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jmh1781's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
bruin4life74's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.5
toddlleopold's review against another edition
4.0
The inevitable success often seems inevitable only in retrospect.
The Beatles were this provincial guitar band until they weren’t. “All in the Family” had been rejected by ABC before it became, in almost the same form, the dominant show of the 1970s for CBS. And Jon Stewart was a standup comic taking over a marginal fake-news cable show until he became JON STEWART and the show became, of course, “The Daily Show.”
“The Daily Show (The Book)” is an oral history, ably compiled by Chris Smith, about the history of the groundbreaking satirical broadcast.
When it debuted it was just this sometimes-clever, sometimes-smarmy comedy program with Craig Kilborn – one that had its moments, but wasn’t going to make many people forget “Not Necessarily the News” or the best “Weekend Update” segments of “Saturday Night Live.” What Stewart did, upon his arrival in 1999, was gradually turn “The Daily Show” into a satirical machine – pitting George W. Bush against himself, taking on the absurdities of cable news, and every so often removing his host persona to flat-out editorialize, particularly on tragic occasions.
There had never been anything quite like it. Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, David Letterman had had their moments, and such shows as “That Was the Week That Was” took clever potshots, but nobody had ever put it together the way that Stewart (and producers such as creators Madeleine Smithberg and former Onion leader Ben Karlin) did. This was often satire of a high order, the kind that TV was often afraid to do.
“The Daily Show (The Book)” is at its best in the early years, when the show was still finding its feet. It’s amazing the talent that was already there – Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert, in particular, were creating their personas. But it took time for Stewart to install the mix of writers and performers he was looking for, just as it took time for the technology the show needed to catch up with its ideas. And, not to put too fine a point on it, for the TV news industry to fall apart into something that practically required “The Daily Show’s” mockery. It just wouldn’t have been the same during the Huntley/Brinkley or Cronkite days of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. “The Daily Show” needed the kind of local-news-writ-large bloviation cable does so well.
For me, it also brought back a lot of memories of the G.W. Bush years. Take this dialogue from from Colbert and Stewart as the 2004 election results became apparent:
“It’s too late to turn back,” said Colbert. “Ours is now an anger-based economy. I see a glorious tomorrow where hybrid vehicles run half on gasoline and half on seething hate! I call it rage-o-hol! Join me in the future, for the future belongs to the furious.”
Added Stewart, “(The map) looks very red, and there’s some blue there at the top where many of us will most likely spend the next four year, I would imagine huddled together and, in fact, weeping.”
History doesn’t repeat itself, but sometimes it rhymes with “brotherlucker.”
(Incidentally, in one of the many intriguing tidbits of the book, Stewart talks about a man who called him afterwards to cheer him up. That man? Boston Celtics great Bill Russell. This is not a joke.)
Also interesting are the recollections of Karlin and other producers, such as an indispensable woman named Jen Flanz, as the show became bigger than all of them. We the viewers may have seen 30 minutes of often clever comedy each night, but these people worked their asses off for us and sometimes paid in blood. Stewart suffered from insomnia. Flanz’s marriage to a fellow producer broke apart. Karlin left on bad terms with both Stewart and one of his oldest friends, playwright David Javerbaum.
And yet what emerges is how … healthy the show was. Stewart could fly off the handle, but he generally treated people compassionately. He also had an eye for talent, as the elevation of Carell and Colbert, and the rise of Samantha Bee, John Oliver and Trevor Noah makes clear. Others talk about how his grasp of comedy made their work better, even if they had to rewrite it several times.
Like many oral histories, the book starts to run out of gas as events draw to a close. The high points are all there – the 2000 election, Stewart vs. “Crossfire,” various interviews – but as Stewart got tired, I did, too. I’m not sure there’s anything Smith could have done about that, unless he wanted to drop the oral history format and wrap up with three or four chapters of subjective observations.
But who needs that? Everybody already had their say.
