor, and television host. The long-running host of ''
The Daily Show
''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night talk and news satire television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States, with extended episodes released shortly after on Paramount+ ...
'' on
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
from 1999 to 2015, Stewart returned part-time to the
satirical news program in 2024. He hosted ''
The Problem with Jon Stewart'' on
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...
from 2021 to 2023.
Stewart has
received numerous accolades, including 23
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
s, 2
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
, and 5
Peabody Awards
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
. He was honored with the
Bronze Medallion in 2019, and the
Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is an American award presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. annually since 1998 (except 2020-2021). Named after the 19th-century humorist Mark Twain, it is prese ...
in 2022.
Stewart started as a
stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage and delivers humorous and satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical acts. These performances are typically composed of rehear ...
but branched into television as host of ''
Short Attention Span Theater
''Short Attention Span Theater'' (often abbreviated to ''SAST'') is an American clip show in which the hosts presented short segments of stand-up comedy acts and scenes from films airing on HBO and Cinemax. It aired from 1989 until 1994.
''SAST' ...
'' for Comedy Central. He went on to host ''
You Wrote It, You Watch It
''You Wrote It, You Watch It'' is an MTV sketch comedy show that aired in the 1992–1993 season. It was hosted by Jon Stewart, and featured members of The State comedy troupe prior to their being given their own show by MTV.
The State performe ...
'' (1992–1993) and then ''
The Jon Stewart Show
''The Jon Stewart Show'' is a late night talk show that was hosted by comedian Jon Stewart. The program premiered on MTV in 1993 as a 30-minute daily offering and became one of the network's more popular shows.
Through a series of events that ...
'' (1993–1995), both on MTV, until ''The Jon Stewart Show'' was retooled, dropped by the network and moved to
syndication. He has also appeared in several films, including ''
Big Daddy'' (1999) and ''
Death to Smoochy
''Death to Smoochy'' is a 2002 satirical black comedy crime film directed by Danny DeVito and written by Adam Resnick. Starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, DeVito, and Jon Stewart, the film centers on "Rainbow" Randolp ...
'' (2002). Stewart became host of ''The Daily Show'' in 1999, where he also was a writer and co-executive producer. After he joined, ''The Daily Show'' steadily gained popularity and critical acclaim, and during his tenure won numerous
Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
and was
nominated for news and journalism awards.
Stewart hosted the
78th and
80th Academy Awards
The 80th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2007. The award ceremony took place on February 24, 2008, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During t ...
. He is the co-author of the best-selling satirical books ''
America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction'' in 2004,
and ''
Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race'' in 2010. He executive produced ''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late night television, late-night Late-night talk show, talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December ...
'' (2005–2014), ''
The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore
''The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore'' is an American late-night panel talk show hosted by Larry Wilmore that aired on Comedy Central from January 19, 2015, to August 18, 2016. The show was a spin-off of ''The Daily Show'', which featured Wi ...
'' (2015–2016), and ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...
'' (2015–present). In February 2024, he returned to ''
The Daily Show
''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night talk and news satire television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States, with extended episodes released shortly after on Paramount+ ...
'' for Monday episodes, as well as in the role of an executive producer.
After leaving ''The Daily Show'', Stewart maintained a low profile in entertainment industry circles, but used his celebrity and voice in a sustained advocacy for
9/11 first responders and war veterans' health benefits. In 2019, he received the New York City
Bronze Medallion for his "tireless advocacy, inspiration, and leadership (helping to) pass the permanent authorization of the
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, commonly known as the VCF, was a Federal government of the United States, U.S. government fund that was created by an Act of Congress shortly after the September 11 attacks in 2001. The purpose of the f ...
Act".
He continued using his platform as an advocate for veterans by being instrumental in helping pass the
Honoring our PACT Act of 2022
The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, known as the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, or even more colloquially as "the PACT Act," is an Act of Congress that authorized $797 billio ...
, which expands healthcare access and funding to veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service including
burn pits.
Early life and education
Stewart was born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz at
Doctors Hospital on the
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the boroughs of New York City, borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded approximately by 96th Street (Manhattan), 96th Street to the north, the East River to the e ...
of
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. His father, Donald Leibowitz (1931–2013), was an energy coordinator for the
New Jersey Department of the Treasury
The mission of the New Jersey Department of the Treasury is to formulate and manage the state's budget, generate and collect revenues, disburse the appropriations used to operate New Jersey state government, manage the state's physical and financ ...
,
and his mother, Marian Leibowitz (née Laskin), was a teacher and later an
educational consultant An educational consultant (EC), sometimes referred to as an independent educational consultant (IEC), is an advisor who helps parents and either traditional students or non-traditional students with educational planning for college and graduate sch ...
.
Stewart's family is
Ashkenazi Jewish
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...
; his parents had immigrated to the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
from
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. One of his grandfathers was born in
Manzhouli
Manzhouli ( zh, s=满洲里; ; ) is a sub-prefectural city located in Hulunbuir prefecture-level city, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Located on the border with Russia, it is a major land port of entry. It has an area of and a populat ...
, present-day
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. He is the second of four sons, with older brother Lawrence
[ and younger brothers Dan and Matthew.][
Stewart's parents divorced when he was eleven years old, and he became largely estranged from his father.][ Due to their strained relationship, Stewart dropped his surname and began using his middle name alone, stating: "There was a thought of using my mother's maiden name, but I thought that would be just too big a 'fuck you' to my dad.... Did I have some problems with my father? Yes. Yet people always view hanging my surnamethrough the prism of ethnic identity."][Freeman, Hadley (April 18, 2015)]
"Jon Stewart: why I quit The Daily Show "
. ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' He had his surname legally changed to "Stewart" in 2001. In 2015, he described his relationship with his father as "still complicated" after his father's death two years earlier. Stewart and his older brother, Lawrence, who was previously the chief operating officer of NYSE Euronext
NYSE Euronext, Inc. was a Transatlantic relations, transatlantic Multinational corporation, multinational financial services corporation that operated multiple Stock exchange, securities exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, Euronext ...
(the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...
), grew up in Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrenceville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. .[ Stewart has stated that he experienced much ]antisemitism
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
as a child, having been bullied frequently due to his Jewish identity
Jewish identity is the objective or subjective sense of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. It encompasses elements of nationhood, "The Jews are a nation and were so before there was a Jewish state of Israel" "Jews are ...
. He describes himself in high school as "very into Eugene Debs
Eugene Victor Debs (November 5, 1855 – October 20, 1926) was an American socialist, political activist, trade unionist, one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and five-time candidate of the Socialist Party o ...
and a bit of a leftist
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politi ...
." Stewart grew up in the era of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
and the Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the Presidency of Richard Nixon, administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Resignation of Richard Nixon, Nix ...
, which inspired in him "a healthy skepticism towards official reports." His first job was working with his brother at a Woolworth's
Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to:
Businesses Australia and New Zealand
* Woolworths Group (Australia), the largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand; named after the American F.W. Woolworth company, but unrelated
* W ...
store, and he has jokingly said that being fired by Lawrence himself was one of the "scarring events" of his youth.[ He has also credited renowned television producer ]Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear (July 27, 1922December 5, 2023) was an American screenwriter and producer who produced, wrote, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear created and produced numerous popular 1970s sitcoms, including ''All in the Family'' (1 ...
as someone who "raised me."
After graduating from Lawrence High School in 1980, Stewart attended the College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public university, public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III of England, William III and Queen ...
in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It had a population of 15,425 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern par ...
, where he initially major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
ed in chemistry
Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...
before switching to psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
.[ While at William & Mary, Stewart became a member of the ]Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha (), commonly known as Pike is a college fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1868. The fraternity has over 225 chapters and provisional chapters across the United States and abroad with over 15,500 undergraduate mem ...
fraternity, but eventually began disassociating himself from other members, leaving the fraternity altogether after six months. "My college career was waking up late, memorizing someone else's notes, doing bong hits, and going to soccer practice", he later said. He was a three-year starter in 1981, 1982 and 1983 with the Tribe men's soccer team. He had 10 goals and 12 assists on a squad that went 40–15–9 (.695) in his three seasons with the program. He is listed as Jon Leibowitz in official William & Mary Athletics records. The former head coach of the Tribe men's soccer team from 1971 to 2003, Al Albert, describes Jon as "athletic and feisty and quick" and added that he "wasn't the most technical or clinical player, but he could make things happen." He graduated from William & Mary in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
. Twenty years later, the college awarded him an honorary Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
degree.
