The Daily Show: the End of an Era

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    Last night, Jon Stewart announced that he will be leaving The Daily Show and I absolutely panicked. This definitely affects me personally in more ways than one; I’ve been planning my life around a dream Jon Stewart-involved internship and whether I’m behind the scenes or in front of the screen, The Daily Show just won’t be the same without him. But I know I'm not the only one freaking out here. Jon’s (and yeah, we are on a first name basis) presence on The Daily Show will be something much of America will miss. 
      I'm not being remotely original in saying so, but he is so incredibly intelligent, well-spoken, kind (when appropriate), and hilarious that I feel bad for whoever's going to try to fill those shoes (even if it is Queen Poehler). One of my favorite clips is from the first episode of the Daily Show following 9/11, and it perfectly encapsulates all these amazing qualities. I can't imagine what it was like to be in his position, but I think he dealt with it with diplomacy, honesty, and grace. He's brilliant in so many ways and I can't imagine how Comedy Central is going to fill that big gaping hole in my heart. And, at the risk of sounding just the slightest bit melodramatic, I DON’T KNOW HOW I WILL EVER MOVE ON FROM THIS. DON’T LEAVE ME JON DON’T DO IT HOW CAN I GO ON WITHOUT YOU.
      Ahem. I’m fine. No, really, it’s all good. Because you know what? I bet if he’s leaving, he has a great reason. Rosewater was a huge success and he managed to stay on the Show while he was making that bad boy. If he’s leaving, it HAS to be for something good. Even though he says he has no specific plans, I'll bet he's moving on to move forward. So I’m gonna have some faith in good ol’ Jonny-boy. In a few months we can all hopefully watch him do even more amazing things, and in the mean time we can enjoy these last few episodes, however many we have.

And here it is, my favorite moment of zen.

~ V

P.S. Check out the Times’ post on Jon's most notable moments.

photo courtesy of Comedy Central