Angry Optimist: The Life and Times of Jon Stewart

NOTES

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Introduction

“little hairy man of comedy”: Dennis McLellan, “He Has Faith in His Jokes.” Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1993.

“man screaming into the camera”: Chris Smith, “The Man Who Should be Conan.” New York magazine, January 10, 1994.

“the court jester of the family”: Manuel Mendoza, “Late Night’s New Kid Faces the Real World.” Chicago Tribune, September 23, 1994.

“too smart for that little body”: A. J. Jacobs, “Jon.” Esquire, July 2001.

“I’m nervous about everything”: Fresh Air, NPR, September 29, 2010.

“gives Jews their comic angst”: Maureen Dowd, “America’s Anchors.” Rolling Stone, November 16, 2006.

“because we’re not in charge”: Tad Friend, “Is it Funny Yet? Jon Stewart and the Comedy of Crisis.” The New Yorker, February 11, 2002.

“than I should be”: Stephen Thompson, “Interview: Jon Stewart.” AV Club, November 11, 1997.

“it’s going to fail”: Ed Bark, “Show Time for Stewart.” Dallas Morning News, January 10, 1999.

“and I don’t like working’”: Frazier Moore, “Jon Stewart Plans to Keep Pace with Quick-Witted Daily Show.” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 14, 1999.

“and turn it into something funny”: Bill Moyers Interviews Jon Stewart, PBS, July 11, 2003.

“I hope I’m not prying”: Larry King Live, CNN, December 8, 2004.

“two of them had to be—no?”: Larry King Live, CNN, December 8, 2004.

“something that will make you laugh”: Theresa Bradley, “Solidly Stewart.” ABCNews.com, November 14, 2002.

“Who wasn’t?”: “Oprah Talks to Jon Stewart.” The Oprah Magazine, June 1, 2005.

“coming from that perspective”: Jon Stewart, “Jon Stewart on the Art of Self-Deprecation.” GQ magazine, June 1999.

“It is all-consuming”: Jim Sullivan, “Jon Stewart: Growing Up on MTV.” Boston Globe, May 6, 1994.

“‘You know what? Screw this’”: David Segal, “The Seriously Funny Jon Stewart.” Washington Post, May 2, 2002.

“what I was doing”: Fresh Air, NPR, September 29, 2010.

“we want to stay”: Larry King Live, CNN, December 8, 2004.

“always open an ice-cream store”: Manuel Mendoza, “Late Night’s New Kid Faces the Real World.” Chicago Tribune, September 23, 1994.

“is mind-boggling to me”: Lee Breslouer, “Giving Everyone His Daily Dose.” University of Delaware Review, September 1999.

“sort of a dream life”: Robert Strauss, “Jon Stewart: You Know, That Guy on the Tube Television.” Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1994.

Chapter 1

“and actually played outside”: Geri Richter Campbell, “Dish.” Jane, January/February 1999.

“‘I can’t complain’”: Curt Schleier, “Timing Is Everything.” The Jewish Week, October 9, 1998.

“helped me have big friends”: Jeremy Gillick, “Meet Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz [AKA Jon Stewart].” Moment magazine, November/December 2008.

“made sense to me”: Curt Schleier, “Timing Is Everything.” The Jewish Week, October 9, 1998.

“make me recite prayers”: Jeremy Gillick, “Meet Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz [AKA Jon Stewart].” Moment magazine, November/December 2008.

“‘a pussy can I be?’”: Tad Friend, “Is it Funny Yet? Jon Stewart and the Comedy of Crisis.” The New Yorker, February 11, 2002.

“memories of breaking into showbiz”: Ed Condran, “Stand-up Comedy Lifts Jon Stewart out of His Daily Show Seat.” The Morning Call, November 26, 1999.

“she had to fend for herself”: Fresh Air, NPR, September 29, 2010.

“go to Long Beach Island”: Ed Condran, “Stand-up Comedy Lifts Jon Stewart out of His Daily Show Seat.” The Morning Call, November 26, 1999.

“I was a weirdo”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“smart-ass versus smart”: Robert Strauss, “Jon Stewart: You Know, That Guy on the Tube.” Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1994.

“as the bell was ringing”: Jeremy Gillick, “Meet Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz [AKA Jon Stewart].” Moment magazine, November/December 2008.

“Jews had to live alphabetically”: Ibid.

“running around like idiots”: Marshall Owens, “Jon Stewart Recalls Life as a Local Boy.” The Daily Princetonian, March 23, 2000.

“very dogged when I’m unsuccessful”: Brian Kilmeade, The Games Do Count. New York: HarperCollins, 2008.

“the mall bathroom that day”: Cindy Pearlman, “Must Be Moving On.” Chicago Sun-Times, June 20, 1999.

“everybody making fun of me”: David Wallis, “Man of Style.” InStyle, February 1999.

“the late seventies dug that, man”: Fresh Air, NPR, September 29, 2010.

“to get my friends into fights”: Dennis McLellan, “He Has Faith in His Jokes.” Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1993.

“going to make sports my life”: David Wallis, “Man of Style.” InStyle, February 1999.

“ability to make people laugh”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“tend not to go into comedy”: Ibid.

“eleven o’clock at night”: Jim Sullivan, “Jon Stewart: Growing Up on MTV.” Boston Globe, May 6, 1994.

“‘If I spit from here…’”: Allison Adato, “Anchor Astray.” George magazine, May 2000.

“defend my increased military spending”: Ibid.

“that I want to be”: Jon Stewart, “Bruce Springsteen’s State of the Union.” Rolling Stone, March 29, 2012.

Chapter 2

“not what I thought it meant”: Commencement Address, College of William & Mary, May 20, 2004.

“who just went by ‘Trip’”: J. D. Heiman, “Jon Stewart, The Comeback Comic.” New York Now, December 13, 1998.

“best of my college experience”: Al Albert, William and Mary Men’s Soccer. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2010.

“I developed my humor”: Meghan Williams, “Comedian, Alumnus Returns to College for Q&A Session.” The Flat Hat, November 1, 2002.

“a very funny guy”: Ibid.

“he was so quick-witted”: Jeremy Gillick, “Meet Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz [AKA Jon Stewart].” Moment magazine, November/December 2008.

“as you write five pages”: Steve Kroft, “Jon Stewart’s Rise to Stardom.” 60 Minutes, April 22, 2001.

“chances are you get a B”: Ben Domenech, “Jon Stewart: The SIN Interview.” Student Information Network (William & Mary), April 26, 2002.

“to discuss a toga party”: Meghan Williams, “Comedian, Alumnus Returns to College for Q&A Session.” The Flat Hat, November 1, 2002.

“Don’t touch the carpet”: “Nightline Up Close: Jon Stewart.” ABCNews.com, November 12, 2002.

“some very attractive women in college”: Jeremy Gillick, “Meet Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz [AKA Jon Stewart].” Moment magazine, November/December 2008.

“didn’t let it bother him”: Ibid.

“the most of the talent he had”: Chris Weidman, “WM’s Most Famous Alum, Jon Stewart, Spun Soccer into Success.” WY Daily, October 25, 2010.

“they no longer called us gringos”: Jeremy Gillick, “Meet Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz [AKA Jon Stewart].” Moment magazine, November/December 2008.

“that in itself was probably annoying”: Ben Domenech, “Jon Stewart: The SIN Interview.” Student Information Network (William & Mary), April 26, 2002.

“The entire place is an elective”: Commencement Address, College of William and Mary, May 20, 2004.

“an amazing amount of [lousy] jobs”: Sheila Anne Feeney, “Heeeeeeere’s Jon: MTV’s New Talker.” Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1993.

“store proprietor, and window cleaner”: Megan Smolenyak, “Hey, Jon Stewart, Your Roots Are Showing.” Huffington Post, February 25, 2013.

“the Pine Barrens would be there”: Robert Strauss, “Jon Stewart: You Know, That Guy on the Tube.” Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1994.

“through the fan and get trapped”: “Nightline Up Close: Jon Stewart.” ABCNews.com, November 12, 2002.

“It was insane.” Robert Strauss, “Jon Stewart: You Know, That Guy on the Tube Television.” Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1994.

“tell me to clean them out”: Michael Kaplan, “New York’s Mr. Schmooze.” TV Guide, February 29, 1994.

“who couldn’t commit to a relationship”: Chris Smith, “The Man Who Should Be Conan.” New York magazine, January 10, 1994.

“to create something I felt part of”: “Oprah Talks to Jon Stewart.” The Oprah Magazine, June 1, 2005.

“fuck this. I need stand-up”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“all on the same day”: “Oprah Talks to Jon Stewart.” The Oprah Magazine, June 1, 2005.

“you’re not getting up the stairs”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“for the next seventy years?”: Tad Friend, “Is It Funny Yet? Jon Stewart and the Comedy of Crisis.” The New Yorker, February 11, 2002.

“the guy organizing the team”: Robert Strauss, “Jon Stewart: You Know, That Guy on the Tube.” Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1994.

“won’t save a seat for me”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“too young for a dental plan”: Alyssa Lustigman, “Jon Stewart Jimmies His Way into the TV Talk Show Door.” INsider Magazine, Winter 1994.

“it was like a bombshell”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“the person to discourage him”: Trenton Times, 2006.

“on a six-week lease”: Alyssa Lustigman, “Jon Stewart Jimmies His Way into the TV Talk Show Door.” INsider Magazine, Winter 1994.

“through the Holland Tunnel”: Interview with Bruce Springsteen, The Daily Show, March 19, 2009.

Chapter 3

“balls to go up on stage”: Lee Breslouer, “Giving Everyone His Daily Dose.” University of Delaware Review, September 1999.

“this is who my parents are’”: Jon Stewart, “Bruce Springsteen’s State of the Union.” Rolling Stone, March 29, 2012.

“find themselves caught in Yidlock”: Curt Schleier, “Timing Is Everything.” The Jewish Week, October 9, 1998.

“a guy in the audience yelled, “You suck!”: Martha Frankel, “Cosmo Q&A.” Cosmopolitan, January 1999.

“never to go near a stage again”: Paul Colby, The Bitter End. Cooper Square Press, 2002, pp. 143–4.

“better than anything else”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“I have no regrets about it”: Gail Shister, “Jon Stewart Says His Late-Night Show Is a Bit More Casual Than Others.” Knight Ridder Tribune News Service, October 11, 1994.

“some leftover resentment at my family”: Tad Friend, “Is It Funny Yet? Jon Stewart and the Comedy of Crisis.” The New Yorker, February 11, 2002.

“did whatever popped into my head”: Martha Frankel, Cosmo Q&A. Cosmopolitan, January 1999.

“write my first forty-five minutes”: Fresh Air, NPR, September 29, 2010.

“success on Adam, even back then”: Cindy Pearlman, “Must Be Moving On.” Chicago Sun-Times, June 20, 1999.

“It’s almost self-medication”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“working for falafel money”: Tara McKelvey, “Jon Stewart’s Dirty Laundry.” Mademoiselle, August 1994.

“open mikes for a plate of falafel”: Theresa Bradley, “Solidly Stewart.” ABCNews.com, November 14, 2002.

“it didn’t actually make sense”: Ibid.

“what to proceed with”: Ben Domenech, “Jon Stewart: The SIN Interview.” Student Information Network (William & Mary), April 26, 2002.

“In some ways, it’s gladiatorial”: Dennis McLellan, “He Has Faith in His Jokes.” Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1993.

“And not in a happy way”: Jim Sullivan, “Jon Stewart: Growing Up on MTV.” Boston Globe, May 6, 1994.

“and what am I doing?”: Chauncé Hayden, “Jon Stewart.” Steppin’ Out, December 23, 1993.

“for the first four years”: Steve Kroft, “Jon Stewart’s Rise to Stardom.” 60 Minutes, April 22, 2001.

“Chuckle Hutch and everybody’s hammered”: Chauncé Hayden, “Jon Stewart.” Steppin’ Out, December 23, 1993.

“he was heading for something bigger”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“I just kept working at it”: Chris Smith, “America Is a Joke.” New York magazine, September 20, 2010.

“just stay in the game”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“you have this weird thing about mopping”: John Sellers, “Gimme Stewart.” TimeOut New York, December 10, 1998.

“a guy talking about his grandmother”: Chauncé Hayden, “Jon Stewart.” Steppin’ Out, December 23, 1993.

“staying in my room and drinking’”: “America’s Anchors.” Rolling Stone, November 16, 2006.

“pleasant a time as he’d expected”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“pretty low common denominator”: Noel Holston, “Comic Is Casting about for a New Gig.” Minnesota Star-Tribune, June 16, 1995.

“my girlfriend who was living there”: Larry Getlen, “Our Possible Future Mayor… Maybe.” CityScoopsNY.com, May 19, 2009.

“it was an actual job”: Don Steinberg, “Laughing in the Streets.” Wall Street Journal, November 1, 2013.

“a superhero with a cape”: Jordan Zakarin, “Louis C.K.’s Home Turf.” The Hollywood Reporter, November 8, 2012.

“a reality-based show and a sketch show”: Dennis McLellan, “He Has Faith in His Jokes.” Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1993.

“but she was right”: Tom Phalen, “Endearing Jon Stewart Has Hit the Mainstream after MTV.” Seattle Times, March 23, 1995.

“people vomiting on animals”: Sheila Anne Feeney, “Heeeeeeere’s Jon: MTV’s New Talker.” Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1993.

“quiet here if I don’t talk”: Chris Smith, “The Man Who Should Be Conan.” New York magazine, January 10, 1994.

“like an audience with the pope”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“and you become a bigger star”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“no such thing as ‘made it’”: Ibid.

“they picked more experienced people”: Sheila Anne Feeney, “Heeeeeeere’s Jon: MTV’s New Talker.” Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1993.

“That can really demoralize you”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

Chapter 4

“we can take in that environment”: Dennis McLellan, “He Has Faith in His Jokes.” Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1993.

“he’s also very sweet”: Jill Gerston, “MTV Has a Hit with Words by Jon Stewart.” New York Times, March 13, 1994.

“than what you could have planned”: Michael Kaplan, “New York’s Mr. Schmooze.” TV Guide, February 29, 1994.

“Beavis, Butt-Head and me”: Jim Sullivan, “Jon Stewart: Growing Up on MTV.” Boston Globe, May 6, 1994.

“of course, that I’m miked”: Cathy Hainer, “Jon Stewart, MTV’s New Host with the Most.” USA Today, December 21, 1993.

“just being happy to be here”: Gail Shister, “Jon Stewart Says His Late-Night Show Is a Bit More Casual Than Others.” Knight Ridder Tribune News Service, October 11, 1994.

“cat litter that needs to be changed”: John Hughes, “X-Man.” Sun-Sentinel, March 15, 1994.

“without being too MTV.” Dennis McLellan, “He Has Faith in His Jokes.” Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1993.

“seven minutes at a time”: Alyssa Lustigman, “Jon Stewart Jimmies His Way into the TV Talk Show Door.” INsider Magazine, Winter 1994.

“off the air in six weeks”: Jacob Hoye, MTV Uncensored. Pocket Books, August 2001, p. 136.

“He was off me”: Ibid.

“to be hip and ironic”: Susan Howard, “Nighttime Talk, MTV Style.” The Record, 1994.

“a half-hour of my show”: Manuel Mendoza, “Just Call Him the Un-Conan.” Dallas Morning News, March 22, 1994.

“that the MTV audience recognized”: Chris Smith, “The Man Who Should Be Conan.” New York magazine, January 10, 1994.