After college, Stewart held numerous jobs: contingency planner for the New Jersey Department of Human Services, contract administrator for the City University of New York
The City University of New York (CUNY, pronounced , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven ...
, puppeteer for children with disabilities, soccer coach at Gloucester High School in Virginia, caterer, busboy
In North America, a busser, sometimes known as a busboy or busgirl, is a person in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, refilling and otherwise assisting the waiting staff ...
, shelf stocker at Woolworth's, bartender at the Franklin Corner Tavern (a blue-collar bar in Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
), and bartender at the City Gardens
The City Gardens was a nightclub located at 1701 Calhoun Street in Trenton, New Jersey. It opened in 1979 and closed in 2001.
History
Early years
The Nalbone family of Trenton and Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, Lawrence, New Jersey ...
nightclub in Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...
.[ He has said that working at City Gardens was a pivotal moment for him: "Finding this place City Gardens was like, 'Oh, maybe I'm not a giant weirdo. Maybe there are other people who have a similar sense of yearning for something other than what they have now.' I think it inspired a lot of people, man. It was a very creative environment. It was a place of great possibility."
]
Career
1986–1992: Standup and early career
With a reputation for being a funny man in school, Stewart returned to New York City in 1986 to try his hand at the comedy club
A comedy club is a venue where a variety of comedic acts perform to a live audience. Although the term usually refers to establishments that feature stand-up comedy, stand-up comedians, it can also feature other forms of comedy such as improvisati ...
circuit, but could not muster the courage to get on stage until the following year. He made his stand-up debut at The Bitter End
The Bitter End is a 230-person capacity nightclub
A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually s ...
, where one of his comedic idols, Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
, also began. He began using the stage name Jon Stewart by dropping his last name and changing the spelling of his middle name, Stuart, to Stewart. He often jokes that it was because people had trouble pronouncing Leibowitz, or it "sounded too Hollywood" (a reference to Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), better known by his stage name Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was renowned for his open, free-wheeling, and critical style of come ...
's joke on the same theme). He has implied that the name change was due to a strained relationship with his father, with whom Stewart no longer had any contact.
Stewart became a regular at the Comedy Cellar
The Comedy Cellar is a comedy club in Manhattan where many top New York City comedians perform; it is sometimes referred to as the "Harvard of comedy clubs".
Operations
It was founded in 1982 by then-stand-up comedian, and current televisio ...
, where he was the last performer every night. For two years, he performed at 2 a.m. while developing his comedy style. In 1989, he landed his first television job as a writer for ''Caroline's Comedy Hour
Carolines on Broadway was a venue for stand-up comedy situated at 750 Seventh Avenue, on Broadway between 49th and 50th Streets, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The club operated from 1981 to 2022.
History
Caroline H ...
''. In 1990, he began co-hosting Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
's ''Short Attention Span Theater
''Short Attention Span Theater'' (often abbreviated to ''SAST'') is an American clip show in which the hosts presented short segments of stand-up comedy acts and scenes from films airing on HBO and Cinemax. It aired from 1989 until 1994.
''SAST' ...
'' with Patty Rosborough
Patty Rosborough is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television writer. From 1990 to 1993, she co-hosted '' Short Attention Span Theater'' with Jon Stewart. Her stand-up comedy has been televised on Comedy Central, A&E, Showtime, and VH ...
. In 1992, he hosted the short-lived ''You Wrote It, You Watch It
''You Wrote It, You Watch It'' is an MTV sketch comedy show that aired in the 1992–1993 season. It was hosted by Jon Stewart, and featured members of The State comedy troupe prior to their being given their own show by MTV.
The State performe ...
'' on MTV, which invited viewers to send in their stories to be acted out by the comedy troupe, The State
A state is a political entity that regulates society and the population within a definite territory. Government is considered to form the fundamental apparatus of contemporary states.
A country often has a single state, with various administrat ...
.
Stewart said that his career did not take off until his March 6, 1992, appearance on NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
's ''Late Night with David Letterman
''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the '' Late Night''. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by ...
''. He was considered to take over the show when Letterman left it, but it was given to a then relatively unknown Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is best known for having hosted Late-night talk show, late-night talk shows, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'B ...
. He co-hosted ''MTV Spring Break
''MTV Spring Break'' refers to the channel's defunct annual spring break coverage, featuring numerous live performances from artists and bands on location. The annual tradition continued into the 2000s, when it became de-emphasized and handed of ...
'93 Blind Date'' from Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach is a coastal resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropo ...
with Melissa Rivers
Melissa Warburg Rosenberg (born January 20, 1968), known professionally as Melissa Rivers, is an American television host and actress. She is the only child of comedian Joan Rivers and producer Edgar Rosenberg.
Early life
Melissa Warburg Rosenb ...
.
1993–1995: ''The Jon Stewart Show''
Later in 1993, Stewart developed ''The Jon Stewart Show
''The Jon Stewart Show'' is a late night talk show that was hosted by comedian Jon Stewart. The program premiered on MTV in 1993 as a 30-minute daily offering and became one of the network's more popular shows.
Through a series of events that ...
'', a talk show on MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, which was later dropped by the network and was syndicated for its last two years. ''The Jon Stewart Show'' was the first talk show on that network and was an instant hit, becoming the second-highest rated MTV show, behind ''Beavis and Butt-Head
''Beavis and Butt-Head'' is an American Adult animation, adult animated Animated sitcom, sitcom created by Mike Judge. The series follows Beavis and Butt-Head, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, Stupi ...
''. In 1994, Paramount
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS.
**Paramount Picture ...
canceled ''The Arsenio Hall Show
''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall.
There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989 ...
'' and, with new corporate sibling MTV (through MTV parent Viacom
Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to:
* Viacom (1952–2005), a former American media conglomerate
* Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom
* Viacom18, a joint venture between Pa ...
's acquisition of the studio), launched an hour-long syndicated late-night version of ''The Jon Stewart Show''. Many local affiliates had moved Hall's show to 2 a.m. during its decline and Stewart's show inherited such early morning time slots in many cities. Ratings were dismal and the show was canceled in June 1995.
Among the fans of the show was David Letterman
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...
, who was the final guest of ''The Jon Stewart Show''. Letterman signed Stewart with his production company, Worldwide Pants
Worldwide Pants Incorporated is an American television and film production company founded and owned by comedian and talk show host David Letterman.
The company was formerly headquartered at the Ed Sullivan Theater building in New York City, bu ...
. Stewart then became a frequent guest host for Tom Snyder
Thomas James Snyder (May 12, 1936 – July 29, 2007) was an American television personality, news anchor, and radio personality best known for his late night talk shows '' Tomorrow'', on NBC in the 1970s and 1980s, and '' The Late Late Show'' ...
on ''The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder
''The Late Late Show'' is an American late-night television talk and variety comedy show that originally aired from January 9, 1995, to April 27, 2023, on CBS. Tom Snyder was the show's first host, followed by Craig Kilborn, Craig Ferguson, and ...
'', which was produced by Letterman and aired after the '' Late Show'' on CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
. This led to much speculation that Stewart would soon replace Snyder permanently, but instead, Stewart was offered the time slot after Snyder's, which he turned down.
1994–1997: Film and other TV work
Stewart's first film role was a bit part in the box-office bomb, ''Mixed Nuts
''Mixed Nuts'' is a 1994 American Christmas black comedy film directed by Nora Ephron, based on the 1982 French comedy film '' Le Père Noël est une ordure (Santa Claus is a Stinker)''. Co-written by Ephron and her sister Delia, the film fea ...
.'' He landed a minor part in ''The First Wives Club
''The First Wives Club'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith. The film stars Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton as three divorcées who seek retributi ...
'', but his scene was deleted. In 1995, Stewart signed a three-year deal with Miramax
Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...
. Stewart played romantic leads in the films, ''Playing by Heart
''Playing by Heart'' is a 1998 American comedy-drama film which tells the story of several seemingly unconnected characters. It was entered into the 49th Berlin International Film Festival. It stars Gillian Anderson, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Connery, ...
'' and ''Wishful Thinking
Wishful thinking is the formation of beliefs based on what might be pleasing to imagine, rather than on evidence, rationality, or reality. It is a product of resolving conflicts between belief and desire. Methodologies to examine wishful thin ...
''. He had a supporting role in the romantic comedy, '' Since You've Been Gone'' and in the horror film, ''The Faculty
''The Faculty'' is a 1998 American science fiction horror film directed and edited by Robert Rodriguez with a screenplay by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jordana Brewster in her film debut, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Ha ...
''. Other films were planned for Stewart to write and star in, but they never were produced. Stewart maintained a relationship with Miramax founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein
Robert Weinstein (born October 18, 1954) is an American film producer. He is the founder and head of Dimension Films, former co-chairman of Miramax Films and The Weinstein Company (TWC), all of which he co-founded with his older brother, H ...
and appeared in films they produced including, ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'' is a 2001 American satirical stoner buddy comedy film written, co-edited, and directed by Kevin Smith and produced and co-edited by Scott Mosier. The film is the fifth set in the View Askewniverse, a growing ...
'', ''Doogal
''The Magic Roundabout'' (also known as ''Sprung! The Magic Roundabout''; ) is a 2005 animated adventure fantasy comedy film based on the television series of the same name. Unlike the show, which was presented with stop-motion animation, the ...
'', and the documentary, ''Wordplay
Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phone ...
''.
In 1996, Stewart hosted a short-lived talk show entitled, '' Where's Elvis This Week?'', which was a half-hour, weekly comedy television program. It aired on Sunday nights in the United Kingdom on BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...
. It was filmed at the CBS Broadcast Center
The CBS Broadcast Center is a television and radio production facility located on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is CBS's main East Coast of the United States, East Coast production hub, similar to Radford Studio Cen ...
in New York City and featured a set of panelists, two from the UK and two from the United States, who discussed news items and cultural issues. The show premiered in the UK on October 6, 1996; five episodes aired in total. Notable panelists included Dave Chappelle
David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and actor. He starred in and co-created the satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006) before quitting in the middle ...
, Eddie Izzard
Suzy Eddie Izzard ( ; born Edward John Izzard, 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomi ...
, Phill Jupitus
Phillip Christopher Jupitus (, ''Given name#Name at birth, né'' Swan; born 25 June 1962) is a retired English stand-up comedy, stand-up and Improv comedy teacher, improv comedian, actor, performance poetry, performance poet, cartoonist and podc ...
, Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron ( ; May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing romantic comedy films and received numerous accolades including a British Academy Film Award as ...
, Craig Kilborn
Craig Lawrence Kilborn (born August 24, 1962) is an American television host, actor, comedian, and sports commentator. Kilborn began a career in sports broadcasting in the late 1980s, leading to an anchoring position at ESPN's '' SportsCenter'' f ...
, Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011) was a British and American author and journalist. He was the author of Christopher Hitchens bibliography, 18 books on faith, religion, culture, politics, and literature. He was born ...
, Armando Iannucci
Armando Giovanni Iannucci (; born 28 November 1963) is a Scottish satirist, writer, director, producer and performer.
Born in Glasgow to Italian parents, Iannucci studied at the University of Glasgow followed by the University of Oxford. St ...
, Norm Macdonald
Norman Gene MacdonaldThe capitalization of Norm Macdonald's surname has been inconsistently reported in publications such as ''TV Guide''. Books that discuss him, such as ''Shales'' (2003) and Crawford' (2000), as well as other sources such as ...
, and Helen Gurley Brown
Helen Gurley Brown ( Helen Marie Gurley; February 18, 1922 – August 13, 2012) was an American author, publisher, and businesswoman. She was the editor-in-chief of ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine for 32 years. Garner 2009.
Early life
Helen Mar ...
. In 1997, Stewart was chosen as the host and interviewer for George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...
's tenth HBO special, '' George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy''. Stewart had a recurring role in ''The Larry Sanders Show
''The Larry Sanders Show'' is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. Created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein, the show ran for six seasons and List of The Larry Sanders Show episodes, ...
'', playing himself as an occasional substitute and possible successor to late-night talk show host Larry Sanders (played by Garry Shandling
Garry Emmanuel Shandling (November 29, 1949 – March 24, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer.
Shandling began his career writing for sitcoms, such as '' Sanford and Son'' and ''Welcome Back, Kotter''. He made a ...
). Stewart also headlined the 1997 White House Correspondents' dinner
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor ...
.
1998–2015: ''The Daily Show''
In 1998, Stewart hosted the television special, '' Elmopalooza'', celebrating 30 years of ''Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
''. He has guest-starred on other sitcoms including ''The Nanny
''The Nanny'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish wikt:fashionista, fashionista from Flushing, Queens, who becomes the nanny of three children ...
'', ''Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
''Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Jonathan Katz and Tom Snyder for Comedy Central. It originally ran from May 28, 1995, to February 13, 2002. The series starred the voice talents of Jonathan ...
'', ''Spin City
''Spin City'' is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996, to April 30, 2002, on ABC. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show is set in a fictionalized version of the New York City mayor's off ...
'', and ''NewsRadio
''NewsRadio'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from March 21, 1995, to May 4, 1999, focusing on the work lives of the staff of a New York City AM news radio station. It had an ensemble cast featuring Dave Foley, Stephen R ...
''. The same year Stewart released his first book, '' Naked Pictures of Famous People'' (1998), a collection of humorous short stories and essays. The book reached ''The New York Times'' Best Seller List. In the mid-1990s, Stewart launched his own production company
A production company, production house or production studio is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television show, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video ...
, Busboy Productions
Busboy Productions is a production company that was launched by Jon Stewart in the mid-1990s when he was known for hosting ''The Jon Stewart Show'' on MTV. In addition to Stewart, executive Chris McShane is in charge of development and production. ...
, naming the company in reference to his previous job as a busboy
In North America, a busser, sometimes known as a busboy or busgirl, is a person in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, refilling and otherwise assisting the waiting staff ...
. Stewart signed a deal with Miramax
Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...
to develop projects through his company, but none of his ideas have been produced. After Stewart's success as host and producer of ''The Daily Show'', he revived Busboy Productions with ''Daily Show'' producers Ben Karlin
Benjamin Miles Karlin (born c. 1971) is an American television producer and writer. He has won eight Emmy awards, and is best known for his work in ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' and ''The Colbert Report''. He is one of three co-creators of ...
and Rich Korson. In 2002, Busboy planned to produce a sitcom for NBC starring Stephen Colbert, but the show did not come to fruition.
Later that year, when Craig Kilborn left the show to replace Tom Snyder on '' The Late Late Show'', Stewart began hosting ''The Daily Show
''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night talk and news satire television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States, with extended episodes released shortly after on Paramount+ ...
'' on Comedy Central. ''The Daily Show'' blends humor with the day's top news stories, usually in politics, while simultaneously poking fun at politicians, newsmakers, and the news media. In an interview on ''The O'Reilly Factor
''The O'Reilly Factor'' (originally titled ''The O'Reilly Report'' and also known as ''The Factor'') is an American cable television news and talk show. ''The O'Reilly Factor'' first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7 ...
'', Stewart denied the show has any intentional political agenda, saying the goal was "schnicks and giggles" and that " e same weakness that drove me into comedy also informs my show", meaning that he was uncomfortable talking without hearing the audience laugh. In his first Daily Show on-air appearance on January 11, 1999, Stewart told his guest that evening, Michael J. Fox
Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ...
, that he felt as if "this is my bar mitzvah". His style was described by one critic as, "Stewart does not offer us cynicism for its own sake, but as a playful way to offer the kinds of insights that are not permitted in more serious news formats that slavishly cling to official account of events."
He appeared in ''Half Baked
''Half Baked'' is a 1998 American stoner film starring Dave Chappelle, Jim Breuer, Harland Williams, and Guillermo Díaz. The film was directed by Tamra Davis, co-written by Chappelle and Neal Brennan and produced by Robert Simonds. ''Half ...
'' as an "enhancement smoker" and in '' Big Daddy'' as Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
's roommate; he has joked on the ''Daily Show'' and in the documentary ''The Aristocrats
"The Aristocrats" is a taboo-defying, off-color joke that has been told by numerous stand-up comedians since the vaudeville era. It relates the story of a family trying to get an agent to book their stage act, which is remarkably vulgar and of ...
'' that to get the role, he slept with Sandler. Stewart often makes fun of his appearances in the high-profile flop, ''Death to Smoochy
''Death to Smoochy'' is a 2002 satirical black comedy crime film directed by Danny DeVito and written by Adam Resnick. Starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, DeVito, and Jon Stewart, the film centers on "Rainbow" Randolp ...
