It’s time to say goodbye to the self-proclaimed best F#@king News Team Ever. Jon Stewart has plans to leave his position on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show later this year. As the host of the show for the since way back in 1999, Jon Stewart will be dearly missed. But what’s to come of The Daily Show now? Comedy Central did tweet that the show will “endure for years to come,” but they didn’t hint at any possible replacements for Mr. Stewart.
Source: Twitter
On February 10, the news came out that Stewart would be leaving The Daily Show. It first leaked onto social media earlier in the day when an audience member of that day’s taping put the information on Twitter.
When Jon Stewart started his February 10 broadcast in a rare somber tone, the audience had to know that something was up. The confirmation came when Stewart emotionally made the announcement himself on the episode. He called his run on the show an “amazing opportunity,” but said that it is now someone else’s chance to have that opportunity because the show deserves a host who isn’t restless. It seems that he wants to leave before he gets bored of being the host. As for when exactly Stewart will be leaving his chair, nobody knows. It could be in September when his contract runs up, but Stewart hinted that it might also be in July or December. “I’m not going anywhere tomorrow,” he reassures us.
What exactly does Stewart plan to do with his newfound free time after he leaves the show? “I don’t have any specific plans. I’ve got a lot of ideas, got a lot of things in my head. I’m gonna have dinner on a school night with my family, who I have heard, from multiple sources, are lovely people,” he explained to viewers when making the announcement.
Source: The Daily Show
In its 17-year run under Stewart, The Daily Show has helped launch the careers of household names like Steve Carrell, Steven Colbert, and John Oliver. Stewart has also covered a wide range of critical issues, issues ranging from the Florida election recount in 2000 to Guantanamo Bay to Obama’s healthcare form bill to Glenn Beck’s newscast style, just to name a few. One of his most popular segments features news correspondent Jessica Williams, who gained particular prominence after her piece that shed light on racial profiling during Black Friday. Another piece of hers explains why a woman’s smile does not prove that a catcall was successful. (Amen to that!) All in all, The Daily Show flawlessly executes a balance between bringing important issues to the surface and providing comedic relief, and we will be sad to see Jon Stewart go.
So, who could possibly replace the champion of satire and political comedy? Consider Jessica Williams. Jessica Williams is the 25-year-old kick-ass correspondent on The Daily Show who would make a lion step back with her intrepidity. Already having tackled hot-button issues like feminism, reproductive rights, rape culture, and racism with ferociously sharp comedy, Williams knows politics and current events and how to infuse humor into her stories. But until we find out who will be his replacement, let’s just keep enjoying Stewart’s witty banter while we can.