“‘Are you gonna finish that?’”: Michael Rubiner, “Jon Stewart.” Rolling Stone, January 26, 1995.

“we thought would work didn’t”: Steve Hall, “Jon Stewart Warms Up for Late-Night TV.” Indianapolis Star, December 16, 1998.

“she was a little fresher”: Jacob Hoye, MTV Uncensored. Pocket Books, August 2001, p. 136.

“it really blew me away”: Jill Gerston, “MTV Has a Hit with Words by Jon Stewart.” New York Times, March 13, 1994.

“never love or be loved”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“this really is a lot of fun”: Jill Gerston, “MTV Has a Hit with Words by Jon Stewart.” New York Times, March 13, 1994.

“into the walls, poor guy”: Tom Phalen, “Endearing Jon Stewart Has Hit the Mainstream after MTV.” Seattle Times, March 23, 1995.

“a big construction worker–looking guy”: Lea Saslav, “Stewart Joins Late-Night Gabfest.” Orlando Sentinel, September 13, 1994.

“have that much time”: Michael Rubiner, “Jon Stewart.” Rolling Stone, January 26, 1995.

“And it’s sort of boring”: Lea Saslav, “Stewart Joins Late-Night Gabfest.” Orlando Sentinel, September 13, 1994.

“hide from your social life”: Jill Gerston, “MTV Has a Hit with Words by Jon Stewart.” New York Times, March 13, 1994.

“compassion and a sense of joy”: Gail Shister, “Jon Stewart Says His Late-Night Show Is a Bit More Casual Than Others.” Knight Ridder Tribune News Service, October 11, 1994.

“It’s a really good environment”: Phil Rosenthal, “Watch Out, Conan; Heeeeeeeeere’s Jon!” San Diego Tribune, January 31, 1994.

“while you’re out there”: Scott Williams, “Comedian Jon Stewart Enters the Talk Show Lists.” Associated Press, October 22, 1993.

“sometimes puts us behind the eight ball”: Chauncé Hayden, “Jon Stewart.” Steppin’ Out, December 23, 1993.

“the color of a manhole cover”: Tom Junod, “Jon Stewart and the Burden of History.” Esquire, October 2011.

“I shouldn’t have shared?”: Chris Smith, “The Man Who Should Be Conan.” New York magazine, January 10, 1994.

“I can go on with grass stains”: Tara McKelvey, “Jon Stewart’s Dirty Laundry.” Mademoiselle, August 1994.

“we were just bullshitting”: Jennifer M. Wood, “The Jon Stewart Show Debuted 20 Years Ago Tonight.” Mental Floss, October 25, 2013.

“and I never watch MTV”: Phil Rosenthal, “Watch Out, Conan; Heeeeeeeeere’s Jon!” San Diego Tribune, January 31, 1994.

“being told to watch you”: Ibid.

“don’t be in show business”: Gail Shister, “Jon Stewart Says His Late-Night Show Is a Bit More Casual Than Others.” Knight Ridder Tribune News Service, October 11, 1994.

“getting married on the show”: Lea Saslav, “Stewart Joins Late-Night Gabfest.” Orlando Sentinel, September 13, 1994.

“It’s right out there”: Ibid.

“who thinks she’s Underdog’s girlfriend”: Noel Holston, “Comic Is Casting about for a New Gig.” Minnesota Star-Tribune, June 16, 1995.

“so we put it on”: Michelle Farrar, “Aging Gracefully: A Few Gray Hairs? No Problem. Jon Stewart Has His Panic Under Control.” Axcess, 1995.

“down a hallway with the fat-guy tape”: Michael Rubiner, “Jon Stewart.” Rolling Stone, January 26, 1995.

“‘OK, that’s enough, we get it’”: Manuel Mendoza, “Late Night’s New Kid Faces the Real World.” Chicago Tribune, September 23, 1994.

“going to be killed that week”: Tom Alesia, “A Funny Guy on the Fringe of Fame.” Wisconsin State Journal, November 20, 1997.

“thinking about my laundry”: Alyssa Lustigman, “Jon Stewart Jimmies His Way into the TV Talk Show Door.” INsider Magazine, Winter 1994.

“the most difficult thing in the world”: Tom Feran, “Jon Stewart Has Landed the Ultimate Gig.” Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 2, 1995.

“what’s going to happen to me”: Michelle Farrar, “Aging Gracefully: A Few Gray Hairs? No Problem.” Axcess, 1995.

“what you actually think”: Michael Rubiner, “Jon Stewart.” Rolling Stone, January 26, 1995.

“exhausted, emotionally raw”: Michael Fleming, “Miramax Inks Stewart.” Daily Variety, November 7, 1995.

“you’re trying to avoid”: J. D. Heiman, “Jon Stewart, The Comeback Comic.” New York Now, December 13, 1998.

“and get back in it”: Virginia Rohan, “Fresh Daily: Jon Stewart Takes Over Comedy Central’s Mainstay.” Bergen Record, January 11, 1999.

“What am I gonna do?’”: Rick Marin, “Nice Guy Finishes First.” Newsweek, September 28, 1998.

“as I’ve gotten older”: Michelle Farrar, “Aging Gracefully: A Few Gray Hairs? No Problem.” Axcess, 1995.

“‘Never confuse cancellation with failure’”: Curt Schleier, “Timing Is Everything.” The Jewish Week, October 9, 1998.

“with Cher, I’m happy”: Steve Hall, “Jon Stewart Warms Up for Late-Night TV.” Indianapolis Star, December 16, 1998.

Chapter 5

“keep the music down, they’re fine”: Michelle Farrar, “Aging Gracefully: A Few Gray Hairs? No Problem. Jon Stewart Has His Panic Under Control.” Axcess, 1995.

“sitting on a children’s pillow”: Allen Johnson, “Changing Landscape.” Chicago Tribune, August 18, 1998.

“‘Who drank all my whiskey?’”: John Sellers, “Gimme Stewart.” TimeOut New York, December 10, 1998.

“an enjoyably dumb B movie”: Steve Murray, “New on Video.” Cox News Service, June 18, 1999.

“but it’s fun to try”: Ed Condran, “Stand-up Comedy Lifts Jon Stewart Out of His Daily Show Seat.” The Morning Call, November 26, 1999.

“I held my own in this situation”: Mari Burger, “You Can’t Be Serious.” Winston-Salem Journal, January 28, 1999.

“and write your own stuff”: Amy Longsdorf, “Jon Stewart, Overachieving Underdog.” Bergen Record, June 20, 1999.

“in movies playing other parts”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“that’s a bit of a transition”: Mari Burger, “You Can’t Be Serious.” Winston-Salem Journal, January 28, 1999.

“because you have to react to it”: Michael Fleming, “Miramax Inks Stewart.” Daily Variety, November 7, 1995.

“I’ll be in the future”: John Sellers, “Gimme Stewart.” TimeOut New York, December 10, 1998.

“if people thought it was funny”: J. D. Heiman, “Jon Stewart, the Comeback Comic.” New York Now, December 13, 1998.

“than be who I am”: Mark Bazer, “One to Watch: Jon Stewart Hangs In.” Boston Phoenix, September 24, 1998.

“the character would need to do”: Virginia Rohan, “Fresh Daily: Jon Stewart Takes Over Comedy Central’s Mainstay.” Bergen Record, January 11, 1999.

“No one needs another halfhearted attempt”: Tim Feran, “Daily Chaos.” Columbus Dispatch, January 10, 1999.

“a bunch of different things”: Allan Johnson, “Stewart Says He’ll Settle Down—But Not Yet.” Chicago Tribune, November 14, 1997.

“in interesting and unlikely places”: J. D. Heiman, “Jon Stewart, the Comeback Comic.” New York Now, December 13, 1998.