'', in which he played a treacherous television executive; and the animated film ''Doogal
''The Magic Roundabout'' (also known as ''Sprung! The Magic Roundabout''; ) is a 2005 animated adventure fantasy comedy film based on the television series of the same name. Unlike the show, which was presented with stop-motion animation, the ...
'', where he voiced the villain Zeebad. In 2007, Stewart made a cameo appearance
A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
as himself in ''Evan Almighty
''Evan Almighty'' is a 2007 American fantasy comedy film that is a spin-off and sequel of '' Bruce Almighty'' (2003). The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, written by Steve Oedekerk, based on the characters created by Steve Koren and Mark ...
'', which starred former ''Daily Show'' correspondent Steve Carell. In the movie, Stewart was seen on a television screen in a fictional ''Daily Show'' episode poking fun at Carell's character for building an ark.
Until Trevor Noah permanently took over the show in 2015, Stewart hosted almost all airings of the program, except for a few occasions when correspondents such as Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
, Rob Corddry
Robert William Corddry (born February 4, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his work as a correspondent on ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' (2002–2006) and for his starring role in the film ''Hot Tub Time Machine''. He ...
, Jason Jones, and Steve Carell
Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Michael Scott in the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2011, 2013), and also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, a ...
subbed for him, and during John Oliver
John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is a British and American comedian who hosts ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' on HBO. He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom and came to wider attention for his work ...
's stint as host during the summer of 2013. Stewart won twenty Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
s for ''The Daily Show'' as either a writer or producer, and two for producing ''The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late night television, late-night Late-night talk show, talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December ...
'' (2013–14), earning a total of twenty-two Primetime Emmy Awards, the most wins for a male individual. In 2005, Stewart and ''The Daily Show'' received the Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best Comedy Album Best Comedy Album may refer to:
* Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album
* Juno Award for Comedy Album of the Year
* Canadian Comedy Award for Best Comedy Album
* New Music Award for Best Comedy Album
* Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for Best Comedy Album
...
for the audiobook edition of '' America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction''. In 2000 and 2004, the show won two Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
s for its coverage of the US presidential elections in those years, called " Indecision 2000" and " Indecision 2004", respectively.[60th Annual Peabody Awards](_blank)
, May 2001.
The show of September 20, 2001, the first show after the attacks of September 11, 2001
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, began with no introduction. Before this, the introduction included footage of a fly-in toward the World Trade Center
World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.
World Trade Center may also refer to:
Buildings
* World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...
and New York City. The first nine minutes of the show included a tearful Stewart discussing his personal view on the event. His remarks ended as follows:
In mid-2002, amid rumors that David Letterman was going to switch from CBS to ABC when his contract ran out, Stewart was rumored as Letterman's replacement on CBS. Ultimately, Letterman renewed his contract with CBS.
In late 2002, ABC offered Stewart his own talk show to air right after ''Nightline
''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News (United States), ABC News' Late night television in the United States, late-night television news program broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC in the United States with a franchis ...
''. Stewart's contract with ''The Daily Show'' was near expiring, and he expressed strong interest. ABC, however, decided to give another Comedy Central figure, Jimmy Kimmel
James Christian Kimmel (born November 13, 1967), known professionally as Jimmy Kimmel, is an American television host, comedian, writer, voice actor, and producer. He has been the host and executive producer of '' Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', a late-n ...
, the post-''Nightline'' slot. In 2004, Stewart and ''The Daily Show'' writing staff released, '' America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction'', a mock high-school history textbook offering insights into the unique American system of government, dissecting its institutions, explaining its history and processes, and satirizing such popular American political precepts as "one man, one vote
"One man, one vote" or "one vote, one value" is a slogan used to advocate for the principle of equal representation in voting. This slogan is used by advocates of democracy and political equality, especially with regard to electoral reforms like ...
", "government by the people", and "every vote counts". The book sold millions of copies upon its 2004 release and ended the year as a top-fifteen best seller. He also delivered the commencement address for the class of 2004 at his alma mater, the College of William & Mary. In 2005, Stewart provided the voice of President James A. Garfield
James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot two months earlier. A preacher, lawyer, and Civi ...
for the audiobook version of Sarah Vowell
Sarah Jane Vowell (born December 27, 1969) is an American historian, author, journalist, essayist, social commentator, and actress. She has written seven nonfiction books on American history and culture. Vowell was a contributing editor for the r ...
's '' Assassination Vacation''.
In 2005, Comedy Central reached an agreement with Busboy in which Comedy Central would provide financial backing for the production company. Comedy Central has a first-look agreement on all projects, after which Busboy is free to shop them to other networks. The deal spawned the ''Daily Show'' spin-off ''The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late night television, late-night Late-night talk show, talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December ...
'' and its replacement, ''The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore
''The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore'' is an American late-night panel talk show hosted by Larry Wilmore that aired on Comedy Central from January 19, 2015, to August 18, 2016. The show was a spin-off of ''The Daily Show'', which featured Wi ...
''. Other projects include the sitcom pilot ''Three Strikes'', the documentary ''Sportsfan'', the series ''Important Things with Demetri Martin
''Important Things with Demetri Martin'' was a sketch-variety show that aired on Comedy Central starring comedian Demetri Martin. Each episode examines a single theme, the "important thing", such as timing, power, control and money. All sketches ...
'', and the film ''The Donor''. In 2007, Stewart voiced Mort Sinclaire, former TV comedy writer and communist, on Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
's audiobook version of ''I Am America (And So Can You!)
''I Am America (And So Can You!)'' is a 2007 satirical book by American comedian Stephen Colbert and the writers of ''The Colbert Report''. It was released on October 9, 2007, with the audiobook edition released several days earlier. The book ...
''.
On April 4, 2006, Stewart confronted US Senator
The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
( R- AZ) on ''The Daily Show'' about his decision to appear at Liberty University
Liberty University (LU), known simply as Liberty, is a Private university, private Evangelicalism in the United States, evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservativ ...
, an institution founded by Jerry Falwell
Jerry Laymon Falwell Sr. (August 11, 1933 – May 15, 2007) was an American Baptist pastor, televangelist, and conservatism in the United States, conservative activist. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch ...
whom McCain previously had denounced as one of the "agents of intolerance". In the interchange, Stewart asked McCain, "You're not freaking out on us? Are you freaking out on us, because if you're freaking out ... and you're going into the crazy base world—are you going into crazy base world?" McCain replied, "Just– just– just a little" and "I'm afraid so." The clip was played on CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
, was noted and discussed in more detail in the blogosphere
The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community (or as a collection of connected communities) or as a social networking service in which everyday authors can pu ...
and was followed up on in the mainstream media
In journalism, mainstream media (MSM) is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large Mass media, mass news media that influence many people and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought.Noam Chomsky, Choms ...
.
In 2007, ''The Daily Show'' was involved in former correspondent Stephen Colbert's announcement that he would run for president in 2008. In 2008, Stewart appeared on the news program ''Democracy Now!
''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long TV, radio, and Internet news program based in Manhattan and hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live ...
''. A 2008 ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' story questioned whether he was, in a phrase originally used to describe longtime network news anchor Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' from 1962 to 1981. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trust ...
, "the most trusted man in America".
On April 28, 2009, during a discussion on torture
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...
with Clifford May
Clifford D. May (born 1951) is an American journalist, editor, political activist, and podcast host. He is the founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a think tank created shortly after the 9/11 attacks, where he host ...
, Stewart stated that former President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
was a war criminal
A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hostage ...
for his use of the atomic bomb on Japan during World War II. He defended his view moments later: "Here's what I think of the atom bomb
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear explo ...
s. I think if you dropped an atom bomb fifteen miles offshore and you said, 'The next one's coming and hitting you', then I would think it's okay. To drop it on a city, and kill a hundred thousand people? Yeah. I think that's criminal." On April 30, Stewart apologized on his program, and stated he did not believe Truman was a war criminal: "I shouldn't have said that, and I did. So I say right now, no, I don't believe that to be the case. The atomic bomb, a very complicated decision in the context of a horrific war, and I walk that back because it was in my estimation a stupid thing to say."
On September 16, 2010, Stewart and Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
announced a rally for October 30, known as the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. It took place on the National Mall
The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institu ...
in Washington, D.C., and attracted an estimated 215,000 participants. In December 2010, Stewart was credited by the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
, other media, and political news outlets for bringing awareness of the Republican filibuster
A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking ...
on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act
The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 (; ) is a U.S. law to provide health monitoring and aid to the first responders, volunteers, and survivors of the September 11 attacks. It is named after James Zadroga, a New York Pol ...
to the public, leading to the ultimate passing of the bill that provides health benefits to first responders whose health has been adversely affected by their work at Ground Zero
A hypocenter or hypocentre (), also called ground zero or surface zero, is the point on the Earth's surface directly below a nuclear explosion, meteor air burst, or other mid-air explosion. In seismology, the hypocenter of an earthquake is its p ...
