Salon.com > The Daily Show http://www.salon.com Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:38:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Amazon greenlights six original comedies http://www.salon.com/2012/12/20/amazon_greenlights_six_original_comedies/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/20/amazon_greenlights_six_original_comedies/#comments Thu, 20 Dec 2012 21:20:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13151282 After starting production arm Amazon Studios two years ago, Amazon.com will finally begin its foray into producing original content. The company will be bringing six original comedy pilots to Amazon Instant Video.

Most of the pilots will be produced or written by top names: Doonesbury's Gary Trudeau brings an episode of "Alpha House," about four U.S. Senators who are roommates in D.C.; "The Daily Show" writer David Javerbaum delivers a musical comedy called "Browsers"; Kristen Schaal and Jason Micallef will produce "Supanatural"; "The Big Bang Theory's" Kevin Sussman and John Ross Bowie bring an animated series about slacker co-workers in "Dark Minions"; The Onion will bring back a form of its satirical news show. The sixth pilot features a comedy entry "discovered through Amazon Studios' online open door process" called "Those Who Can’t", penned by Denver-based comedy troupe Grawlix).

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/20/amazon_greenlights_six_original_comedies/feed/ 2 John Hodgman’s guide to the apocalypse http://www.salon.com/2012/12/20/john_hodgmans_guide_to_the_apocalypse/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/20/john_hodgmans_guide_to_the_apocalypse/#comments Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:22:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13149562 As you have almost certainly heard by now, Dec. 21, 2012, marks the end of an age on a 5,000-year-old Mayan calendar, a fact that has prompted certain persons to herald it as the finale of various things, including the world. John Hodgman, humorist and minor television personality (appearing as an excessively authoritative guest on "The Daily Show" and as the PC in a now-retired series of advertisements for Apple computers), has been all over this story from the start. The final volume in his three-book series of "fake trivia," "That Is All," offers a handy guide to the apocalypse, or to use the term Hodgman prefers, Ragnarok.

Hodgman's very funny compendiums of bogus facts and advice would seem to present a particular challenge for audiobook adapters; the books are full of charts, tables and sidebars, along with amusing uses of typography and illustrations. A daily countdown of events culminating in the Dec. 21 climax of Ragnarok appears inside a little box on each printed page of "That Is All." The solution: Create a distinct recorded version, using the book as a rough guide. This, perhaps, explains why the audiobook was released this fall, a full year after the print edition. Without a doubt, the true Hodgmaniac will want to own both.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/20/john_hodgmans_guide_to_the_apocalypse/feed/ 0 Right-wing author: Jon Stewart part of the culture that led to shootings http://www.salon.com/2012/12/19/right_wing_author_jon_stewart_part_of_the_culture_that_led_to_shootings/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/19/right_wing_author_jon_stewart_part_of_the_culture_that_led_to_shootings/#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:01:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13149976 New York Times bestselling author Joel Rosenberg tied Jon Stewart to the shootings in Newtown, Conn., because Stewart is part of "the cultural war against Jesus and Christmas" that helps "drive [God] out of our society, our of our schools and courts."

In a blog post, Rosenberg cites the ongoing so-called War on Christmas, and how "We are, in many respects, in a moral and spiritual freefall in our country, and we are paying a terrible price."

Rosenberg, who has previously linked Hurricane Sandy to abortion rights, is an evangelical who writes about End Times, and wrote in his latest book, "The Tehran Initiative," that “[m]illions of Muslims around the world are convinced their messiah—known as ‘the Twelfth Imam’—has just arrived on earth.”

From Rosenberg's blog post, called  “Implosion update: The demons of violence are on the loose in America. But why? And where do we go from here?”:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/19/right_wing_author_jon_stewart_part_of_the_culture_that_led_to_shootings/feed/ 120 Hugh Grant banned from “The Daily Show” http://www.salon.com/2012/12/14/hugh_grant_banned_from_the_daily_show/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/14/hugh_grant_banned_from_the_daily_show/#comments Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:36:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13124830

UPDATED 10:30 a.m. (EST):

In the same conversation, a fundraiser for the Montclair Film Festival, Stewart also dished on a few of his other least favorite guests, according to Baristanet:

Sen. Harry Reid, D.-Nev., was a perplexing guest because it seemed like he didn’t know his own autobiography or photos from his childhood home.