“He was a soft touch”: Amy Longsdorf, “Jon Stewart, Overachieving Underdog.” Bergen Record, June 20, 1999.

“at it as that different”: Lee Breslouer, “Giving Everyone His Daily Dose.” University of Delaware Review, September 1999.

“five of these jobs available”: Linda Moss, “Stewart Takes Over Daily Show Reins.” Multichannel News, August 17, 1998.

“Ted Koppel would want for Christmas”: Monique Beeler, “Daily Showmanship.” Cal State East Bay Magazine, Fall 2010.

“most talented free agent in the market”: Linda Moss, “Stewart Takes Over Daily Show Reins.” Multichannel News, August 17, 1998.

“very Ivy League and Midwest”: Jim McConville, “Jon Stewart: Building His Own House at Comedy Central.” Electronic Media, January 25, 1999.

“off the top of his head”: Ibid.

“together with tape and string”: Larry Bonko, “W&M Alumnus Steps into the Limelight.” The Virginian-Pilot, January 11, 1999.

“give it time to evolve”: Phil Rosenthal, “Daily Grind.” Chicago Sun-Times, January 4, 1999.

“he viewed it as host-driven”: C.J. “Winstead Walks Over Crudequips.” Minneapolis Star Tribune, February 8, 1998.

“political humor, and surrealistic nonsense”: Lewis Beale, “A Daily Dose of Irreverence.” New York Daily News, October 7, 1996.

“and ten or twenty souls”: Tad Friend, “Is it Funny Yet? Jon Stewart and the Comedy of Crisis.” The New Yorker, February 11, 2002.

“savaged when the piece is edited”: Jeff Macgregor, “Television; Past Jonathan Swift to Linda Tripp (Yeah, whatever.)” New York Times, August 23, 1998.

“come back with something funny”: “The Daily Show’s Stephen Colbert, Rod Corddry, Ed Helms, and Mo Rocca.” Onion AV Club, January 22, 2003.

“good at reading the teleprompter”: Benefit for Charleston Stage, December 23, 2007.

“bring passion, competence, and creativity to it”: “Oprah Talks to Jon Stewart.” The Oprah Magazine, June 1, 2005.

“He once seemed destined for more”: Phil Rosenthal, “Daily Grind.” Chicago Sun-Times, January 4, 1999.

“There are no mirrors”: Virginia Rohan, “Fresh ‘Daily’: Jon Stewart Takes Over Comedy Central’s Mainstay.” Bergen Record, January 11, 1999.

“won’t develop until I get there”: Ibid.

“and start tailoring it to that”: Ibid.

“take a shower afterward”: Phil Rosenthal, “Daily Grind.” Chicago Sun-Times, January 4, 1999.

“Not just celebrities, but newsmakers”: Allan Johnson, “Changing Landscape Comedy Central Won’t Come Up Short with New Host of Daily Show.” Chicago Tribune, August 18, 1998.

“looking for where the ketchup is”: Ed Bark, “‘Show’ Time for Stewart: Host Gets a Daily Forum for His Brand of Quick Wit.” Dallas Morning News, January 10, 1999.

Chapter 6

“A welcome return”: Frazier Moore, “Jon Stewart Plans to Keep Pace with Quick-Witted Daily Show.” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 14, 1999.

“longer than four breathless minutes”: Terry Kelleher, “The Daily Show.” People, April 5, 1999.

“I forgive myself more easily.” Matt Roush, “Roush Rave.” TV Guide, February 6, 1999.

“in Kuala Lumpur, I’m Jon Stewart”: The Daily Show, January 11, 1999.

“a rash like you wouldn’t believe”: Ibid.

“than I had imagined”: IGN.com, August 11, 2003.

“now it’s all confrontational”: Douglas Durden, “Third Time’s a Charm?” Richmond Times-Dispatch, January 9, 1999.

“The self-righteousness is embarrassing”: Rick Marin, “Nice Guy Finishes First.” Newsweek, September 28, 1998.

“and everyone goes over there”: Jane Ganahl, “Comic Release.” San Francisco Chronicle, April 23, 2002.

“your airbag could decapitate you?’”: Seth Margolis, “Enough News to Keep ’Em Rolling.” New York Times, January 10, 1999.

“we were a parody of the news”: Peter Keepnews, “Late-Night Hosts in Search of Their Niches.” New York Times, October 3, 1999.

“you don’t really believe he’s a news anchor”: Ibid.

“to get in twenty monologue-type jokes”: David Rensin, “Jon Stewart: The Playboy Interview.” Playboy, March 2000.

“Our one rule is, no faking”: Seth Margolis, “Enough News to Keep ’Em Rolling.” New York Times, January 10, 1999.

“something we found interesting the day before”: Gary Levin, “Fans Like Their Dose of Daily News.” USA Today, October 6, 2003.

“the clearer our comedy becomes”: Allison Adato, “Anchor Astray.” George magazine, May 2000.

“it can be pretty ridiculous”: Ibid.

“we’ll be fine”: “Writers Speak: A Potentially Regrettable Evening with the Writers of The Daily Show.” Paley Center for Media, November 7, 2010.

“Oh, they’re bringing him back!’”: Terry Jackson, “Jon Stewart Puts His Slant on Daily Show News.” Charleston Gazette, January 9, 1999.

“‘Can you believe this!?’”: Mark Bazer, “One to Watch: Jon Stewart Hangs In.” Boston Phoenix, September 24, 1998.

“somebody hits on just the right bit”: Seth Margolis, “Enough News to Keep ’Em Rolling.” New York Times, January 10, 1999.

“change the jokes or improvise”: Sharilyn Johnson, “Jon Stewart Almost Quit Daily Show over ‘Asshole’ Coworkers.” Third Beat Magazine, December 10, 2012.

“these people are insane”: Ibid.

“I don’t have a problem with that”: J. D. Heiman, “Jon Stewart, the Comeback Comic.” New York Now, December 13, 1998.

“but that makes my job easier”: Douglas Durden, “Third Time’s a Charm?” Richmond Times-Dispatch, January 9, 1999.

“a machine that can cope with it”: Seth Margolis, “Enough News to Keep ’Em Rolling.” New York Times, January 10, 1999.

“point of view that’s different”: Phil Rosenthal, “Daily Grind.” Chicago Sun-Times, January 4, 1999.

“would take all the fun out of it”: Geri Richter Campbell, “Dish.” Jane, January/February 1999.

“it’s going to fail”: Ed Bark, “Show Time for Stewart: Host Gets a Daily Forum for His Brand of Quick Wit.” Dallas Morning News, January 10, 1999.

“and wish you could say”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“a relaxing effect on his personality”: Ibid.

“it’s just a heightened performance”: Daniel Schack, “Jon Stewart Q&A.” The Daily Northwestern, February 19, 2001.

“I am able to do here”: Janice Turner, “How Jon Stewart Became the Most Powerful Man on TV.” London Times (U.K.), October 2, 2010.

“and it really doesn’t matter”: Daniel Schack, “Jon Stewart Q&A.” The Daily Northwestern, February 19, 2001.

“receiving a gift from the gods”: Amy Longsdorf, “Jon Stewart, Overachieving Underdog.” Bergen Record, June 20, 1999.

“that related to her”: Maureen Dowd, “America’s Anchors.” Rolling Stone, November 16, 2006.

“about most people you meet”: Alex Strachan “Jon Stewart’s Daily Grind.” Vancouver Sun, October 2, 1999.

“you feel much better”: Marc Peyser, “Red, White & Funny.” Newsweek, December 29, 2003.

“I was bartending or had a show”: Maureen Dowd, “America’s Anchors.” Rolling Stone, November 16, 2006.

“third-grade science fair in the first place”: Dennis McLellan, “He Has Faith in His Jokes.” Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1993.

