The Daily Late Nightly Show (Puzzles)

The New Guy

Well, I’m not the only one work thinks that last night’s visit by Jon is, uhh…, more than just friendly chit chat about a cause close to his heart.

“The Daily Show”’s desperate move: Bringing Jon Stewart back to give Trevor Noah a credibility bump
by Sonia Saraiya, Salon
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 7:37 PM UTC

Stewart’s presence on the show is inexplicable. He is still an executive producer, true, but the comedian just signed a four-year deal with HBO to make short-form videos; what is he doing making segments back on Comedy Central? Even if HBO wasn’t ready to launch Stewart’s brand online, an op-ed by Stewart would make it to the New York Times opinion page in a heartbeat. So why return to “The Daily Show?” It’s a bit too soon for a comeback tour, just four months after his much-vaunted final episode. And how does Stewart returning reflect on the still-green new host, Trevor Noah, after a rather shaky few months in the spotlight?

Whether they meant it or not, there is an awkward implied comparison that comes into play when Stewart is put next to Noah on his once-hallowed stage. No matter what you might think of Noah, it’s not entirely fair to him; Stewart is everyone’s favorite all-star, while rookie Noah just faced a bizarre staff rebellion last week. Stewart’s returning to assert himself at “The Daily Show” either makes Noah looks like he needs the injection of credibility from America’s most trusted satirist—or that “The Daily Show” is well aware that Noah isn’t up to Stewart’s standard, and is bringing the former host in to spike the ratings. It’s likely not so diabolical—after all, Noah and Stewart apparently have a good personal relationship, and it may all have been as simple as doing a favor for a friend who happens to be beloved by the audience—but it’s hard to deny that it looks weird.

And the way things look have substantial significance, especially for the broadly defined, emotionally resonant position of “Daily Show” anchor. Noah’s youth and relative inexperience already made him a difficult sell to an audience who looked to Stewart as a moral authority. Now it seems that “The Daily Show” has given up on the idea of selling Noah as a similar authority—and instead will rely on occasional visits by Jon Stewart to keep audiences satisfied. That’s a sad state of affairs for Noah: After just a few months of trying to convince an audience to trust him, now “The Daily Show”’s audience can be hooked with the hope that Stewart might show up on an episode.

Who knows: Maybe that will work. Filling Jon Stewart’s role is an impossible task, because Stewart succeeded based on trust and reputation.

Yeah, I haven’t watched “News” for over 10 years now

Thomas Perez is the Secretary of Labor and former AAG for the Civil Rights Division of the DoJ. We might be talking about The Donald, we might be talking about Rahm, hard to say. Of course what we should be talking about is income inequality but maybe that’s too close to the bone.

This Week Trevor’s other guests are-

• Tuesday 12/8: Thomas Perez
• Wednesday 12/9: Marion Cotillard
• Thursday 12/10: Michael Strahan

Mr. Continuity

Loyalty

Larry’s guests this week are-

• Tuesday 12/8: Mark Cuban
• Wednesday 12/9: Q
• Thursday 12/10: Kevin Nealon

Mr. Mainstream

I’m not sure it’s the strongest statement I’ve seen him make.

Stephen’s guests this week are-

• Tuesday 12/8: Marion Cotillard, George Saunders, and Joanna Newsom
• Wednesday 12/9: Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Allen Leech, Adam McKay, and Kurt Vile
• Thursday 12/10: Michael Lewis and Lizzo
• Friday 12/11: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ike Barinholtz, and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings