Stewart knows politics, humor
He’s 5 feet 7 inches, played in a swing band at the age of 9, and has a B.A. in psychology.
And for Jon Stewart, B.A. does not stand for Bachelor of Arts degree.
Although The Daily Show appears on Comedy Central, Stewart has created far more than a generic political comedy show that exists purely to make fun of politicians. With relevant guests including three mayors (two former) of New York, 13 current or former governors and three US Presidents (including President Obama), The Daily Show has transformed into a reliable news source.
Granted, Stephen Colbert runs a downright hysterical show, The Colbert Report, that comes after The Daily Show every night. I’ve laughed harder at some of Colbert’s witty lines than I have at that YouTube video where the cute baby can’t stop laughing. However, what The Colbert Report is lacking is the relevant political information that The Daily Show provides while still maintaining the comedy genre.
In fact, Colbert would be nothing without Stewart. Colbert worked as a correspondent on The Daily Show, with Stewart anchoring. For those who don’t know, on talk shows, the chain of command usually goes something like this: anchor, producer, director, writer, camera guy, grumpy janitor, mysterious guy who does the show’s graphics, ambitious lady who reports the ratings, second-string anchor, shoe-shiner, lovable janitor, third-string anchor, correspondent. Only after Comedy Central decided to expand its comedy talk show lineup did Colbert get his own desk– sorry, show.
However, the main difference between these partners in comedy is the essence of their shows. Stewart focuses more on day-to-day news while fusing outlandish comparisons with hard facts. However, The Colbert Report is a complete character satire that focuses on the particulars of Colbert’s character, with the actual news coming second. While both shows are ridiculou s and clever, Stewart is able to create a show that is not only funny, but a reliable news source, too.
Yes, Colbert can do that awesome thing where he lifts one eyebrow. However, Stewart played in a swing band at the age of 9. Stewart 1, Colbert 0.
Colbert focuses on hilarity
All it took was the curve of an arched eyebrow to capture my attention.
And the jokes about bears. And the recurring segments like The Wørd, ThreatDown, and (during the holidays) The Blitzkrieg on Grinchitude. And the sarcastic character Stephen Colbert (portrayed by Stephen Colbert). And the delicious Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor, Americone Dream. Come to think of it, he won me over immediately, making me one of the 1.3 million that make up Colbert Nation.
Nothing against Jon Stewart. As said by Conan O’Brien at the 2006 Emmys, “[Stewart and Colbert] have done for fake news what Fox News Channel has done for fake news.” The two pundits go together like peanut butter and jelly, in the sense that Jon Stewart is predictable (like peanut butter) and Stephen Colbert is significantly better, much like jelly. Nonetheless, the pair work seamlessly in creating humor in a world of partisan stupidity.
Regardless, Stewart simply does not have the odd and unpredictable humor required to keep a fake news show fresh. Colbert seems to have a knack for discovering the strangest of the strange and reporting on it without breaking character or cracking a smile. The constant chuckle on Stewart’s face makes his good points significantly less effective at driving home the insanity of the world.
Not to mention Colbert’s generosity combined with his hilarity. In 2010, to raise money for the oil spill in the Gulf Coast, Colbert partnered with the search engine Bing, which pledged to donate $2,500 every time the word “bing” was uttered on the show. In the 40 times “bing” was said, Colbert covered everything, from bing cherries to Bing Crosby. And this year, partnering with his “BFF of six months, Jimmy Fallon,” the two raised over $52,000 for Donors Choose, a charity that donates school supplies to classrooms in need. And how did it happen? As persuasion to gain funds for the charity, Colbert promised to sing Rebecca Black’s song “Friday” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
I laughed. I cried. I listened to “Friday” and laughed again.
Maybe if Jon Stewart sings Justin Bieber’s “Baby” I could see the appeal, but so far, he hasn’t won me over all the way.
Besides, Claire Colbert has a much better ring to it.