.
In March 2010, Stewart announced that he had optioned rights to the story of journalist Maziar Bahari
Maziar Bahari (; born May 25, 1967) is an Iranian-Canadian journalist, filmmaker and human rights activist. He was a reporter for ''Newsweek'' from 1998 to 2011. Bahari was incarcerated by the Iranian government from June 21, 2009 to October 17 ...
, who was imprisoned in Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
for 118 days. On June 6, 2011, episode of ''The Daily Show'', Stewart again hosted Bahari, and in March 2013, he announced that he was leaving the show for 12 weeks to direct the film version of Bahari's 2011 book, ''Then They Came For Me''. Stewart's screenplay adaptation is entitled, ''Rosewater
Rose water, or rosewater, is a flavoured water created by steeping rose petals in water. It is typically made as a by-product during the distillation of rose petals to create rose oil for perfumes. Rose water is widely utilized to flavour cul ...
''. It premiered at the September 2014 Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
, receiving "generally favorable" reviews, and was released to general audiences on November 14, 2014.
In 2010, Stewart and ''The Daily Show'' writing staff released a sequel to their first book entitled, '' Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race''. The book is meant to serve as a Baedeker
Verlag Karl Baedeker, founded by Karl Baedeker on 1 July 1827, is a German publisher and pioneer in the business of worldwide travel guides. The guides, often referred to simply as "List of Baedeker Guides, Baedekers" (a term sometimes used to re ...
travel guide for an alien civilization that discovers Earth after humanity has died out, most likely by its own hands. In April 2010, Comedy Central renewed Stewart's contract to host ''The Daily Show'' into 2013. According to a ''Forbes'' list of celebrities in 2008, he was earning $14 million a year. ''The New York Times'' opined that Stewart is "the modern-day equivalent of Edward R. Murrow" and the UK national newspaper ''The Independent'' called him the "satirist-in-chief". In an interview, Senator John McCain described Stewart as "a modern-day Will Rogers and Mark Twain".
On the show of January 10, 2011, Stewart began with a monologue about the 2011 Tucson shooting, shootings in Tucson, Arizona. He said he wished the "ramblings of crazy people didn't in any way resemble how we actually talk to each other on television". Before a commercial break, Stewart told viewers that the show would continue as usual the next night. After the commercial break, the show featured a rerun of a field piece done by Jason Jones two years earlier.
In March 2012, Stewart interviewed Bruce Springsteen for ''Rolling Stone''. Writer Wyatt Cenac said that Stewart cursed him out after Cenac acknowledged he was uncomfortable about a June 2011 ''Daily Show'' bit about Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain (reported in July 2015).
In March 2013, it was announced that Stewart would be taking a 12-week hiatus from ''The Daily Show'' to direct the film ''Rosewater
Rose water, or rosewater, is a flavoured water created by steeping rose petals in water. It is typically made as a by-product during the distillation of rose petals to create rose oil for perfumes. Rose water is widely utilized to flavour cul ...
'', which is based on the book ''Then They Came for Me'' by Maziar Bahari
Maziar Bahari (; born May 25, 1967) is an Iranian-Canadian journalist, filmmaker and human rights activist. He was a reporter for ''Newsweek'' from 1998 to 2011. Bahari was incarcerated by the Iranian government from June 21, 2009 to October 17 ...
. Beginning June 10, 2013, ''The Daily Show'' correspondent John Oliver
John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is a British and American comedian who hosts ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' on HBO. He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom and came to wider attention for his work ...
assumed primary hosting duties during Stewart's break. The ''TV Guide'' annual survey for 2013 star salaries showed that Stewart was the highest-paid late night host, making an estimated $25–30 million per year. On July 14, 2014, Stewart interviewed Hillary Clinton about the Middle East. Clinton's condemnations of Hamas led Stewart to ask her: "But don't you think they would look at that though as, they've given a lot of different things a chance and these are the only guys to them that are giving any resistance to what their condition is?" For Gazans living in that situation, he said Hamas could be viewed as "freedom fighters".
''The Daily Show'' departure
During a taping of the show on February 10, 2015, Stewart announced he was leaving ''The Daily Show''. Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless confirmed Stewart's retirement with a statement. Later, it was announced that South African comedian Trevor Noah would succeed Stewart as the host of the show. On April 20, 2015, Stewart indicated that his final show would be on August 6, 2015.
On July 28, 2015, Darren Samuelsohn of ''Politico'' reported that twice, Stewart had been at the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
for previously unreported meetings with President Obama: once in October 2011 and once in February 2014. Michael D. Shear of ''The New York Times'' also picked up on the story. Stewart responded on his show by pointing out that the meetings were listed in the president's publicly available visitor log and that he has been asked to meet privately by many prominent individuals, including Roger Ailes of Fox News. He said Obama encouraged him not to make young Americans cynical about their government and Stewart said that his reply was that he was "skeptically idealistic".
On June 19, 2015, in the wake of the Charleston Church Shooting, Stewart decided not to write jokes for the opening monologue. Elaborating on his decision, Stewart stated, "I honestly have nothing other than just sadness". Stewart spoke about the racial disparity and injustices in America, saying "The Confederate flag flies over South Carolina ... and the roads are named for Confederate generals" describing it as "racial wallpaper". Instead he designated a large portion of the show to his guest that night Malala Yousafzai, calling her "an incredible inspiration," and that "to be quite honest with you, I don't think there's anyone else in the world I would rather talk to tonight than Malala: So that's what we're going to do. And sorry about no jokes."
On August 5, 2015, Stewart's friend of 30 years, comedian Louis C.K., was selected to be the last guest before the final ''Daily Show'' episode with Stewart helming the show. C.K. joked that he was there "representing comedy to say good job".
The hour-long-plus final ''Daily Show'' on August 6 featured reunions with former correspondents Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell
Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Michael Scott in the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2011, 2013), and also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, a ...
, John Oliver, Samantha Bee, Hasan Minhaj, Ed Helms, Kristen Schaal, Larry Wilmore, Jessica Williams (actress), Jessica Williams, Aasif Mandvi, Lewis Black, John Hodgman, Rob Corddry
Robert William Corddry (born February 4, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his work as a correspondent on ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' (2002–2006) and for his starring role in the film ''Hot Tub Time Machine''. He ...
, Olivia Munn, Josh Gad, Michael Che, and Mo Rocca and cameo video clips from people Stewart had targeted over the years, including Hillary Clinton, John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
, Lindsey Graham, Chris Christie, John Kerry, Chuck Schumer, Bill O'Reilly (political commentator), Bill O'Reilly, Wolf Blitzer, Joe Scarborough, and Mika Brzezinski. During the final episode, there was a pre-taped behind-the-scenes look at the show spoofing the long-take Copacabana (nightclub), Copacabana scene from ''Goodfellas'', featuring a brief appearance by Martin Scorsese. It concluded with a performance by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
2015–2023: Standup and Apple TV+ series
He also guest starred in the animated series ''American Dad!'', and ''The Simpsons'' as well as the children's television series ''Between the Lions'', ''Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
'', ''Jack's Big Music Show'', and ''Gravity Falls''. After Stewart's departure from ''The Daily Show'', he was listed as an executive producer on ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...
''. In addition, Stewart has presented occasional comedic monologues filled with political and media commentary.
In November 2015, it was announced that Stewart signed a four-year deal with Home Box Office, Inc., HBO that would include exclusive digital content for HBO NOW, HBO Go, and other platforms. HBO programming president Casey Bloys has said that "the idea is it will be an animated parody of a cable news network with an ''Onion''-like portal." The team began working with the cloud graphics company, OTOY, to build a system for creating content. Working on the project were Mike Brown, Steve Waltien, Chelsea Devantez, Lucy Steiner, Kate James, and Robby Slowik. The team tested material in Red Bank, New Jersey, at The Count Basie Theatre Performing Arts Academy. The show's premiere was moved several times, from fall 2016, to the first quarter of 2017, and then cancelled on May 23, 2017. The cancelation statement read: "HBO and Jon Stewart have decided not to proceed with a short-form digital animated project... We all thought the project had great potential but there were technical issues in terms of production and distribution that proved too difficult given the quick turnaround and topical nature of the material. We're excited to report that we have some future projects together which you will be hearing about in the near future".