“to find values is through religion”: Jeremy Gillick, “Meet Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz [AKA Jon Stewart].” Moment magazine, November/December 2008.

“we’re raising the children to be sad”: The Daily Show, September 18, 2008.

“which is a rare combination nowadays”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“for what’s on people’s minds”: Ibid.

“and really understand the truth”: Marisa Guthrie, “Schieffer: Stewart, Colbert Are ‘Editorial Page Cartoonists.’” Broadcasting & Cable, February 8, 2010.

“looked for larger arcs in the comedy”: Phil Rosenthal, “A Comic Koppel No ‘Indecision.’” Chicago Sun-Times, December 15, 2000.

“to me than most things”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

Chapter 7

“that’s happening at the desk”: Mediabistro.com, May 6, 2003.

“rewrites a lot of his own stuff”: University Wire, April 4, 2002.

“I don’t really fit into anything”: Chauncé Hayden, “Jon Stewart.” Steppin’ Out, December 23, 1993.

“we started to focus on media coverage”: Monique Beeler, “Daily Showmanship.” Cal State East Bay Magazine, Fall 2010.

“the only news organization who should be here”: In The Mix, PBS, 2000 Republican National Convention.

“And should help themselves”: David Daley, “Where Youth Gets Its News.” Hartford Courant, December 7, 2000.

“a kind of recognized, viable pundit”: Phil Rosenthal, “A Comic Koppel No ‘Indecision.’” Chicago Sun-Times, December 15, 2000.

“We all felt that way”: San Francisco Chronicle podcast, January 16, 2006.

“Jon Stewart officially became a public intellectual”: Jeremy Gillick, “Meet Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz [AKA Jon Stewart].” Moment magazine, November/December 2008.

“journalists would want to come and talk”: University Wire, April 4, 2002.

“the whole thing is ridiculous”: Larry King Live, CNN, December 8, 2004.

“the overt game that’s being reported”: Stephen Colbert, “Ten Years of The Daily Show.” Variety magazine, January 20, 2009.

“it’s messing up our shtick”: New York Times, November 22, 2000.

“it’s Jay Leno’s joke”: David Daley, “Where Youth Gets Its News.” Hartford Courant, December 7, 2000.

“I can’t wait to see what happens next”: Chris Smith, “America Is a Joke.” New York magazine, September 20, 2010.

“CNN feels like an opportunity squandered”: Eric Bates, “Jon Stewart: The Rolling Stone Interview.” Rolling Stone, September 29, 2011.

“This is the most important show ever”: Newsweek, July 31, 2000.

“he’s a very politically aware news junkie”: Howard Kurtz, “The Campaign of a Comedian; Jon Stewart’s Fake Journalism Enjoys Real Political Impact.” Washington Post, October 23, 2004.

“Where do you come up with these numbers?’”: “Jon Stewart Discusses Politics and Comedy,” Fresh Air, NPR, September 30, 2004.

“or social-security reforms”: Conor O’Clery, “The Daily Capers.” Irish Times, February 19, 2005.

“It’s why we don’t lead a lot of marches”: Chris Smith, “America Is a Joke.” New York magazine, September 20, 2010.

“and then they’d leave”: David Daley, “Where Youth Gets Its News.” Hartford Courant, December 7, 2000.

“It doesn’t matter”: Ibid.

“Or they’re home cleaning the gutters or something”: Ibid.

“a high-functioning hermit”: Tad Friend, “Is It Funny Yet? Jon Stewart and the Comedy of Crisis.” The New Yorker, February 11, 2002.

“Don’t you find that people contact you way more?”: Ibid.

“meaty and muscular and fun”: Suzy Byrne, “Jon Stewart Opens Up on the Joys of Three-Legged Dogs.” Yahoo Canada, June 7, 2013.

“but it’s also truer”: Gloria Goodale, “Politics as Punch Line.” Christian Science Monitor, January 20, 2004.

“Of course, you’re going to listen to Jon”: Ibid.

“but you’d also be missing half of our joke”: Mediabistro.com, May 6, 2003.

“a relatively savvy consumer of information”: Nolan Gawron, “The Daily Ho with Mr. Jon Stewart.” Weekly Dig, December 11–18, 1990.

“There’s no insidious plan”: Monique Beeler, “Daily Showmanship.” Cal State East Bay Magazine, Fall 2010.

“our show is uniquely positioned to do that”: Ibid.

“We’re suffocating in information”: Gary Levin, “Fans Like Their Dose of Daily News.” USA Today, October 6, 2003.

“what’s particularly absurd of this moment or of this time”: University Wire, April 4, 2002.

“with something interesting to say about it”: Conor O’Clery, “The Daily Capers.” Irish Times, February 19, 2005.

“you have adopted [Stewart’s] credibility”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“completely different from what I do”: Amazon.com, September 2004.

“We are the last stop of the disgruntled”: Conor O’Clery, “The Daily Capers.” Irish Times, February 19, 2005.

“because he hates to be laughed at”: Tad Friend, “Is It Funny Yet? Jon Stewart and the Comedy of Crisis.” The New Yorker, February 11, 2002.

“because we think we have anthrax”: John McKay, “Stewart: It’s Hard to Be Funny Again.” The Province (Vancouver), November 12, 2001.

“To me, that’s edgy”: Ben Domenech “Jon Stewart: The SIN Interview.” Student Information Network (William & Mary), April 26, 2002.

“It means you’re being talked about!”: Tad Friend, “Is It Funny Yet? Jon Stewart and the Comedy of Crisis.” The New Yorker, February 11, 2002.

“all the camera guys are pooping”: A. J. Jacobs, “Jon.” Esquire, July 2001.

“if you do it the right way’”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“to find light in darkness somehow”: World News Tonight, 2003.

“You can’t beat that”: The Daily Show, September 20, 2001.

Chapter 8

“than people would imagine”: “Jon Stewart Discusses Politics and Comedy,” Fresh Air, NPR, September 30, 2004.

“our paper of record”: Marshall Sella, “The Stiff Guy vs. the Dumb Guy.” New York Times Magazine, September 24, 2000.

“our morning cup of sadness”: Fresh Air, NPR, September 29, 2010.

“frequently end up on the show”: “Writers Speak: A Potentially Regrettable Evening with the Writers of The Daily Show.” Paley Center for Media, November 7, 2010.

“It’s pretty laid out for you”: Ibid.

“It gets stronger”: Ibid.

“knowing what you need to attack”: Ibid.

“There’s plenty of food to go around”: New York magazine, October 16, 2006.

“Even after that, probably a month of salads”: Ibid.

“I am incredibly horny”: Ibid.

“I call fairly frequently”: NPR Talk of the Nation, March 1, 2004.

“better than the ones you plan more”: “Writers Speak: A Potentially Regrettable Evening with the Writers of The Daily Show.” Paley Center for Media, November 7, 2010.

“and it is petrifying”: Lauren Weedman, “A Woman Trapped in a Woman’s Body.” Sasquatch Books, 2007, p. 10.

“triple-A game every time”: Rob Feld, “Daily Life.” Directors Guild of America, DGA.com, Fall 2008.

“I will answer you facetiously”: Janice Turner, “How Jon Stewart Became the Most Powerful Man on TV.” London Times (U.K.), October 2, 2010.

“because we love the guy”: Daily Show Forum, televisionwithoutpity.com September 16, 2011.

“It’s a harsh work environment”: Monique Beeler, “Daily Showmanship.” Cal State East Bay Magazine, Fall 2010.

“managing, editing, and moving toward showtime”: Maureen Dowd, “America’s Anchors.” Rolling Stone, October 31, 2006.

“We can just put it out there”: Bill Moyers Interviews Jon Stewart, PBS, July 11, 2003.

“I just have to face in the right direction”: Fresh Air, NPR, September 30, 2004.

“with his feet up on the desk”: Monique Beeler, “Daily Showmanship.” Cal State East Bay Magazine, Fall 2010.

“a thought behind every joke”: Chris Smith, “America Is a Joke.” New York magazine, September 20, 2010.

“lay them back to back… giggle”: Eric Bates, “Jon Stewart: The Rolling Stone Interview.” Rolling Stone, September 29, 2011.

“that I’ve been trained for”: “Jon Stewart Discusses Politics and Comedy,” Fresh Air, NPR, September 30, 2004.

“But we’ve never met before!”: The Daily Show, November 30, 2001.

“about the movie or about you”: The Daily Show, November 21, 2013.

“might not ask you anything”: Ibid.

“for a four- to six-hour period”: Fresh Air, NPR, September 29, 2010.

“make a better fucking movie”: Sharilyn Johnson, “Jon Stewart Almost Quit Daily Show Over ‘Asshole’ Coworkers.” Third Beat Magazine, December 10, 2012.

“as a straight commentator or orator”: Eric Bates, “Jon Stewart: The Rolling Stone Interview.” Rolling Stone, September 29, 2011.

“singles and doubles in a freshman dorm”: Paul Rogers, “A Bald Liar.” Boston Globe, May 1, 2005.

“overall, it was very loose”: Obrien phone interview, February 3, 2010.

“they’d toss a football back and forth”: Zimmerman phone interview, May 4, 2010.

“they were friendly and laid back”: Ganis phone interview, May 5, 2010.

“they would be mistaken”: Claudia Kawczynska, “The Dogs of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” The Bark, June–August 2012.

“grass and squirrels [inside]”: Ibid.

“Dogs are therapeutic”: Ibid.

“shouldn’t take life too seriously”: Ibid.

“have won the dog lottery”: Brian Williams, “Gone to the Dogs: Behind the Scenes at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” Rock Center with Brian Williams, NBC, September 28, 2012.

“who runs the show loves Ally”: Ibid.

“at the end of the day”: Claudia Kawczynska, “The Dogs of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” The Bark, June–August 2012.

“without these dogs”: Ibid.

“there weren’t dogs walking around”: Ibid.

“they are dealt with the right way”: Suzy Byrne, “Jon Stewart Opens Up on the Joys of Three-Legged Dogs.” Yahoo Canada, June 7, 2013.

“to have them around”: Ibid.

“through laughter and acceptance on stage”: Wiltfong phone interview, May 5, 2010.

“that lends itself toward happiness”: Ibid.

“It’s like a dysfunctional family”: Black phone interview, January 21, 2010.

“what’s going on in the world”: Wiltfong phone interview, May 5, 2010.

“these guys are doing stupid stuff”: Ibid.

“that’s me being that Stephen Colbert guy”: Charlie Rose, December 8, 2006.

“He wants to honestly mock”: Ibid.

“But I have nothing to back it up”: Maureen Dowd, “America’s Anchors.” Rolling Stone, November 16, 2006.

“really just want to get a laugh”: Ibid.

“just get our work done every day”: Charlie Rose, December 8, 2006.

“other correspondents engaged Jon in conversation”: Wiltfong phone interview, May 5, 2010.

“Stephen was one of the few”: Ibid.

“That’s part of the business”: Ibid.

“a good thing to feel as a performer”: Ibid.

“lucky to get a one-year contract”: Irin Carmon, “The Daily Show’s Woman Problem.” Jezebel, June 23, 2010.

“‘It’s sooo hard to keep women here’”: Lauren Weedman, “A Woman Trapped in a Woman’s Body.” Sasquatch Books, 2007, p. 14.

“that person without some support”: Irin Carmon, “The Daily Show’s Woman Problem.” Jezebel, June 23, 2010.

“‘Like how you talk to everyone but him’”: Lauren Weedman, “A Woman Trapped in a Woman’s Body.” Sasquatch Books, 2007, p. 20.

“And I knew I’d be fired”: Ibid., p. 10.

“and all the Comedy Central executives”: Ibid., p. 27.

“So it kind of goes both ways”: Irin Carmon, “The Only Women in the Late Night Writers’ Rooms.” Jezebel, May 14, 2010.

“questions like I did yesterday”: Ibid.

“They’re miserable for everyone”: Lynn Harris, “Late Night’s Real Problem.” Salon, January 10, 2010.

“a show that’s all about men”: Ibid.

“is always a dude”: Bill Carter, “Among Late-Night Writers, Few Women in the Room. New York Times, November 11, 2009.

“three or four were from women”: Ibid.

“it’s based in frustration over reality”: Maureen Dowd, “America’s Anchors.” Rolling Stone, November 16, 2006.

“we don’t have to defend anything”: Ibid.

“we very much infuse it with who we are”: Paley Center Daily Show chat, April 19, 2001.

“the actual ethics of real journalism”: John Crook, “Comics Mining Laughs from Presidential Race.” Rocky Mountain News, July 21, 1999.

“that is driving the entire enterprise”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“he’s mad at them for going union”: Ed Brayton, Culture Wars Radio, May 15, 2012.

“But he doesn’t have a mustache”: The Daily Show, January 25, 2005.

“I try not to let him out”: Tom Junod, “Jon Stewart and the Burden of History.” Esquire, October 2011.

“what I’d do if he wasn’t’”: Ibid.

“runs The Daily Show with joyless rage”: Irin Carmon, The Daily Show’s Woman Problem.” Jezebel, June 23, 2010.

“I didn’t fit the core principle there”: Wiltfong phone interview, May 5, 2010.

“I was getting this angry phone call”: Piers Morgan Live, October 6, 2011.

“haranguing you for mocking him”: Ibid.

“is creatively and physically exhausting”: Louis B. Hobson, “Jon Stewart’s Cookin’ Now.” Calgary Sun, June 26, 1999.

“until something’s desperately wrong”: “Jon Stewart Discusses Politics and Comedy,” Fresh Air, NPR, September 30, 2004.

“but we are”: Daniel Schack, “Jon Stewart Q&A.” The Daily Northwestern, February 19, 2001.

“what our day is like every day”: Chris Smith, “America Is a Joke.” New York magazine, September 20, 2010.

Chapter 9

“this film creaks like a broken-down tractor”: Kevin Smith, “Death by Smoochy.” The Beacon News, April 5, 2002.

“whatever’s on my mind at the time”: Dan Sweeney, “Heeeeere’s Jonny!” New Times, February 27, 2003.

“to connect with the farmers”: Talk of the Nation, NPR, March 1, 2004.

“and don’t want to talk to anybody”: Ibid.

“We never forget that we’re not”: Ibid.

“It’s a Nerf interview”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“the focus of 22 percent of the segments”: “Journalism, Satire or Just Laughs? The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Examined.” Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project Staff, May 8, 2008.

“Bush is a gold mine”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“to be able to honestly mock”: Charlie Rose, December 8, 2006.

“you can pretty much hammer away at anybody”: Marshall Sella, “The Stiff Guy vs. the Dumb Guy.” New York Times Magazine, September 24, 2000.

“some new material and some new challenges”: “Writers Speak: A Potentially Regrettable Evening with the Writers of The Daily Show.” Paley Center for Media, November 7, 2010.

“it so clearly goes against his constitution”: Larry King Live, CNN, December 8, 2004.

“and show him that I’m an idiot”: Ibid.

“I don’t think that’s anything to honor or enjoy”: Maureen Dowd, “America’s Anchors.” Rolling Stone, November 16, 2006.

“The paradigm has switched”: Larry King Live, CNN, June 25, 2004.

“politics are handled within the media”: Howard Kurtz, “The Campaign of a Comedian; Jon Stewart’s Fake Journalism Enjoys Real Political Impact.” Washington Post, October 23, 2004.

“is that it’s cathartic”: Ibid.

“very strong driver of our revenue”: Alice Z. Cuneo, “Marketers, Politicians Clamor for Daily Fix.” Advertising Age, September 27, 2004.

