New York Magazine on Jon Stewart

A profile of The Daily Show's Jon Stewart appeared in New York Magazine, datelined 12 September 2010. Not as comprehensive as the Rolling Stone article of a few years ago (which focused on Colbert as well), but by way of compensation, it gives more details of the writing and show-prep process:

Stewart and his team go on a nonstop, rapid-fire jag that tears up and rewrites nearly three-quarters of the script. The typist transcribes, cuts, and pastes; as visual gags pop feverishly into Stewart’s brain, Hopf calls down to the art department, ordering up new video montages and a collage of an “Anchor-Me Terror Baby” to go with a reference to the “birthright citizenship” debate. Many of the new ideas will be scrapped only moments later.

Note that this rewriting process starts at 4:00, or a scant two hours before the show is taped. Imagine being in the midst of that kind of deadline pressure.

Much as I admire him as a performer, though, it's his ability to see to the heart of our hysterically overblown national debate that I think we need most. Poll results show the public opposes the so-called "Ground Zero mosque," for instance, but polls don't address the real issue:

“The wisdom of the masses is not always … wise,” Stewart says. “You could put a lot of things to a vote—-you could have put anti-miscegenation laws to a vote, and that would have passed pretty handily. Either all people are created equal—-or they’re not. You’re either buying into the original premise of America—-or you’re not.”

Court jesters are permitted to tell the ruler the awful truth, but it only matters if the ruler hears. Not enough of us are hearing our preeminent court jester, Jon Stewart. We need to pay attention.