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4/28: Talking with Jon Stewart, Mara Davis’ Oprah encounter
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I spoke with “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, who is set to do two shows May 10 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
He said he likes to hit the stage about once a month to keep his standup chops in order. “It’s a wonderful creative outlet,” he said. “It’s a psychosis. It’s how you start your career and it’ll be how I end my career.”
I asked him a host of silly questions and he was gracious enough to answer them with far wittier responses:
Q: They’ve tiered the pricing for your show from $47 to $77. Is being physically closer to you worth the extra $30?
A: I smell like pastry. If you sit up close, you’ll think, ‘Wow! It’s a great show and a very nice bakery.’ You sit in the back and you’ll think, ‘This is a funny show and the theater smells like old feet. I do promise this won’t be like a Gallagher show for those in the front row. Nobody is going to get covered in watermelon juice!
Q: How often do you finish the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle?
A: Sunday is not that difficult. It’s more endurance. It’s like doing one of those charity walks to raise money. It’s not hard to do a 5K or 10K but it takes time. And now that I have kids, it’s even tougher. Now Saturday—that’s the one that you can spend a day perplexing over and not make any inroads.
Q: Do you ever cheat?
A: Oh my God! Of course! They have a phone number you can literally call and ask them for answers. I’ve cheated on numerous occasions.
Q: Is hosting the Oscars the most thankless, most overly scrutinized gig ever?
A: It’s certainly the most scrutinized gig I’ve ever done. But I don’t know, there are plenty of other jobs that are far more scrutinized. It’s sort of like the Super Bowl half-time show. Everyone watches it, critiques it and forgets about it by the time they go to sleep unless something disastrous happens. Maybe we’ll end up with George Clooney having a wardrobe malfunction.
Q: Would you do this a third time or would you rather take over for Ryan Seacrest on “American Idol”?
A: There’s no way you can take away Ryan Seacrest’s 50 jobs. You’d have to try to convict him on violation of the Taft-Hartley monopoly act. You’d have to get a new Teddy Roosevelt trust buster.
Q: Wow! Taft-Hartley and Teddy Roosevelt in one answer!
A: Wait. I don’t think I have that right [He goes on Google.] Nope, Taft-Hartley is about labor unions. It’s the Sherman Anti-Trust Act! I like to have my facts straight.
Q: If you and Stephen Colbert ran for president, who do you think would win?
A: The American people!
Q: Which presidential candidate are you rooting for from a pure comedic standpoint?
A: I guess Mr. T. If he were running, that’d be funny. We actually try not to view it in terms of who’s the most amusing. That would probably also be the most corrosive candidate.
Q: If gas prices were to hit $10 a gallon, as some are predicting, how would that affect you?
A: Living in New York City, I’d be slightly less susceptible. Maybe we’d all end up living in a Mad Max hellscape, some sort of post-Apocalyptic vision. Guys in mohawks and crossbows chasing my Toyota down the Sahara.
Q: How do you feel about [former “Daily Show” correspondent and former Atlantan] Ed Helms and his stint on “The Office”?
A: Extremely disappointed. We try not to express that to him. He’s very sensitive about it. [In reality,] Helms is awesome. And he’s a hell of a banjo player.
Q: Is there a sequel to your best-selling book “America” in your future?
A: You sound like Dionne Warwick on one of those psychic commercials! Is there a book in my future? It’s a long process. We hope to have one ready by 2010.
Q: One every six years?
A: A book every six years and 1,000 shows.
Q: You’re about to interview Georgia’s own Jimmy Carter. How are you prepping for the interview?
A: We’re trying to take the booze out of the green room. He can come in a little hammered and tear the place up. [Seriously,] he’s unbelievably gregarious and enjoyable to talk to.
CONCERT INFO
Jon Stewart, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. May 10, $47 to $77, 404-249-6400, www. ticketmaster.com.
In others TV news:
-Britney Spears will return to “How I Met Your Mother” May 12. She plays the clueless doc’s secretary who had a crush on Ted on the episode that aired earlier this month and ends up dating Barney.
-Mara Davis of Dave FM on her blog,, described her “out of body” experience seeing Oprah live. She ran into the gal who happened to handle Oprah’s audience and befriended her. The gal liked Mara and her friends so much, she gave them front-row seats to see Oprah, Tina Turner and Cher. Very very cool! “What a weekend!! I hit the jackpot without winning any money. Heaven!!!!!!” she wrote. The taping in Vegas will air May 8 on TV.
Comments
By Drewbob
April 28, 2008 6:32 PM | Link to this
I’d rather see Mara than Oprah or Cher, but Tina might give Mara a run for her money!
By Aghast
April 28, 2008 7:33 PM | Link to this
My high school English teacher would be horrified by the multiple grammatical sins in the “Britney” paragraph. Come on, AJC, spend a couple of bucks and hire an EDITOR. “In others TV news”??? Heaven help us…
By ben
April 28, 2008 8:32 PM | Link to this
Who is Mara Davis?
By mel
April 28, 2008 8:51 PM | Link to this
Nice Jon Stewart interview! I enjoyed the ‘non-interview-y’ questions!
And is Brit dating Barney or is the Doc dating Barney?
By qwerty
April 29, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this
According to the way Rodney wrote it, the episode ends up dating Barney.
Please learn some grammar, “journalist”.
By JP
April 29, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this
Jon Stewart is so predictable. Not funny, just like Colbert. They are cruel in their humor and play to the drumbeat of the liberal media, they embrace them. IT should be interesting if a Dem becomes pres. & how their humor changes, or not. Everything is the Republicans fault..blah..blah..blah..The main theme.
By maximum
April 29, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this
JP is so predictable. Not in touch with reality, just like other Republicans. They are self-important and play to the drumbeat of right-wing corporate media hacks, they embrace repetitive Big Lie talking points. It will be interesting to see how big corporate media helps the Wrong Wing steal another presidential election, as Republicans make a mockery of democracy in America while pretending to embrace democracy around the world.
By KC
April 29, 2008 12:26 PM | Link to this
You are awesome, maximum! :-)
By RamblinLonghorn
April 29, 2008 5:36 PM | Link to this
Yeah JP, it’d be interesting if Stewart were on the air with a democratic president.
Oh wait, he was for two years, and he lampooned him mercilessly. Of course it was lighter natured because Clinton hadn’t bogged us down in an unwinable quagmire and left the economy in shambles.
By BB
April 29, 2008 6:43 PM | Link to this
Hi, maximum, KC and Ramblin. I like you guys! I also like Aghast and qwerty…I’m a stickler for good grammar as well as a scary atheist/liberal who likes Jon Stewart.
By Nick Wright
April 29, 2008 11:33 PM | Link to this
Grr… So many good shows come to Cobb Energy, and I have to miss them because they cost more than a tank of gas. Can a brother get a cheap seat?
By dwerty
April 30, 2008 10:45 AM | Link to this
To JP and everyone else who believes TDS is just about ripping on Republicans, let me remind you that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert were both on The Daily Show back when Clinton was still President, and they found plenty of items worth mocking under that administration.
Their comedy is not about mocking Republicans: it’s about mocking those in power. Comedy depends on status shifts: there are a lot of Goliath jokes, but what’s the point of picking on David? Republicans just happen to be in power — if the Democrats take the White House, there will be more jokes about Democrats.