In July 2017, HBO announced Stewart would produce a stand-up comedy special for the network, his first stand-up special since 1996. Ultimately, no special aired. In 2018, Stewart and Dave Chappelle
David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and actor. He starred in and co-created the satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006) before quitting in the middle ...
joined forces for a duo comedy tour in the United States, and across the United Kingdom. Stewart performed standup in the 13th Annual ''Standup for Heroes'' event alongside John Oliver and Hasan Minhaj.
On directing, Stewart noted on ''Employee of the Month (podcast), Employee of the Month'' that ''The Daily Show'' influenced his directing process more than his acting gigs did. He said, "It's about the collaboration. It's about understanding. Doing a show taught me this process of clarity of vision, but the flexibility of process. So know your intention, know where you're wanting to go with the scene with the way that you want it to go, the momentum shifts, the emphasis, where you want it to be." He also expressed interest in directing more films. Stewart directed the political satire ''Irresistible (2020 film), Irresistible'', released in June 2020, which follows a demoralized Democratic strategist (played by ''Daily Show'' alumnus Steve Carell
Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Michael Scott in the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2011, 2013), and also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, a ...
), who helps a retired veteran (Chris Cooper) run for mayor in a small, blue collar town in Wisconsin.
After his contract with HBO ended, Stewart signed a multi-year show deal with Apple Inc., Apple. On September 30, 2021, Stewart's new series, '' The Problem with Jon Stewart'', premiered on Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...
. The series featured hour-long, single-subject episodes. In addition to hosting the show, Stewart served as executive producer through his company, Busboy Productions. The show was canceled after two seasons, allegedly due to Apple executives disagreeing with coverage of China and artificial intelligence. Apple's cancelation attracted criticism from the United States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
In July 2022, a ''Politico'' writer named Juleanna Glover wrote an op-ed titled "If Tucker Runs in 2024, Here's Who the Democrats Need." In the op-ed, Glover called for Stewart to run for president in 2024. Stewart promptly responded to the viral article with a Tweet, stating "ummm... no thank you." In 2023 Stewart performed at the comedy festival, ''Netflix is a Joke'' in Los Angeles.
Since 2024: Return to ''The Daily Show''
In January 2024, it was confirmed that Stewart would return to ''The Daily Show'' as the weekly Monday guest host starting February 12, 2024. It was also confirmed that Stewart and his manager James Dixon would serve as executive producers for all ''Daily Show'' episodes through 2025. In May 2024, it was announced that Stewart would additionally begin hosting ''The Weekly Show'', an original podcast from Comedy Central. Stewart and ''The Daily Show'' team won the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Talk Series, his 23rd Emmy. In late October, Stewart extended his contract by one year to remain host until the end of 2025.
Hosting and public speaking
Stewart has hosted the Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s twice, in 2001 and in 2002, and the 78th Academy Awards, which were held March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Critical response to Stewart's performance was mixed. Roger Ebert compared him favorably to legendary Oscar host Johnny Carson. Other reviewers were less positive; Tom Shales of ''The Washington Post'' said that Stewart hosted with "smug humorlessness". James Poniewozik of ''Time (magazine), TIME'' said that Stewart was a bad host, but a great "anti-host" in that he poked fun at parts of the broadcast that deserved it, which lent him a degree of authenticity with the non-Hollywood audience. Stewart and correspondent John Oliver
John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is a British and American comedian who hosts ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' on HBO. He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom and came to wider attention for his work ...
later poked fun at his lackluster reception on ''The Daily Show'' coverage of the 79th Academy Awards by saying that the "demon of last year's Oscars had finally been exorcism, exorcised".
Stewart returned to host the 80th Academy Awards
The 80th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2007. The award ceremony took place on February 24, 2008, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During t ...
on February 24, 2008. The reception to his performance was better this time. Matthew Gilbert of the ''Boston Globe'' felt the ceremony was average, but praised Stewart, writing that, "It was good to see Jon Stewart being Jon Stewart. He is shaping up to be a dependable Oscar host for the post-Billy Crystal years. He's not musical, but he's versatile enough to swing smoothly between jokes about politics, Hollywood, new media, and, most importantly, hair." ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' columnist Brian Lowry lauded Stewart's performance noting that he "earned his keep by maintaining a playful, irreverent tone throughout the night, whether it was jesting about Cate Blanchett's versatility or watching ''Lawrence of Arabia (film), Lawrence of Arabia'' on an iPhone screen."
In December 2009, Stewart gave a speech at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honoring Bruce Springsteen, one of that year's Kennedy Center Honors recipients, and of whom Stewart is a fan. Stewart gave another speech paying tribute to Springsteen in February 2013 as part of the singer's MusiCares Person of the Year award ceremony.
Stewart began a comedic feud with WWE wrestler Seth Rollins in March 2015, and appeared on ''WWE Raw'' during a ''Daily Show''-styled segment hosted by Rollins. On August 23, 2015, Stewart returned to host the WWE's SummerSlam (2015), SummerSlam at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Later, he got involved in the main event between Rollins and John Cena, helping Rollins retain his WWE Championship, WWE World Heavyweight Championship, as well as winning Cena's WWE United States Championship, United States Championship when he interfered and hit Cena with a steel chair. The next night on ''Raw'', he explained his actions, saying he did it for Ric Flair (who was also present), which was to retain his world heavyweight championship (professional wrestling), world championship record. Cena then gave Stewart his finishing move, the Attitude Adjustment, to end the segment. Stewart returned at SummerSlam (2016), SummerSlam on August 21, 2016, as a special guest.
In 2016, Stewart joined President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Jill Biden, and David Letterman
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...
in honoring military families on May 5 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. The special celebration which marked both the USO's 75th anniversary and the fifth anniversary of Joining Forces.
Stewart got into a Twitter argument with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, who in multiple tweets stated that Stewart changing his name indicated that he was a fraud. Stewart and some analysts considered this to be anti-Semitic. Trump then tweeted that Stewart should be "proud of his heritage", and Stewart tweeted back, facetiously, that Trump's real name was "Fuckface Von Clownstick" and that Trump should be proud of the "Clownstick heritage".
In June 2017, Stewart spoke at the funeral service for Ray Pfeifer, an FDNY firefighter from Hicksville, New York, who died after an eight-year battle with cancer as a result of service as a first responder at the September 11 attacks.
Influences
Stewart has said his influences include George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...
, Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), better known by his stage name Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was renowned for his open, free-wheeling, and critical style of come ...
, Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
, David Letterman
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...
, Steve Martin, and Richard Pryor.[
Among comedians who say they were influenced by Stewart are ]Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
, John Oliver, Hasan Minhaj, Samantha Bee, Larry Wilmore, Bassem Youssef, Seth Meyers, Trevor Noah, Desi Lydic, and Jordan Klepper.
Politics and activism
Views
In 2000, when he was labeled a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Stewart generally agreed, but described his political affiliation as "more Socialism, socialist or Independent voter, independent" than Democratic. Stewart has also voted for Republican Party (United States), Republicans, the last time being in the 1988 United States presidential election, 1988 presidential election when he voted for George H. W. Bush over Michael Dukakis. He described Bush as having "an integrity about him that I respected greatly." Stewart has said that during the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, he was not a supporter of nominee Joe Biden, describing himself as more of a, "Bernie Sanders, Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Warren guy." He reluctantly supported his candidacy in 2020, but has criticized him since then over Age and health concerns about Joe Biden, his age, and his handling of the 2023 Gaza war. He has been a vocal proponent of the United States implementing a single-payer health care, single-payer healthcare system.
Criticism of television journalists
Stewart is known as an outspoken, humorous critic of personality-driven media shows, in particular, those of the Media of the United States, US media Cable television, cable networks such as CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
, Fox News, and MSNBC. Critics say Stewart benefits from a double standard: he critiques other news shows from the safe, removed position of his "news satire" desk; Stewart asserts that neither his show nor Comedy Central purport to be anything other than satire and comedy.
''Crossfire'' appearance
In a televised exchange with then-CNN correspondent Tucker Carlson on ''Crossfire (U.S. TV program), Crossfire'' on October 15, 2004, Stewart criticized the state of television journalism and pleaded with the show's hosts to "stop hurting America", and he referred to both Carlson and co-host Paul Begala as "Partisan (political), partisan hacks". When posted on the internet, this exchange became widely viewed and was a topic of much media discussion.
