After a nine year hiatus, Jon Stewart has returned as host of “The Daily Show.” And it’s a comeback so seamless, it’s as though he never truly left.
The GOAT of late night satire has a reputation for pointed humor, informed commentary and genuine enthusiasm for the topics he covers (not to mention his relentless interviewing skills) and Monday’s show had all these elements we’ve come to expect.
Wasting no time, Stewart dove right into one of his brutal but balanced assessments—this one of both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
He didn’t mince words about Biden’s recent press conference gaffs and head-scratching TikToks, which he noted were huge missteps for dispelling fears about how the Biden’s age is affecting his cognition. It’s a subject many liberals feel hesitant to acknowledge—but not Stewart.
“Fire everyone. Everyone!” he quipped. “How do you go on TikTok and end up looking older?”
Of course, he spared no punches with Trump’s age or mental faculties, referencing the former president’s bizarre warnings of Pennsylvania name begin changed should Republicans lose the race, saying “Biden’s lost a step, but Trump regularly says things at rallies that would warrant a wellness check.”
He then showed clips of Trump and his family being deposed and, similar to Biden, not being able to recall rather basic facts, dropping this wise-crack: “It turns out that the leading cause of early onset dementia is being deposed.”
Of course, with Stewart it’s never just jokes. Getting more serious, he noted how both candidates might be “similarly challenged,” and how in both instances, voters and outside allies are the ones expected to “silence concerns and criticisms”, when in reality “it is the candidates’ job to assuage concerns, not the voters’ job not to mention [them].”
And even though Stewart has far more criticisms of Trump, he succinctly noted why this particular threat to democracy calls for either a better plan, or a stronger candidate.
“Look, Joe Biden isn’t Donald Trump,” he said. “He hasn’t been indicted as many times, hasn’t had as many fraudulent businesses or been convicted in a civil trial for sexual assault or been ordered to pay defamation charges or stiffed blue collar tradesman….. The stakes of this election don’t make Donald Trump’s opponent less subject to scrutiny. It actually makes him more subject to scrutiny. If the barbarians are at the gate, you want Conan [the Barbarian] standing on the ramparts, not chocolate chip cookie guy.”
This is all followed up by “on the plus side, I’m told at some point the sun will run out of hydrogen.” Jon Stewart at his finest.
Naturally, fans were thrilled to see Stewart back in action. Here’s what some had to say:
“THIS is how you return to a show. Utterly seamless.”
“John has so much personality that just cannot be replicated. This is amazing to have him back.”
“Welcome back ! The world needs you now, more than ever! Thank you for your courage.”
“This man’s comedic timing is even better than before, and I sure did miss his sharp wit. I’m hoping I can find his full episodes somewhere where I don’t have to pay. I pay enough for cable and internet as it is. WELCOME BACK JON!”
“All hail the king! JON STEWART IS BACK!”
Stewart will continue hosting the Monday night slot on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” throughout the 2024 presidential election cycle. More gems to come.
Source: https://www.upworthy.com/jon-stewart-returns-as-daily-show-host