A look back at Jon Stewart's legacy as he hosts his final "Daily Show."
Introduction
Jon Stewart hosts his final “Daily Show” Thursday night聽on Comedy Central, and be sure to set your DVRs with extended time — the network promises the show will聽run long.
As he hangs it up,聽we’re examining Stewart’s聽legacy, from the stars he launched (Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert), to the cable news shows he shamed into oblivion聽(FOX NEWS’ “Glenn Beck Show,” CNN’s “Crossfire”), from the laughs he mined (New York style pizza!), to the words of healing in times of trouble (9/11). Many would call him聽the Johnny Carson of this generation.
Listen below for audio highlights, watch the video above for our reflections with 海角社区app and NBC-4, then click through the gallery for his most memorable聽moments.
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12. ‘Back in Black’ with Lewis Black
“When a news story slips through the cracks, Lewis Black strings聽them聽together for a segment we call ‘Back in Black.'” With an AC/DC riff, contributor Lewis Black took the “Daily Show” stage to unleash his rage in hilarious monologues that聽gave us all聽high blood pressure. Thanks to聽Stewart’s platform, Black saw wide success as a stand-up comedian and voice actor in films like Pixar’s “Inside Out” — voicing, of course, Anger.
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8. Dogging聽Democrats
Republicans weren’t the only聽politicians under under Stewart’s watchful eye. Democrats got their fair share of mockery. Just this week, after聽taking right-wing heat for White House meetings聽with President Obama, Stewart compiled a mash-up of all the times he ripped into Democrats, including this memorable slam of Healthcare.gov during an interview with Kathleen Sebelius:聽“Let’s do a challenge. I’m gonna try and download every movie ever made, and you try to sign up for Obamacare, and we’ll see which happens first.”
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2. Passing the聽9/11 First Responders Bill
It wasn’t all funny business. Stewart got serious when the stakes were high, turning his show into an avenue for advocacy. Most memorably, he got Congress to pass the聽9/11 Health &聽Compensation Act聽after shaming lawmakers in the final months of 2010.聽Shortly after the bill passed,聽The New York Times asked: “Did the bill pledging federal funds for the health care of 9/11 responders become law in the waning hours of the 111th Congress only because a comedian took it up as a personal cause?” The ordeal聽began in聽August 2010, when Stewart exposed the injustice during a 聽on聽his show. It continued in December 2010, when he聽invited聽9/11 first responders onto his show as .聽“It’s an absolute travesty. I appreciate your service,” Stewart told the first responders. Their response? “God bless you.”
Hailed by The Washington Post for 鈥渉is savantlike ability to name every Best Picture winner in history," Jason Fraley began at 海角社区app as Morning Drive Writer in 2008, film critic in 2011 and Entertainment Editor in 2014, providing daily arts coverage on-air and online.
