Angry Optimist: The Life and Times of Jon Stewart
Page 20
“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 s
tring”: 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 Yo
uth 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.