As Jon Stewart said so appropriately last night, “this isn’t the end; it’s just a pause in the conversation.” While buffoonery was loosed upon Cleveland at the Republican debate, in New York there was a different celebration of silliness. Jon Stewart’s final show as host of The Daily Show brought back a lot of former cast members, included a look behind the scenes, and all ended with everyone raucously dancing to The Boss. It was an emotional affair, with the host clearly getting choked up multiple times throughout the night. But GJI comes here to praise Jon Stewart, not to bury him.
And one of the best ways is to look back at some of his most memorable moments as compiled by Fast Company. These range from times he’s held certain people’s feet to the fire, to some of his more inspired lunacy, to his work with 9/11 first responders, to a whole heapin’ helpin’ of mugging and making various Tex Avery-like noises. It’s hard to distill 16 years into two-and-a-half minutes, but this tribute does a good job of reminding folks just why Stewart could be a voice of reason, and the face for a trusted news source, even when making those sounds and cartoony faces.