EP 133: The Daily Show: An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests

For almost seventeen years, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart brilliantly re-defined the borders between television comedy, political satire, and opinionated news coverage. Now a new book called The Daily Show: An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests chronicles the show's behind-the-scenes gags, controversies, and camaraderie.

Today, the journalist and author Chris Smith talks about how The Daily Show rose from a scrappy jester in the age of 24-hour political news to become part of the beating heart of politics and a trusted source for not only comedy but also commentary. He talks about the weirdly symbiotic relationship between Fox News and The Daily Show, he’ll talk about Jon Stewart’s legendary scraps with conservative pundits like Bill O’Reilly, and a creepy meeting Stewart had with Fox News founder Roger Ailes. He’ll reveal how Stephen Colbert morphed into a right wind pundit, which Daily Show alum was Jon Stewart’s original handpicked replacement, and how the show has inspired activists in other countries to use satire to take on some of the world’s most oppressive regimes. Plus we’ll talk about whether Jon Stewart is getting sick of everyone asking “don’t you wish you’d stuck around for the 2017 election?”

If you enjoyed today’s episode then you can order The Daily Show: An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests on Amazon or you can also download the audio version for free through a special offer for our listeners at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. For more information visit www.DailyShowTheBook.com. Follow Chris Smith on Twitter at @chrissmithnymag and read more of his work in New York Magazine or at nymag.com. You can watch The Daily Show 4 nights a week on Comedy Central. For more info and bonus content, visit Comedy Central’s website at www.CC.com.