“that really has found a niche”: Ibid.

“this is the way real journalism should be”: Wiltfong phone interview, May 5, 2010.

“a personal kick in the [balls]”: Frazier Moore, “Jon Stewart, Daily Show, Cover America in New Book.” Charleston Daily Mail, October 14, 2004.

“hurting America.” Crossfire, October 14, 2004.

“to be your monkey”: Ibid.

“was kind of embarrassed for him”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“This was real.”: Ibid.

“news stories on the Associated Press”: Scarborough Country, September 27, 2006.

“sometimes they break news”: Ibid.

“sort of pin in the balloon”: Frazier Moore, “Jon Stewart Plans to Keep Pace with Quick-Witted Daily Show.” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 14, 1999.

“with the same respect”: David Bauder, “CNN Lets Crossfire Host Carlson Go.” Associated Press, January 5, 2005.

“the kid in the back throwing spitballs”: Howard Kurtz, “The Campaign of a Comedian; Jon Stewart’s Fake Journalism Enjoys Real Political Impact.” Washington Post, October 23, 2004.

“they do the satirical Jon”: Bill Carter & Brian Stelter, “In Daily Show Role on 9/11 Bill, Echoes of Murrow.” New York Times, December 26, 2010.

“He’s a necessary branch of government”: Chris Smith, “America Is a Joke.” New York magazine, September 20, 2010.

“‘I’m just a satirist’”: Howard Kurtz, “The Campaign of a Comedian; Jon Stewart’s Fake Journalism Enjoys Real Political Impact.” Washington Post, October 23, 2004.

“that’s really all right”: Larry King Live, CNN, February 27, 2006.

“CBS should have been doing”: Jeremy Gillick, “Meet Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz [AKA Jon Stewart].” Moment magazine, November/December 2008.

“the new millennium without The Daily Show”: Bill Moyers Interviews Jon Stewart, PBS, July 11, 2003.

“do this again somewhere”: The Daily Show, October 29, 2002.

“any credibility to lose”: Conor O’Clery, “The Daily Capers.” Irish Times, February 19, 2005.

“I’d like that. I’m tired”: The Daily Show, November 1, 2004.

“why is this guy still on the show?”: Wiltfong phone interview, May 5, 2010.

“I didn’t want to not like it”: Adam Sternbergh, “Stephen Colbert Has America by the Ballots.” New York magazine, October 16, 2006.

“someone like Stephen could do”: Seth Mnookin, “The Man in the Irony Mask.” Vanity Fair, October 2007.

“But I can’t be an asshole”: Adam Sternbergh, “Stephen Colbert Has America by the Ballots.” New York magazine, October 16, 2006.

“You’re an idiot. There’s a difference”: Ibid.

“because we hid his keys”: Howard Kurtz, “TV’s Newest Anchor: A Smirk in Progress.” Washington Post, October 10, 2005.

“It’s really a virtuoso performance”: Seth Mnookin, “The Man in the Irony Mask.” Vanity Fair, October 2007.

“doing his show in a second language”: Ibid.

“very contented and warm feeling”: Marc Peyser, “Red, White & Funny.” Newsweek, December 29, 2003.

Chapter 10

“coming across as mean-spirited or nasty”: Gary Levin, “Jon Stewart Looks Oscar in the Eye.” USA Today, February 19, 2006.

“I was losing my mind”: Ibid.

“I don’t have any of it right now”: Ibid.

“and Dick Cheney shot her”: 78th Academy Awards, March 5, 2006.

“pale shadow of great hosts gone by”: Tom Shales, “Memo to Jon Stewart: Keep Your Daily Job.” Washington Post, March 6, 2006.

“as he usually is”: Alessandra Stanley, “The Dresses, Low Cut, but the Tones Were Lofty.” New York Times, March 6, 2006.

“the Oscars is a really hard gig”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“after a game of musical chairs”: Gary Susman, “Oscar Hosts: From Worst to Best, Rating 60 Years of Academy Awards Emcees.” Moviefone.com, February 16, 2012.

“it was such a bad job”: Biography Presents Jon Stewart.

“laugh impulse has been deadened”: Adam Sternbergh, “Because What’s the Point of Being Funny in Wisconsin?” New York magazine, October 24, 2007.

“The sky’s the limit”: Nathan Rabin, AV Club, October 12, 2006.

“it was at least surprising”: Jaime J. Weinman, “What’s Happened to The Daily Show?” Macleans, January 22, 2007.

“and saying that it cures impetigo?”: The Daily Show, March 12, 2009.

“I wish he’d get back to work”: Letters and Comments, usanews.com, March 18, 2009.

“What am I going to do with that?”: The Late Show with David Letterman, October 6, 2005.

“He’s really all about his family”: Lisa Fickenscher, “Cooking Up a Café Comeback.” Crain’s New York Business, June 3, 2012.

“to thermonuclear levels”: Suzy Byrne, “Jon Stewart Opens Up on the Joys of Three-Legged Dogs.” Yahoo Canada, June 7, 2013.

“and me on the inside”: Kat Harrison, “The Mama of Moomah.” New York Family, December 30, 2011.

“to be the case”: The Daily Show, May 1, 2009.

“not in a mean or nasty way”: Marc Peyser, “Red, White & Funny.” Newsweek, December 29, 2003.

“It’s just cruel”: Stephen Galloway, “Steve Carell Says Comedy Has Become ‘Uber-Cynical,’ ‘Borderline Mean.’” Hollywood Reporter, August 2012.

“another congressman doing a dumb thing”: Larry Getlen, “Our Possible Future Mayor… Maybe.” CityScoopsNY.com, May 19, 2009.

“virtue and beacons of decency”: Larry King Live, CNN, June 25, 2004.

“you didn’t just ask me that.”: Ibid.

“Where’s Osama bin Laden?” The Daily Show, September 27, 2006.

“we’ll follow you.”: Ibid.

“they’d both lose miserably”: Ibid.

“because they air four nights a week”: Multichannel News, October 29, 2007.

“in terms of writing and performing material on the show”: Ibid.

“What’s your answer?”: Associated Press, December 25, 2007.

“we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence”: Associated Press, December 21, 2007.

“or at least balance him a bit”: Thomas Tennant, “Daily Show, Colbert Report Back Live.” About.com Talk Shows, January 9, 2008.

“it is cathartic and energizing”: Janice Turner, “How Jon Stewart Became the Most Powerful Man on TV.” London Times (U.K.), October 2, 2010.

“hundreds of millions around the world”: Gary Susman, “Oscar Hosts: From Worst to Best, Rating 60 Years of Academy Awards Emcees.” Moviefone.com, February 16, 2012.

“the tone of the material”: Ibid.

“for the first time ever, delivering a piece of real news”: Nofact Zone, December 2, 2008.

“We’re a fake news show”: Ibid.

“I’m still afraid someone’s going to take it away”: Associated Press, November 5, 2008.

Chapter 11

“maybe I wouldn’t have worked as hard”: Eric Bates, “Jon Stewart: The Rolling Stone Interview.” Rolling Stone, September 29, 2011.

“because I was a Hispanic”: Stand Up with Pete Dominick, September 30, 2010.

“because they’re Jewish”: Ibid.

“because you’re the one I liked”: Tom Junod, “Jon Stewart and the Burden of History.” Esquire, October 2011.

“he is opposed to extremes”: Ibid.

“the most potent comedy killer of all: disappointment”: Ibid.

“make fun of Fox & Friends again? Really?”: Tom Junod, “Jon Stewart and the Burden of History.” Esquire, October 2011.

“of what his narrative is”: Chris Smith, “America Is a Joke.” New York magazine, September 20, 2010.

“he’s just treading water”: The O’Reilly Factor, September 22, 2010.