Despite being on the program to comment on current events, Stewart immediately shifted the discussion toward the show itself, asserting that ''Crossfire'' had failed in its responsibility to inform and educate viewers about politics as a serious topic. Stewart stated that the show engaged in partisan hackery instead of honest debate, and said that the hosts' assertion that ''Crossfire'' is a debate show is like "saying professional wrestling, pro wrestling is a show about athletic competition". Carlson responded by accusing Stewart of hypocrisy, stating that Stewart's interview of John Kerry was primarily "softball" questions, though Stewart criticizes news organizations for not holding public officials accountable (Stewart had stated that he had voted for Kerry in the 2004 United States presidential election, 2004 presidential election). Stewart responded that he didn't realize "the news organizations look to Comedy Central for their cues on integrity". When Carlson continued to press Stewart on the Kerry issue, Stewart said, "You're on CNN! The show that leads into me is Crank Yankers, puppets making crank phone calls! What is wrong with you?" In response to prods from Carlson, "Come on. Be funny." Stewart said, "No, I'm not going to be your monkey." Later in the show when Carlson jibed, "I do think you're more fun on your show", Stewart retorted, "You're as big a dick on your show as you are on any show." In response to Stewart's criticisms, Carlson said, "You need to get a job at a journalism school", to which Stewart responded, "You need to go to one!"
Stewart discussed the incident on ''The Daily Show'' the following Monday:
In January 2005, CNN announced that it was canceling ''Crossfire''. When asked about the cancellation, CNN's incoming president, Jonathan Klein (CNN), Jonathan Klein, referred to Stewart's appearance on the show: "I think he made a good point about the noise level of these types of shows, which does nothing to illuminate the issues of the day."
On March 18, 2009, Carlson wrote a blog entry for ''The Daily Beast'' criticizing Stewart for his handling of the CNBC controversy (see below). Carlson discussed the CNN incident and claimed that Stewart remained backstage for at least "an hour" and "continued to lecture our staff", something Carlson described as, "one of the weirdest things I have ever seen".
Criticism of CNBC
Stewart again became a Viral phenomenon, viral internet phenomenon following a March 4, 2009, ''The Daily Show'' sequence. CNBC canceled Rick Santelli's scheduled appearance on ''The Daily Show'' that day, so the show ran a short segment showing CNBC giving poor investment advice.
Subsequent media coverage of exchanges between Stewart and Jim Cramer, who had been featured heavily in the original segment, led to a highly anticipated face-to-face confrontation on ''The Daily Show''. The episode received much media attention and became the second most-viewed episode of ''The Daily Show'', trailing only the 2009 Inauguration Day episode. It had 2.3 million total viewers, and the next day, the show's website saw its highest day of traffic in 2009. Although Cramer acknowledged on the show that some of Stewart's criticisms of CNBC were valid and that the network could "do better", he later said on ''Today (U.S. TV program), The Today Show'' that Stewart's criticism of the media was "naïve and misleading".
Criticism of Fox News
Throughout his tenure on ''The Daily Show'', Stewart frequently accused Fox News of distorting the news to fit a Conservatism in the United States, conservative agenda, at one point ridiculing the network as "the meanest sorority in the world". In November 2009, Stewart "called out" Fox News for using some footage from a previous Tea Party movement, Tea Party rally during a report on a more recent rally, making the latter event appear more highly attended than it was. The show's anchor, Sean Hannity, apologized for the footage use the following night. A month later, Stewart criticized ''Fox & Friends'' cohost Gretchen Carlson – a former Miss America and a Stanford graduate – for claiming that she Google (verb), googled words such as "ignoramus" and "czar". Stewart said that Carlson was dumbing herself down for "an audience who sees intellect as an elitist flaw".
Stewart stepped up his criticism of Fox News in 2010; within five months, ''The Daily Show'' had 24 segments criticizing the Fox News coverage. Bill O'Reilly (political commentator), Bill O'Reilly, host of the talk show ''The O'Reilly Factor
''The O'Reilly Factor'' (originally titled ''The O'Reilly Report'' and also known as ''The Factor'') is an American cable television news and talk show. ''The O'Reilly Factor'' first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7 ...
'' on Fox News, countered that ''The Daily Show'' was a "key component of left-wing television" and that Stewart loved Fox News because the network was "not boring".
During an interview with Chris Wallace on June 19, 2011, Stewart called Wallace "insane" for saying that Stewart's earlier comparison of the marketing techniques of a Sarah Palin campaign video and an anti-herpes medicine ad was a political comment. Stewart also said Fox viewers are the "most consistently misinformed" viewers of political media. This comment was ranked by the fact-checking site, PolitiFact, as false, with conditions. Stewart later accepted his error.
In 2014, Stewart engaged in an extended "call-out" of Fox News, based on their coverage of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food stamps and US government assistance, opining that said coverage was biased. This culminated in segments across multiple episodes, specifically singling out Sean Hannity and his show's coverage of the Bundy standoff. Hannity would "return fire" by calling out Stewart for associating himself with Cat Stevens during his Rally in 2010. Stewart responded to this by criticizing Hannity for frequently calling Ted Nugent a "friend and frequent guest" on his program and supporting Nugent's violent rhetoric toward Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in 2007. In late August 2014, Stewart criticized the manner in which Fox News portrayed the events surrounding the shooting of teenager Shooting of Michael Brown, Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, and the subsequent protests from citizens.
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
Stewart was an important factor in the unionization of the Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
writers. ''The Daily Show'' writers were the first of Comedy Central's writers to be able to join the guild, after which other shows followed.
Stewart supported the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. On ''The Daily Show'' episode just before the strike, he sarcastically commented about how Comedy Central had made available all episodes for free on their website, but without advertising, and said, "go support our advertisers". The show went on hiatus when the strike began, as did other late-night talk shows. Upon Stewart's return to the show on January 7, 2008, he refused to use the title, ''The Daily Show'', stating that ''The Daily Show'' was the show made with all of the people responsible for the broadcast, including his writers. During the strike, he referred to his show as ''A Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' until the strike ended on February 13, 2008.
Stewart's choice to return to the air did bring criticism that he was undermining the writers of his show. Seth MacFarlane wrote an inside joke into an episode of ''Family Guy'' about this, causing Stewart to respond with an hour-long call in which he questioned how MacFarlane could consider himself the "moral arbiter" of Hollywood. Former ''Daily Show'' writer David Feldman (comedian), David Feldman also accused Stewart of being anti-union at the time and of punishing his writers for their decision to unionize by not using their material.
The Writers Guild Strike of 2007–2008 also was responsible for a Who Made Huckabee?, notable mock feud between Stewart, Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
, and Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is best known for having hosted Late-night talk show, late-night talk shows, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'B ...
in early 2008. Without writers to help fuel their banter, the three comedians concocted a fictional crossover, crossover/rivalry to garner more viewers during the ratings slump. Colbert claimed that because of "the Colbert bump", he was responsible for Mike Huckabee's success in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, 2008 presidential race. O'Brien claimed that he was responsible for Huckabee's success because not only had he mentioned Huckabee on his show, but also that he was responsible for Chuck Norris's success (Norris backed Huckabee). In response, Stewart claimed that he was responsible for the success of O'Brien since Stewart had featured him on ''The Jon Stewart Show
''The Jon Stewart Show'' is a late night talk show that was hosted by comedian Jon Stewart. The program premiered on MTV in 1993 as a 30-minute daily offering and became one of the network's more popular shows.
Through a series of events that ...
'', and in turn, the success of Huckabee. This resulted in a three-part comedic battle among the three pundits, with all three appearing on each other's shows. The feud ended on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' with a mock brawl involving the three hosts.
9/11 First Responders Bill
Over the years, Stewart sometimes used ''The Daily Show'' to argue for causes such as the treatment of veterans and 9/11 first responders. He is credited with breaking a Senate deadlock over a bill to provide Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, health care and Social programs in the United States, benefits for 9/11 emergency workers; the bill passed three days after he featured a group of 9/11 responders on the show. In March 2009, he criticized a White House proposal to remove veterans from Veterans Administration rolls if they had private health insurance; the White House dropped the plan the next day. In 2010, Stewart held an interview with a panel of four of the 9/11 first responders—Kenny Specht with the FDNY, Chris Bowman NYPD, Ken George United States Department of Transportation, DOT, and Kevin Devlin, Operating Engineer of Heavy Equipment—who discussed their health problems with Stewart. In 2015, four months after leaving ''The Daily Show'', he returned to reunite the four with Specht as the only panelist healthy enough to attend. Devlin had died and the two other panelists, Bowman and George, were too ill to make it to the show.