 

Hugh Grant was Jon Stewart’s “least favorite” guest on “The Daily Show” the host told a New Jersey Audience during a staged fireside chat with Stephen Colbert. Stewart said the British actor, who specializes in projecting bashful charm, was a terror backstage, and that Grant is banned for life. According to the New York Daily News:

"He's giving everyone s--- the whole time, and he's a big pain in the a--," Stewart said.

Grant stopped by to promote "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" but was apparently upset with the film clip provided by the movie’s publicist, reported TODAY.

"What is that clip? It's a terrible clip,” Grant allegedly said.

"Well, then make a better f------ movie,” Stewart replied.

Grant appeared on the show to plug “Morgans,”  a fish out of water clunker about a big city couple moving to the sticks. Here’s the clip:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/14/hugh_grant_banned_from_the_daily_show/feed/ 10 Is “The Daily Show” replacing Wyatt Cenac with a puppet? http://www.salon.com/2012/12/12/is_the_daily_show_replacing_wyatt_cenac_with_a_puppet/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/12/is_the_daily_show_replacing_wyatt_cenac_with_a_puppet/#comments Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:21:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13122735 It looks like "The Daily Show's" Wyatt Cenac, whose last day on the show is Dec. 13, will be replaced by a puppet. Or at least, that's what this photo recently tweeted by ABC's senior White House correspondent Jake Tapper led us to believe:

[caption id="attachment_13122777" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)"][/caption]

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/12/is_the_daily_show_replacing_wyatt_cenac_with_a_puppet/feed/ 4 Must-see morning clip: Jon Stewart explains right-to-work http://www.salon.com/2012/12/12/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_explains_right_to_work/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/12/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_explains_right_to_work/#comments Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:06:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13122524 Last night, Jon Stewart explained right-to-work, and why it's actually a lot worse than the name would suggest.
"It's really a 'right-to-work-around-the-union-for-the-corporation,'" he said. "It's one of those things that are actually named for the opposite of the thing they do. Strip bars call themselves 'gentleman's clubs.' They're not. Or the TV network dedicated to making us stupider is called The Learning Channel."
And then he rapped, "8 Mile"-style.
Watch:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/12/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_explains_right_to_work/feed/ 1 Jon Stewart almost quit “The Daily Show” because staff was “insane” http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/jon_stewart_almost_quit_the_daily_show_because_staff_was_insane/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/jon_stewart_almost_quit_the_daily_show_because_staff_was_insane/#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:09:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13121589 Comedian Jon Stewart opened up to Stephen Colbert at last week's fundraiser for the Montclair Film Festival, surprising the audience when the fake news anchor admitted that "The Daily Show," as we currently know it, almost didn't happen.

Third Beat reports that Stewart had serious doubts after taking the helm of the show, previously hosted by Craig Kilborn. "What I did not realize is, a lot of the people who worked there were assholes,” Stewart said.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/jon_stewart_almost_quit_the_daily_show_because_staff_was_insane/feed/ 24 Must-see morning clip http://www.salon.com/2012/12/07/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_slams_chris_christies_flip_on_obama/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/07/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_slams_chris_christies_flip_on_obama/#comments Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:03:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13117994 After bonding over their shared love of Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart and Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., clashed over Christie's ever-changing relationship with Obama.

The week before the Hurricane Sandy, Stewart said, Christie criticized Obama's leadership skills. “And then right after the storm was over, you were like, 'This man is a leader.'" said Stewart. "Doesn't that tell you something about the game?"

"What it tells me is that people have different skill sets at different times,” Christie replied, which made the audience laugh. Stewart shot back: “So he wasn’t a leader until you needed leadership.”

"Maybe until he was presented with a stark opportunity," said Christie.

