Book Review: The Daily Show: An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests by Chris Smith
The Daily Show: An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests by Chris Smith
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: November 22, 2016
My rating:5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
The complete, uncensored history of the award-winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as told by its correspondents, writers, and host.
For almost seventeen years, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart brilliantly redefined the borders between television comedy, political satire, and opinionated news coverage. It launched the careers of some of today’s most significant comedians, highlighted the hypocrisies of the powerful, and garnered 23 Emmys. Now the show’s behind-the-scenes gags, controversies, and camaraderie will be chronicled by the players themselves, from legendary host Jon Stewart to the star cast members and writers-including Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Steve Carell, Lewis Black, Jessica Williams, John Hodgman, and Larry Wilmore-plus some of The Daily Show’s most prominent guests and adversaries: John and Cindy McCain, Glenn Beck, Tucker Carlson, and many more.
This oral history takes the reader behind the curtain for all the show’s highlights, from its origins as Comedy Central’s underdog late-night program hosted by Craig Kilborn to Jon Stewart’s long reign to Trevor Noah’s succession, rising from a scrappy jester in the 24-hour political news cycle to become part of the beating heart of politics-a trusted source for not only comedy but also commentary, with a reputation for calling bullsh*t and an ability to effect real change in the world.
Through years of incisive election coverage, Jon Stewart’s emotional monologue in the wake of 9/11, his infamous confrontation on Crossfire, passionate debates with President Obama and Hillary Clinton, feuds with Bill O’Reilly and Fox, the Indecisions, Mess O’Potamia, and provocative takes on Wall Street and racism, The Daily Show has been a cultural touchstone. Now, for the first time, the people behind the show’s seminal moments come together to share their memories of the last-minute rewrites, improvisations, pranks, romances, blow-ups, and moments of Zen both on and off the set of one of America’s most groundbreaking shows.
I was a huge fan of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart so I was excited about reading this book. I was not disappointed. It traces the history of the Daily Show from when it first started with Craig Kilborn up until the present day The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. The book is organized chronologically, but rather than a narrative format, it uses antidotes from various people to tell what was going on at the time – both good and bad. Not everyone got along with Jon Stewart, believe it or not. For instance, I knew that Jon and correspondent Wyatt Cenac had a falling out but the details weren’t in the press – at least not that I could ever find. This book gives all the details of what happened from both Jon and Wyatt’s point of view, which I appreciated.
The book also talks about the influence The Daily Show has had, both in politics and in the TV news industry. It has had a lot more effect on the country than I realized. It’s pretty amazing how it grew from a silly little parody of the news under Craig Kilborn to a place that has become a primary news source for a lot of people.
I loved that the author didn’t just include memories from people who worked on The Daily Show. Some guests and politicians are in there as well – even John McCain and his wife! In fact, so many people offered their stories, that I had trouble remembering what their role was. I didn’t notice until I finished the book that there is a cast of characters at the end. I wish I would have known that before I started reading. Now, thanks to me, you do so hopefully you won’t have the same problem.
I loved this behind the scenes look at The Daily Show. Now we need a book like this for The Colbert Report!
