His Moment of Zen – Jon Stewart’s Final Daily Show

“And here it is, your moment of Zen”. Eight simple words that let you know that you’ve finished watching another no doubt seminal episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Eight words that let you know that no matter how crazy the world of politics, media, sports or culture has been for that particular day, that it was going to be alright in the end. You knew you had somebody, albeit on the other side of the Atlantic, who was in it with you. You didn’t have to be mad alone because Jon Stewart would be there with 22 minutes of blistering political satire to help you make sense of the world (plus an added 20 seconds of utterly brilliant ridiculousness).

Well, as of last week those words were uttered for the last time as Jon Stewart bowed out of The Daily Show after 16 years at the fake news anchor’s desk. Just like the man himself, his final Daily Show was reserved, moving, thought-provoking but above all else – funny. For 50-odd minutes we were reminded of how much he’s going to be missed in the world of political satire with this farewell show. But what a way to go indeed.

It started with a roll call of all the correspondents throughout Stewart’s tenure on the show. All the famous faces from years gone by including Steve Carrell, Ed Helms, Rob Riggle, Rob Corddry, Samantha Bee, Olivia Munn and Britain’s own John Oliver were there to say their own farewells to Jon Stewart. Seeing all of these old faces who jump started their careers on the Daily Show turn up to rib, mock and generally belittle Stewart in how they’ve all moved onto bigger, better things was touching and wonderfully funny. Josh Gad gloating about his success at being cast as Olaf in Frozen (“Disney money, bitch!”) since leaving the show was a particular highlight.

However there was one former correspondent that everyone was dying to see more than most, and that was Stewart protégé and breakout star, Stephen Colbert. Colbert delivered his piece ribbing Stewart with aplomb but then seemingly broke off-script to deliver what was a genuinely moving tribute to his mentor and friend, which brought a tear to Stewart’s eye and to many viewers at home, no doubt. Without Jon Stewart there would be no Stephen Colbert, and he made sure Stewart was aware of that fact in the most heartfelt of ways. Truthiness if you’d ever heard it.

The second act compromised of a film showcasing the behind-the-scenes talent that make the The Daily Show tick in the form of a Goodfellas-esque tracking shot (with added Martin Scorsese cameo to boot) through the Daily Show office. A nice touch which highlighted in a funny way how an episode comes from idea to air showcasing the many hardships the writers and researchers go through to make the best fake news show in existence (seeing the researchers, with their poor eyes bleeding after having to watch so much Fox News, was a stand-out delight).

Stewart then changed the tone and got serious with us for a minute, giving us a monologue about what we as viewers should expect to expect from our leaders. Like a seasoned journalist telling the new reporter at the office, he called upon us as viewers to stay “vigilant of the bullshit”, whether it be from our media or our politicians, at all times. His monologue was thought-provoking and completely relevant, and reminded us of why he’ll be so sorely missed behind the desk at The Daily Show. It showcased why he is simply that good. He’s undeniably hilarious but can also be taken as a bastion of journalistic integrity and is completely deserving of that mantle. As a fake news anchor he’s better than the real thing most of the time, and here he simply was.

It all ended the only way it possibly could, with a designated guest. There was only one man who could see Jon Stewart off fittingly, and that was Stewart-favourite Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Playing ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ and ‘Born To Run’ at Stewart’s request, we were treated to one hell of a mini-party and a hell of a send off from one legend in his own right to another. It was the perfect finale for one of America’s greatest comedians and satirists and it was plain to see on his and everyone else’s faces. We won’t see another Jon Stewart at The Daily Show, hell, we won’t even see his like in the world of satire in general, but we’re still all the better for having 16 unbelievably good years out of him. Jon Stewart helped us understand and shine a light of the ills and the absurdity of the political and media elite night after night, week after week. He also unquestionably made taking the piss out of them into an art-form with wit and clarity like no other could. So goodbye Jon Stewart.

Enjoy your moment of Zen.

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