Here's part one:

Part two:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/07/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_slams_chris_christies_flip_on_obama/feed/ 4 Alan Simpson spins Jon Stewart http://www.salon.com/2012/12/06/alan_simpson_spins_jon_stewart/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/06/alan_simpson_spins_jon_stewart/#comments Thu, 06 Dec 2012 22:41:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13117576 Crusty old Alan Simpson is on a crusade to get today's youth to care about the deficit as much as he does. It isn't easy, because the kids today are all too busy playing Mario Kart on their XBoxes and listening to Ke$ha on their Zunes and "dropping ecstasy" at their "rainbow parties" and Icing Bros and "ghostriding the whip" and cyberbullying to concern themselves with matters as grave as our national debt. But Simpson is determined to get them to care, and to prove he's "with it," he's recently done the two things today's "Millennials" love best: the Gangnam Style dance and appearing on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

The Gangnam dance thing was done on behalf of a transparently phony Pete Peterson-funded "youth organization" operated by old rich people, and you really don't need to see the stupid video. The "Daily Show" interview aired last night, and it was depressing.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/06/alan_simpson_spins_jon_stewart/feed/ 53 Must-see morning clip: Jon Stewart on the “fiscal cliff” http://www.salon.com/2012/12/05/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_on_the_cliffpocalypsemageddonacaust/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/05/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_on_the_cliffpocalypsemageddonacaust/#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:51:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13115760 Jon Stewart looked at the GOP's counter-offer in the ongoing "fiscal cliff" negotiations, and concluded: "Basically they're trying to entice the Democrats by saying, 'I don't want you to fall off this cliff, so why don't you voluntarily jump off this steeper cliff? But don't worry, your fall will be cushioned by lava."

Watch:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/05/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_on_the_cliffpocalypsemageddonacaust/feed/ 0 Must-see morning clip http://www.salon.com/2012/12/04/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_vs_foxs_war_on_christmas/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/04/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_vs_foxs_war_on_christmas/#comments Tue, 04 Dec 2012 15:21:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13114181 Last night, Jon Stewart played a little game of "Make Fox News Mad Libs" to try to predict Fox News' outrage over the so-called "War on Christmas." Because, Jon said, despite what Fox News may say, "the rest of us can't swing a dead elf without knocking over an inflatable snow globe or a giant blinking candy cane. For God sakes, Fox News itself is located in midtown Manhattan, the epicenter of all that is godless, secular, gay, Jewy and hellbound, and yet even here, all around your studio, it looks like Santa's balls exploded."
Watch:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/04/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_vs_foxs_war_on_christmas/feed/ 17 Must-see morning clip http://www.salon.com/2012/11/29/must_see_morning_clip_72/ http://www.salon.com/2012/11/29/must_see_morning_clip_72/#comments Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:38:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13110019 On Benghazi "The Daily Show" compares institutional confusion to deliberate warmongering:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/11/29/must_see_morning_clip_72/feed/ 16 Jason Sudeikis discusses playing Romney and Biden on “SNL” http://www.salon.com/2012/11/14/jason_sudeikis_discusses_playing_romney_and_biden_on_snl/ http://www.salon.com/2012/11/14/jason_sudeikis_discusses_playing_romney_and_biden_on_snl/#comments Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:51:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13072695 "SNL" cast member Jason Sudeikis, who had the unique opportunity to play both Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Vice President Joe Biden on the sketch show, admits that playing Biden was "more fun" than playing Romney. However, he enjoyed seeing "the human side" of both candidates, and said of Romney,"The guy’s more human than we ever give him credit for."

Sudeikis did not address speculation on whether or not he will be leaving "SNL".

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/11/14/jason_sudeikis_discusses_playing_romney_and_biden_on_snl/feed/ 3 Must-see morning clip http://www.salon.com/2012/11/13/must_see_morning_clip_64/ http://www.salon.com/2012/11/13/must_see_morning_clip_64/#comments Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:44:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13070906 Jon Stewart mocks political pundits yet again, this time for slinging around "smelly" theories about former CIA director David Petraeus.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/11/13/must_see_morning_clip_64/feed/ 1 On election night, “Daily Show” fizzles, Colbert shines http://www.salon.com/2012/11/07/on_election_night_daily_show_fizzles_colbert_shines/ http://www.salon.com/2012/11/07/on_election_night_daily_show_fizzles_colbert_shines/#comments Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:23:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13065172 Could any Election Day scenario be worse for the creative staff of "The Daily Show" than the one we had last night — a close, hard-fought race covered by the mainstream cable news networks with a modicum of sobriety? Jon Stewart and his staff make the bread-and-butter of their comedy by applying common sense to two species of misbehavior: Cable journalists' efforts to fill the vast, empty hours with ridiculously trumped-up stories and right-wing ravings (i.e., Fox News). When the story is legitimately epochal and the wingnuts are momentarily stunned in disbelief, "The Daily Show" has got, as Stewart is wont to say, nothin'.

