Here are some of the top moments of Jon Stewart’s 16 year run on the Daily Show.
Writers Strike Shows
When the 2007-2008 writers strike hit its third month, Stewart ended his hiatus, returning to Comedy Central as the host of “A Daily Show”–an improvised version of the regular program. Which, in addition to respecting the picket line, proved that Stewart really is the driving force behind the show and that late night hosts love to hate each other.
-“Crossfire”
In addition to being a vocal media critic on his own show, Stewart was never shy about appearing on the same shows he criticized. In an overtly hostile interview in 2004 on CNN’s “Crossfire,” Stewart dissected what he saw as a cynical attempt to turn political debate into theater. “Crossfire” was canceled a few months later.
-Indecision 20XX
Above all, “The Daily Show” was at its best when it had a big, messy election to cover: campaign-trail gaffes, obvious pandering and rampant doublespeak all made for some of the show’s most memorable segments.
-2009 Glenn Beck
Fox News host Glenn Beck, thanks partially to his love of right-wing conspiracy theories, became a favorite target of Stewart’s almost immediately after he made the jump to television in 2006. In one segment from 2009, Stewart parodied one of Beck’s blackboard segments, perfectly capturing the aesthetic of one of his tin-foil-hat-clad lectures.
-Jim Cramer
The loud, frenetic host of CNBC’s “Mad Money” was another favorite target of Stewart’s — and one of the few daring enough to accept an invitation to be on the show. The interview went about as one might imagine, which Stewart quickly provoking Cramer into exploding into one of his signature fits of rage.
-The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear
In 2010, Stewart, along with Stephen Colbert, organized the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, a massive gathering of 200,000 people on D.C.’s National Mall in which the duo, along with a cavalcade of guests, satirized the state of American politics.