“Stewart sort of likes to improvise these jokes”: “Writers Speak: A Potentially Regrettable Evening with the Writers of The Daily Show”: Paley Center for Media, November 7, 2010.

“it’s not gonna happen overnight”: The Daily Show, October 27, 2010.

“every Iranian’s nightmare”: D. Parvaz, “16 Days in Evin Prison.” Frontline, PBS, January 25, 2012.

“the absurdity of his situation”: Brooks Barnes, “Jon Stewart to Direct Serious Film, Will Take Hiatus from Daily Show.” New York Times, March 5, 2013.

“not much time to savor anything either”: The Oprah Winfrey Show, September 21, 2010.

“the total weight of families constant”: Publishers Weekly, September 27, 2010.

“‘German for kindling’”: Janet Maslin, “In this World, Let the Farce Be with You.” New York Times, October 4, 2010.

“does not need to feel ‘real’”: Steve Weinberg, “Earth (The Book).” Christian Science Monitor, September 24, 2010.

“I don’t have any of it right now”: Gary Levin, “Jon Stewart Looks Oscar in the Eye.” USA Today, February 19, 2006.

“red states and blue states”: The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC, November 15, 2010.

“to tell people who I was”: The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC, November 10, 2010.

“‘I have the answer! Follow me!’”: Eric Bates, “Jon Stewart: The Rolling Stone Interview.” Rolling Stone, September 29, 2011.

“ways of shutting down debate”: The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC, November 10, 2010.

“a high school play: not good”: The Glenn Beck Program, November 1, 2010.

“keep doing what he’s doing”: Chris Smith, “America Is a Joke.” New York magazine, September 20, 2010.

“that’s what Jon Stewart intended”: The Glenn Beck Program, November 1, 2010.

“doesn’t mean he’s right”: Terri Thornton, “CNN’s Jeff Zucker Talks Social Media, Considers Native Ads.” Mediashift, PBS, April 17, 2013.

“and your beliefs shine through”: Pete Dominick, “Commentary: Path to Sanity Paved with Humor, Dominick Finds.” CNN.com, October 30, 2010.

“was a lack of jokes”: The Oprah Winfrey Show, September 22, 2010.

“then he must die”: Speech, Kingston University, February 21, 1989.

“it’d be the real thing”: Geoffrey Robertson, Hypotheticals: A Satanic Scenario. BBC, May 30, 1989.

“let me talk to him”: Sharilyn Johnson, “Jon Stewart Almost Quit Daily Show Over ‘Asshole’ Coworkers.” Third Beat Magazine, December 10, 2012.

“is a deal breaker”: Ibid.

“that was feeling like this”: Kat Harrison, “The Mama of Moomah.” New York Family, December 30, 2011.

“with my kids’ time?”: Lisa Rogal, “Magical Moomah.” New York Family, 2011.

“some peace of mind during the day”: Lisa Fickenscher, “Cooking Up a Café Comeback.” Crain’s New York Business, June 3, 2012.

“and has lots of ideas”: Ibid.

“staffing the art workshops all day”: Ibid.

Chapter 12

“what the law tells him to spend”: Paul Krugman, “Lazy Jon Stewart.” New York Times blog, January 12, 2013.

“is doing something objectionable”: Daniel D’Addario, “Is Jon Stewart Turning Off His Fan Base?” Salon, January 19, 2013.

“is to challenge ourselves”: Brooks Barnes, “Jon Stewart to Direct Serious Film, Will Take Hiatus from Daily Show.” New York Times, March 5, 2013.

“It’s a real good story”: Suzy Byrne, “‘Nervous’ Jon Stewart on Making His Directorial Debut.” Yahoo TV, June 5, 2013.

“different things by nature”: Gary Levin, “Fans Like Their Dose of Daily News.” USA Today, October 6, 2003.

“driven it that fast before”: Dave Itzkoff, “Step Aside, Jon Stewart: John Oliver Prepares to Host The Daily Show.” New York Times, June 3, 2013.

“the most sense to fill in”: Lacey Rose, “Comedy Central’s Kent Alterman on Leno, Rape Jokes, and a Jon Stewart–Free Daily Show.” Hollywood Reporter, May 1, 2013.

“get to go upstairs”: Suzy Byrne, “‘Nervous’ Jon Stewart on Making His Directorial Debut.” Yahoo TV, June 5, 2013.

“however misplaced that trust”: Gary Levin, “John Keeps Jon’s Seat Warm at Daily Show.” USA Today, June 10, 2013.

“is a dislocating feeling”: Ibid.

“that’s not always the case”: Dave Itzkoff, “Step Aside, Jon Stewart: John Oliver Prepares to Host The Daily Show.” New York Times, June 3, 2013.

“get each show on”: Ibid.

“It even sounds weird”: The Daily Show, June 10, 2013.

“what happened in the revolution”: Patrick Kingsley, “Meet the Jon Stewart of Egypt.” The Guardian, March 6, 2013.

“come up with the program”: Ibid.

“the reason why I’m here”: Mike Giglio, “Egypt’s Daily Show.” Newsweek, March 8, 2013.

“our country like this”: Leo Lewis, “Daily Show Satirist Is Helping the Chinese to Lampoon Their Leaders.” The Times (London), May 25, 2013.

“allow you to do that”: Kimberly Nordyke, “Noor Fest Honoree Shohreh Aghdashloo Talks Jon Stewart’s Directing Style.” Hollywood Reporter, October 24, 2013.

“Jon is loved in Jordan”: Marie-Louise Olson, “Jon Stewart: A Man of the People in Jordan.” The National, September 10, 2013.

“the final result will look like”: Matthew Hays, “Reporter’s Ordeal Includes Captivity, Torture, Daily Show.” The Globe and Mail, October 2, 2013.

“I’ve ever put myself into”: Tom Peacock, “Gael García Bernal’s ‘Incredible Filming Adventure.’” Concordia University, November 26, 2013.

“because people were fasting”: Marie-Louise Olson, “Jon Stewart: A Man of the People in Jordan.” The National, September 10, 2013.

“have sex with your wife’s desk”: Hilary Lewis, “Jon Stewart Misses The Daily Show.” The Hollywood Reporter, June 28, 2013.

“a line of beautiful girls”: Kimberly Nordyke, “Noor Fest Honoree Shohreh Aghdashloo Talks Jon Stewart’s Directing Style.” Hollywood Reporter, October 24, 2013.

“at the post office, quite frankly”: Larry King Live, CNN, June 25, 2004.

“to vote on things”: Ibid.

“the less competent I become”: “Oprah Talks to Jon Stewart.” The Oprah Magazine, June 1, 2005.

“it will be an enormous change”: Janice Turner, “How Jon Stewart Became the Most Powerful Man on TV.” The Times (London), October 2, 2010.

“as nimbly as I need to”: Ibid.

“to work this hard”: “Oprah Talks to Jon Stewart.” The Oprah Magazine, June 1, 2005.

“the Crypt Keeper at a certain point”: Aly Semigran & Josh Horowitz, “Jon Stewart Talks Death to Smoochy Sequel at Comedy Awards.” MTV News, April 10, 2011.

“an old guy yelling at the TV”: Nikki Finke, “Jon Stewart Says WGA Nixed Side Deal.” Deadline Hollywood, January 7, 2008.

“terrible at a variety of things”: “Jon Stewart Juggles TV, Movie Careers.” Orange County Register, July 9, 1999.

“just like it is with soccer”: Brian Kilmeade, The Games Do Count. New York: HarperCollins, 2008.

“I love the Jersey shore”: Ed Condran, “Stand-up Comedy Lifts Jon Stewart Out of His Daily Show Seat.” The Morning Call, November 26, 1999.

“I’ve done is try”: Ben Domenech, “Jon Stewart: The SIN Interview.” Student Information Network (William & Mary), April 26, 2002.