What I was left with was thanks. Without “The Daily Show,” it’s likely that the sharpest regular topical comedy we’d have, outside of the occasional “South Park” episode, would be some 2010s version of the “Dancing Itos.” Instead, as we march into the Trump Era, there’s “This Week Tonight,” “Full Frontal,” Seth Meyers’ “Closer Look,” Noah’s “Daily Show” and many others. We’ll need them all.
Because, as a certain president-elect could tell you, nothing is inevitable until after the fact. And that president-elect, Jon Stewart would have you know, is named Fuckface von Clownstick.
Thank you for your service, Mr. Stewart.
The Beatles were this provincial guitar band until they weren’t. “All in the Family” had been rejected by ABC before it became, in almost the same form, the dominant show of the 1970s for CBS. And Jon Stewart was a standup comic taking over a marginal fake-news cable show until he became JON STEWART and the show became, of course, “The Daily Show.”
“The Daily Show (The Book)” is an oral history, ably compiled by Chris Smith, about the history of the groundbreaking satirical broadcast.
When it debuted it was just this sometimes-clever, sometimes-smarmy comedy program with Craig Kilborn – one that had its moments, but wasn’t going to make many people forget “Not Necessarily the News” or the best “Weekend Update” segments of “Saturday Night Live.” What Stewart did, upon his arrival in 1999, was gradually turn “The Daily Show” into a satirical machine – pitting George W. Bush against himself, taking on the absurdities of cable news, and every so often removing his host persona to flat-out editorialize, particularly on tragic occasions.
There had never been anything quite like it. Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, David Letterman had had their moments, and such shows as “That Was the Week That Was” took clever potshots, but nobody had ever put it together the way that Stewart (and producers such as creators Madeleine Smithberg and former Onion leader Ben Karlin) did. This was often satire of a high order, the kind that TV was often afraid to do.
“The Daily Show (The Book)” is at its best in the early years, when the show was still finding its feet. It’s amazing the talent that was already there – Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert, in particular, were creating their personas. But it took time for Stewart to install the mix of writers and performers he was looking for, just as it took time for the technology the show needed to catch up with its ideas. And, not to put too fine a point on it, for the TV news industry to fall apart into something that practically required “The Daily Show’s” mockery. It just wouldn’t have been the same during the Huntley/Brinkley or Cronkite days of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. “The Daily Show” needed the kind of local-news-writ-large bloviation cable does so well.
For me, it also brought back a lot of memories of the G.W. Bush years. Take this dialogue from from Colbert and Stewart as the 2004 election results became apparent:
“It’s too late to turn back,” said Colbert. “Ours is now an anger-based economy. I see a glorious tomorrow where hybrid vehicles run half on gasoline and half on seething hate! I call it rage-o-hol! Join me in the future, for the future belongs to the furious.”
Added Stewart, “(The map) looks very red, and there’s some blue there at the top where many of us will most likely spend the next four year, I would imagine huddled together and, in fact, weeping.”
History doesn’t repeat itself, but sometimes it rhymes with “brotherlucker.”
(Incidentally, in one of the many intriguing tidbits of the book, Stewart talks about a man who called him afterwards to cheer him up. That man? Boston Celtics great Bill Russell. This is not a joke.)
Also interesting are the recollections of Karlin and other producers, such as an indispensable woman named Jen Flanz, as the show became bigger than all of them. We the viewers may have seen 30 minutes of often clever comedy each night, but these people worked their asses off for us and sometimes paid in blood. Stewart suffered from insomnia. Flanz’s marriage to a fellow producer broke apart. Karlin left on bad terms with both Stewart and one of his oldest friends, playwright David Javerbaum.
And yet what emerges is how … healthy the show was. Stewart could fly off the handle, but he generally treated people compassionately. He also had an eye for talent, as the elevation of Carell and Colbert, and the rise of Samantha Bee, John Oliver and Trevor Noah makes clear. Others talk about how his grasp of comedy made their work better, even if they had to rewrite it several times.
Like many oral histories, the book starts to run out of gas as events draw to a close. The high points are all there – the 2000 election, Stewart vs. “Crossfire,” various interviews – but as Stewart got tired, I did, too. I’m not sure there’s anything Smith could have done about that, unless he wanted to drop the oral history format and wrap up with three or four chapters of subjective observations.