In February and June 2019, Stewart again went to Congress to oppose the $7.375 billion limit in pay-outs to 9/11 first responders through December 2020 and to lobby for permanent funding for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Victims Compensation Fund past December 2020, delivering a tearful testimony.
Stewart continued to be a vocal advocate, appearing on late night shows such as ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...
'', ''The Daily Show with Trevor Noah'', and news programs such as ''Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace'', and ''Fox Report, The Fox Report with Shepherd Smith''. On July 12, 2019, the House approved the bill overwhelmingly 402–12. The bill came to the Senate floor where it passed the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund through 2092, virtually funding health care for 9/11 victims and first responders for life. The vote was 97–2 with Republican Party (United States), Republican senators Rand Paul (Kentucky, KY) and Mike Lee (Utah, UT) opposing. When hearing that the bill had been passed, Stewart responded by saying, "It has been the honor of my life working with the 9/11 first responders...these families deserve better...and I will follow you wherever your next adventure shall be."
Honoring our PACT Act
On September 30, 2021, Stewart debuted his Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...
show, '' The Problem with Jon Stewart'' by discussing the effects burn pits have had on veterans. Earlier in 2021, the bill Honoring our PACT Act of 2021, Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021 (PACT Act) was introduced. The United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives passed the bill by 256–174 on March 3, 2022, and passed the United States Senate, Senate by 84–14 on June 16, 2022. The bill was reintroduced to the Senate for minor changes which Republican senators including Pat Toomey, Ted Cruz, and Josh Hawley voted against, putting the bill in jeopardy. Their opposition was the unfounded claim that the bill could be used as a slush fund.
Stewart became a prominent advocate for the bill in person, on Twitter and on various cable news shows including Fox News' ''America's Newsroom, America's Newsroom with Bill Hemmer'', CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
's ''The Lead with Jake Tapper'', MSNBC's ''Morning Joe'', and Newsmax. On July 28, 2022, Stewart held a press conference on Capitol Hill where he stated:
On August 2, 2022, the PACT Act passed in bipartisan measure, 84 to 11. Stewart was praised for lending his voice and celebrity to the issue and is credited as being an essential actor in getting the bill passed. Stewart stated after the bill's passing, that while it "feels good", it "shouldn't have been this hard". On August 10, the act was signed by President Joe Biden at a ceremony in the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
, where he praised Stewart for his commitment on this issue saying in part, "What you've done Jon, matters...It really, really matters. To refuse to let anybody forget, refuse to let them forget. And we owe you big, man. We owe you big."
2023–present Israel–Gaza war
Stewart has Criticism of Israel, criticized Israel for its military and political conduct in the Palestinian territories. In 2023, Stewart, alongside other media figures, signed the Artists4Ceasefire open letter urging American president Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza war.
Apple and free speech
In April 2024, Stewart claimed that Apple restricted him from interviewing Lina Khan, the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), on his podcast. This incident follows the U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against Apple Inc., Apple for alleged anti-competitive practices in the smartphone market. The lawsuit highlights potential harm to free speech due to Apple's dominance. Stewart's comments raise concerns about Apple's influence over content creation beyond its control of the mobile device market.
Personal life
Stewart is irreligion, irreligious, but of Zera Yisrael, Jewish heritage.
Marriage and family
A production assistant on ''Wishful Thinking'' arranged a 1995 blind date between Stewart and Tracey Lynn McShane. Stewart proposed to her through a personalized crossword puzzle created with the help of Will Shortz, crossword editor at ''The New York Times''. Married in 2000,[ the two filed a joint name change application legally changing their surnames to "Stewart" on June 19, 2001.][ With the help of in vitro fertilisation, in vitro fertilization, the couple has two children. In 2015, he adopted a vegetarian diet for ethical reasons; his wife is a long-time veganism, vegan.] Later, he became vegan as well.
Animal sanctuary
In 2013, Stewart and his wife bought a farm in Middletown, New Jersey, called "Bufflehead Farm". The Stewarts operate it as a sanctuary for abused animals. Four years later, they received approval to open a 45-acre (18 ha) animal sanctuary in Colts Neck, New Jersey, a home to animals saved from slaughterhouses and live markets.
Interests
After leaving ''The Daily Show'' in 2015, Stewart took up playing the drums, saying it was partly to give his life the structure he no longer had without a daily late-night show to work on. He has since been taking drum lessons from New Jersey–based drum teacher Andy Bova, a former member of the Indie rock, indie-rock band No Wine For Kittens.
Stewart is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and was in attendance when Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in franchise history on June 1, 2012. Shortly before he left the ''Daily Show'' in 2015, a compilation played of Stewart's jokes about the team during his time on the show. He is also a fan of the New York Knicks, New York Giants, and New York Rangers.
Stewart is a known fan of the musical group Beastie Boys. Following the death of member Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch, Stewart dedicated his next Daily Show's Moment of Zen to the artist. Member Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horowitz also later appeared on the show as a guest to promote his appearance in the A24 movie ''While We're Young (film), While We're Young''. Stewart narrates a chapter written by Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond in the audio version of their biographical ''Beastie Boys Book''.
Filmography
Film
Television
Accolades and achievements
Stewart and other members of ''The Daily Show'' have received three Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
s for " Indecision 2000" and " Indecision 2004", covering the 2000 United States presidential election, 2000 presidential election and the 2004 United States presidential election, 2004 presidential election, respectively. He received his third Peabody in 2016 for his tenure at ''The Daily Show''.
''The Daily Show'' received the Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Program in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2015 and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series, Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series for 10 consecutive years from 2003 to 2012. In 2013, the award for both categories instead went to ''The Daily Show'' spin-off ''The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late night television, late-night Late-night talk show, talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December ...
''. In 2015, ''The Daily Show'' resurfaced, winning both categories for one last time for Stewart's swan song as host. Stewart won the Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best Comedy Album Best Comedy Album may refer to:
* Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album
* Juno Award for Comedy Album of the Year
* Canadian Comedy Award for Best Comedy Album
* New Music Award for Best Comedy Album
* Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for Best Comedy Album
...
in 2005 for his recording, '' America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction''.
In the December 2003 New Year's edition of ''Newsweek'', Stewart was named the "Who's Next?" person for 2004, with the magazine predicting that he would emerge as an absolute sensation in that year. (The magazine said they had been correct at the end of that year.) Stewart was named among the ''Time 100, 2005 Time 100'', an annual list of 100 of the most influential people of the year by ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine.
In 2004, Stewart spoke at the commencement ceremonies at his alma mater, College of William & Mary, William & Mary, and received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. Stewart was the Class Day keynote speaker at Princeton University in 2004, and the 2008 Sacerdote Great Names speaker at Hamilton College (New York), Hamilton College. Stewart and ''The Daily Show'' received the 2005 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Orwell Award, George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language. Stewart was presented an Honorary All-America Award by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in 2006. On April 21, 2009, President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made Stewart a chief. On October 26, 2010, Stewart was named the Most Influential Man of 2010 by AskMen.
For his advocacy on behalf of 9/11 victims and families, Stewart was one of eighteen individuals and organizations awarded the Bronze Medallion on December 16, 2019. The Bronze Medallion is the highest award conferred upon civilians by New York City. On April 24, 2022, Stewart was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is an American award presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. annually since 1998 (except 2020-2021). Named after the 19th-century humorist Mark Twain, it is prese ...
at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., for his lifelong contribution to the world of comedy.
Bibliography
* '' Naked Pictures of Famous People'' (Rob Weisbach Books, 1998). .
* '' America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction'' (Warner Books, September 2004). .
* '' Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race'' (Grand Central Publishing, 2010). .
See also
* New Yorkers in journalism
References
Further reading
* David Marchese
"Jon Stewart Is Back to Weigh In"
''The New York Times Magazine'', June 15, 2020.
* Lisa Rogak, ''Angry Optimist: The Life and Times of Jon Stewart''. New York: Saint Martin's Griffin, 2014. .
* Bruce Watson, ''Jon Stewart: Beyond the Moments of Zen''. New Word City, 2014.
External links
''The Daily Show'' profile
*
Jon Stewart
on Twitter
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Jon
Jon Stewart,
1962 births
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