Jon Stewart addresses 'The Daily Show' backlash in style
Jon Stewart's comeback on The Daily Show after almost a decade away has stirred up controversy. His remarks on US President Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the first episode—aired on February 12—led to mixed reactions. In the second episode, aired on Monday (local time), Stewart addressed the harsh criticism but in a quirky style. Despite the controversy, this particular episode broke viewership records, becoming the most-watched cable show with 3M viewers tuning in.
Why does this story matter?
Before his 2024 return, Stewart hosted the program from 1999 to 2015. The first episode after his comeback reportedly drew a whopping 1.85M viewers, making it the largest audience for the show in nearly six years. Stewart endured apparent public disapproval for mocking Biden's cognitive issues, with some progressives accusing him of inadvertently aiding Biden's presumed election rival, Trump.
Stewart's monologue that gained all sorts of attention!
In his monologue last week, Stewart expressed concerns, highlighting, "They're both [Biden and Trump] stretching the limits of being able to handle the toughest job in the world." He went on to draw a comparison, asserting, "The stakes of this election don't make Trump's opponent less subject to scrutiny. It makes him more subject to scrutiny." "If the barbarians are at the gate, you want Conan standing on the ramparts, not the chocolate chip cookie guy."
'Everything on X tends to receive backlash': Stewart's reply
"The response to the first show last Monday was universally glowing—okay, maybe not universal," Stewart said while addressing the criticism. Showcasing screengrabs of critical tweets, he emphasized that "everything on X tends to receive backlash." He humorously apologized for the uproar, saying, "It was never my intention to say out loud." Then wondered where he could learn the art of honest journalism and asked, "Where do I go to study the particulars of unquestioning propaganda?"
Taking pointers from Tucker Carlson's interview with Putin
Moving on, Stewart dissected American commentator Tucker Carlson's contentious interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Stewart slammed the former Fox News personality's praise for Putin's regime based on a subway station and grocery prices while ignoring the average Russian's income. Stewart sarcastically remarked, "Lie about what your job is," "Lie about what your duty is," and "Disguise your deception and capitulation to power as noble and moral and based in freedom. Yes, master."