But who needs that? Everybody already had their say.
What I was left with was thanks. Without “The Daily Show,” it’s likely that the sharpest regular topical comedy we’d have, outside of the occasional “South Park” episode, would be some 2010s version of the “Dancing Itos.” Instead, as we march into the Trump Era, there’s “This Week Tonight,” “Full Frontal,” Seth Meyers’ “Closer Look,” Noah’s “Daily Show” and many others. We’ll need them all.
Because, as a certain president-elect could tell you, nothing is inevitable until after the fact. And that president-elect, Jon Stewart would have you know, is named Fuckface von Clownstick.
Thank you for your service, Mr. Stewart.
emilyw_hi's review against another edition
4.0
This was a super enjoyable book! Especially if you are someone who enjoyed the Jon Stewart Daily Show throughout your college years. There are contributions from nearly everyone you would know from the Daily Show and the almost conversational style that the author put it in made it a super fun and easy read. Although I enjoy the new Trevor Noah version of The Daily Show this really made me nostalgic for Jon and Colbert Report.
1outside's review against another edition
5.0
Why would you read a book about a TV show you never actually watched?
Well, after being pretty down about the state of the world last year (2016), and trying to avoid news as much as possible, this year (after the US presidential inauguration) I figured we were somewhat in the eye of the storm and so I eventually started to embrace the news...via comedy.
And so it now happens that among my favourite comedians, 3 of the States-side dwelling ones are Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee & John Oliver. All alumni of the Daily Show.
And even though I'd been aware of Jon Stewart, had seen a few clips and gifs here and there, and remember the outcry when he decided to retire from the show, it wasn't until becoming a fan of his disciples that I decided to take an interest in this guy as well. I watched a few in-depth interviews, and one of them was about this book. And so I thought...why not. Why not read it? So I did!
It's a real page-turner. I don't think you necessarily have to be a hardcore fan of Jon or the show, throughout the book Smith provides enough context for the reader not to get lost and to be able to "get" if not everything, at least most of it. For me it turned out to be a pretty good guide to looking up old videos on the Comedy Central website, and so I found the whole process of reading the book extremely enjoyable.
Its only downside was that because I got it in the e-book format - and I read e-books before falling asleep at night - I would get to sleep about an hour later than normally. Why was this more thrilling to read than a fiction book, I have no idea, but it definitely didn't work as a lullaby.
I highlighted so much stuff, and made so many bookmarks! Ranging from stuff about Carell vomiting in Evelyn Colbert's car to interesting details about the goings-on of the production of a comedy TV show, to some actually pretty deep stuff. Maybe one day I'll put some of the quotes here.
I guess until this year I mostly perceived US politics and international relations through the lens of different forms of fiction, with the occasional song or interview thrown in. So I wasn't completely ignorant of the scene, but I definitely feel that after reading this I still learned a ton about the different processes at play - and this is still "only" a book on a comedy show. Politics (and history) is a flipping bottomless pit.
So I missed the era when The Daily Show with Jon Stewart was a thing. I came to it late. I come from the world the previous, pre-Jon world, transformed into. Ever since watching all those interviews and a documentary or two, and then reading this, I've been pondering if the change the Daily Show's way of looking at things brought was purely a positive one. Would the Bernie Or Bust movement have happened anyway? An did the Bernie or Bust movement have any actual impact in the result of the presidential election? Etc. etc. That'd be for a separate essay or ten.
The book doesn't really do much of the pondering - and that's what makes it so fun to read. Different opinions, voices - yes, occasionally delving into the old chestnut of when does satire news show become a news show, but mostly to do with the creative processes, production issues, changes of tone etc. during Jon's tenure at the show.
I personally love reading non-fiction books about people or topics I don't know enough about, so this book was absolutely ideal and in the perfect form. It didn't paddle one idea, it didn't stroke Jon Stewart's ego, it features a great variety of voices and opinions. And it's fascinating if you, like me, are interested in the behind the scenes of the production of anything creative.
