Commentary

*No, not Arnold (although based on a State Farm Super Bowl ad, he might be) but…

JON STEWART!!!

Yes, Jon Stewart is back. But before I get into Stewart’s return to The Daily Show, I thought I’d start today’s post with a little Around the Block history and why The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is particularly important to me.

In a story from May, 2023 which I called, “Lucy, you got some ‘splaining’ to do.”, I provided readers with some Around the Block background.

When I first began writing Around the Block in 2012, several hosting iterations ago, (yes old-timers, its been over 10 years), my posts were mostly devoted to straight political commentary. Remember, 2012 was a presidential election year and, with Mitt Romney the GOP candidate running against President Obama, there was a lot to write about. After a while, particularly because I was a devotee of the New Yorker’s Andy Borowitz and his “Not the News” columns, I decided to go beyond straight commentary and post occasional satirical stories, dubbed “News with a Twist.” Posts identified as “News with a Twist” were fun to write but perhaps what was even more fun was the reader reaction; many readers wondered, what was real and what was “twisted?” It got to the point that I even considered color-coding the text: black for real; red for “twisted.”

In the run-up to the 2016 election, Trump’s shenanigans and the inaneness of his GOP primary opponents provided ample material for “News with a Twist” posts. In fact, although I haven’t done an exhaustive examination, my guess is that at least 50% of my stories in 2015-2016 were satirical.

Then Donald Trump became POTUS. 

And then satire…funny…wasn’t funny any more. In my mind, satirists at the time, like Borowitz and Samantha Bee and Trevor Noah and others were trying too hard to be funny and cynical at a time when the world was becoming, not only unfunny, but dark and evil. So, I began writing less “News with a Twist” and more straight commentary. 

You might have noticed that when I wrote, “satire…funny…wasn’t funny any more. In my mind, satirists at the time, like Borowitz and Samantha Bee and Trevor Noah and others were trying too hard to be funny…”, one very notable satirist wasn’t mentioned.

JON STEWART!

Why? Because Jon Stewart left The Daily Show in 2015. Much to the disappointment of his legions of fans, Stewart left satirical coverage of the 2016 Clinton/Trump election debacle, the horrors of the Trump presidency and, yes, the foibles of the Biden administration, in the hands of well-meaning, but not up to his standards stand-ins.

Now, as we move full-bore into the 2024 election season we’re facing an election pitting two old men – one of whom is a lying psychopath* who, in his most recent outrage, is encouraging Russia’s President For Life Vladimir Putin (a title Trump desperately wants to emulate), to attack NATO allies, solidifying his “Vlad bromance;” the other facing ever increasing questions about how his age is hindering his fitness for the office – we’re in a “no matter how clever you are, this is not funny” time.

*A psychopath is an individual with a personality disorder characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. No psychiatrist I, so I’ll leave it to you to judge.

Until this:

Jon Stewart returns to host The Daily Show

Yes, he’s back! And, based on his inaugural show last night, he’s as good as I remember.

Stewart himself will appear on Mondays as a weekly guest host, while a rotating lineup of the show’s correspondents are slated to share hosting duties the following days. In addition to host, Stewart is also a writer, producer, director, political commentator and actor. He will now add the title of executive producer for the Emmy-winning show.

Watch it live on Comedy Central. Record it from a slew of other outlets. But just watch it. Based on last night’s inaugural show, you won’t be disappointed.

And for those who can’t find last night’s telecast ofThe Daily Show (aka, Season 29/Episode 1), here it is. Enjoy how Jon Stewart who, in his singular, inimitable way, puts some sense into today’s unsettling, scary world.

https://www.cc.com/episodes/7lf6wz/the-daily-show-february-12-2024-season-29-ep-1