Stephen Colbert, on the other hand, can make his own crazy. Having ridden his O'Reilly-esque alter ego to the furthest reaches of conservative delusion in "The Colbert Report," he's free to act out all the petulance and paranoia we can expect to see from the Tea Party crowd over the next few days (not to mention the next four years). Both Comedy Central series mounted live half-hour shows on election night. But while "The Daily Show" dithered around with stale jokes about CNN's fetish for high-tech presentation gizmos and Joe Biden's frattish gaffes, Colbert, ably assisted by guest Andrew Sullivan, presented a beautifully crafted glimpse into the roiling heart of right-wing denial.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/11/07/on_election_night_daily_show_fizzles_colbert_shines/feed/ 9 Jon Stewart on political pundit hackery http://www.salon.com/2012/11/06/must_see_morning_clip_59/ http://www.salon.com/2012/11/06/must_see_morning_clip_59/#comments Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:19:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13063858 Jon Stewart mocks the hackery of political pundits (specifically Newt Gingrich).

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/11/06/must_see_morning_clip_59/feed/ 0 Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” http://www.salon.com/2012/11/02/jon_stewart_and_stephen_colbert_on_jimmy_kimmel_live/ http://www.salon.com/2012/11/02/jon_stewart_and_stephen_colbert_on_jimmy_kimmel_live/#comments Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:05:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13060654 Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and a guy named Chris dropped by the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" set, taping in Brooklyn this week, to discuss Hurricane Sandy, how the two comedians first met and who is a bigger nerd.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/11/02/jon_stewart_and_stephen_colbert_on_jimmy_kimmel_live/feed/ 1 Must-see morning clip: Jon Stewart’s “swing state hell” http://www.salon.com/2012/11/02/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewarts_swing_state_hell/ http://www.salon.com/2012/11/02/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewarts_swing_state_hell/#comments Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:24:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13060610 Jon Stewart was amazed last night at how much time and money are being spent by both campaigns in Ohio, where residents, now in "swing state hell," are treated to a near-continuous onslaught of campaign ads. "You  might say, well hey, why don't they just turn off the TV, and leave their house, and live their lives. because it doesn't matter, because you can't hide, because the candidates are f*cking everywhere."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/11/02/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewarts_swing_state_hell/feed/ 1 Satirists nail Sandy http://www.salon.com/2012/11/01/stewart_and_colbert_this_is_how_you_return_from_a_disaster/ http://www.salon.com/2012/11/01/stewart_and_colbert_this_is_how_you_return_from_a_disaster/#comments Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:05:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13059662 It’s been a crazy week for everyone in the Northeast, and though the late-night talk-show schedule is pretty near the least of the madness, it’s been a mess anyway. Fallon and Letterman put on audience-less shows, Kimmel canceled and “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” didn’t air Monday or Tuesday. The latter shows both returned last night, with episodes that had to achieve a precarious balance: respectful yet hilarious, cutting but not too soon, politically astute at a moment when “politicizing things” is even more of a dirty word than usual. Both shows made it look easy.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/11/01/stewart_and_colbert_this_is_how_you_return_from_a_disaster/feed/ 1 President Obama to Jon Stewart about first debate: “I had an off night” http://www.salon.com/2012/10/19/president_obama_to_jon_stewart_about_first_debate_i_had_an_off_night/ http://www.salon.com/2012/10/19/president_obama_to_jon_stewart_about_first_debate_i_had_an_off_night/#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:34:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13045752 President Barack Obama stopped by "The Daily Show" last night and explained his performance at the first presidential debate, his priorities for the next four years and Joe Biden's swimwear.

Watch the full, unedited interview below:

Part 1

Part 2

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/10/19/president_obama_to_jon_stewart_about_first_debate_i_had_an_off_night/feed/ 5