Well, after being pretty down about the state of the world last year (2016), and trying to avoid news as much as possible, this year (after the US presidential inauguration) I figured we were somewhat in the eye of the storm and so I eventually started to embrace the news...via comedy.
And so it now happens that among my favourite comedians, 3 of the States-side dwelling ones are Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee & John Oliver. All alumni of the Daily Show.
And even though I'd been aware of Jon Stewart, had seen a few clips and gifs here and there, and remember the outcry when he decided to retire from the show, it wasn't until becoming a fan of his disciples that I decided to take an interest in this guy as well. I watched a few in-depth interviews, and one of them was about this book. And so I thought...why not. Why not read it? So I did!
It's a real page-turner. I don't think you necessarily have to be a hardcore fan of Jon or the show, throughout the book Smith provides enough context for the reader not to get lost and to be able to "get" if not everything, at least most of it. For me it turned out to be a pretty good guide to looking up old videos on the Comedy Central website, and so I found the whole process of reading the book extremely enjoyable.
Its only downside was that because I got it in the e-book format - and I read e-books before falling asleep at night - I would get to sleep about an hour later than normally. Why was this more thrilling to read than a fiction book, I have no idea, but it definitely didn't work as a lullaby.
I highlighted so much stuff, and made so many bookmarks! Ranging from stuff about Carell vomiting in Evelyn Colbert's car to interesting details about the goings-on of the production of a comedy TV show, to some actually pretty deep stuff. Maybe one day I'll put some of the quotes here.
I guess until this year I mostly perceived US politics and international relations through the lens of different forms of fiction, with the occasional song or interview thrown in. So I wasn't completely ignorant of the scene, but I definitely feel that after reading this I still learned a ton about the different processes at play - and this is still "only" a book on a comedy show. Politics (and history) is a flipping bottomless pit.
So I missed the era when The Daily Show with Jon Stewart was a thing. I came to it late. I come from the world the previous, pre-Jon world, transformed into. Ever since watching all those interviews and a documentary or two, and then reading this, I've been pondering if the change the Daily Show's way of looking at things brought was purely a positive one. Would the Bernie Or Bust movement have happened anyway? An did the Bernie or Bust movement have any actual impact in the result of the presidential election? Etc. etc. That'd be for a separate essay or ten.
The book doesn't really do much of the pondering - and that's what makes it so fun to read. Different opinions, voices - yes, occasionally delving into the old chestnut of when does satire news show become a news show, but mostly to do with the creative processes, production issues, changes of tone etc. during Jon's tenure at the show.
I personally love reading non-fiction books about people or topics I don't know enough about, so this book was absolutely ideal and in the perfect form. It didn't paddle one idea, it didn't stroke Jon Stewart's ego, it features a great variety of voices and opinions. And it's fascinating if you, like me, are interested in the behind the scenes of the production of anything creative.
rlk7m's review against another edition
5.0
Behind-the-scenes stories, gossip, and funny anecdotes from a beloved tv show? Yes, please. Keep access to YouTube nearby, because you'll be rewatching clips after reading about them.
omgwtfkvb's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
A fun look back at one of my favorite shows of its time. Jon Stewart continues to be one of my celebrity crushes lol.
mattgoldberg's review against another edition
5.0
When I was in college, my dream job was to be a writer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. After reading this book, it’s like I got to be a little closer to that dream in seeing how everything worked backstage and the personalities involved. What I like about this book is that it’s not really about the “hot goss”, but simply a closer look at some pivotal moments in one of the most important TV shows of all time. Late night TV, American satire, and the way we think about politics were changed by The Daily Show. It’s messed up that comedians have become the journalists and the journalists are now the joke, but speaking truth to power is important and what Jon Stewart and his crew accomplished cannot be understated.
cjblandford's review against another edition
5.0
As fun and emotional as watching the show for the last 16 years. A great look into the history and creation of the show. Highly recommended for fans of The Daily Show.
icarusnike's review against another edition
5.0
Intressant att se och lära sig hur showen utvecklades under Stewart. Saknade den när den var slut