Damn You Writer’s Strike! (*shakes fist*)
Your “Daily Show” Fix / Beckyloo
TV Reviews | November 27, 2007 | Comments (23)
I’d like to share some personal pain with you all. As I’m sure you’re well aware, there is a writers strike on in Hollywood. I have adjusted as best I can to the crippling uncertainty. Will it be over by Christmas? Or will I have to make positive use of my OCD as a retail sales person at the Container Store? While I don’t relish the latter, I don’t have kids or a mortgage. I’ll be fine. And yet … There is a very real ache with which I must contend. One I haven’t been able to ease. I am sharing it with you now as I have reason to believe I’m not alone.
I have a short, Jewish-man shaped hole in my heart.
I tried Woody Allen. Folly. David Cross came close but he’s a tad tall. No one can fill it but Jon Stewart.
To be fair, it’s not just Jon. I miss “The Daily Show” writers. I miss the senior correspondents. I miss the graphics and the bad green screen shots. I miss my moments of Zen. In short: I miss the laughter.
Fortunately, I’ve seen every episode of “Man vs. Wild” and have learned quite a bit about survival in harsh environments. If Bear Grylls can squeeze water out of a pile of fresh elephant dung, so can I.
Now, you can always head to their exhaustive web site in search of episodes you may have missed but, should you feel compelled to support our cause, I’d like to offer an alternative. Commercial free. The following is an emergency ration of “The Daily Show” related comedy. It is not intended to sustain a body over the long haul but will hopefully provide enough humor to keep you hydrated throughout “The Daily Show” drought.
Let’s start off with some old-school Colbert. From “Exit 57”:
Yes, that’s him singing. Can you handle that hip action?
Next, from Senior Correspondent of All Things Young and Hip, Dimitri Martin, some jokes:
Lewis Black reminds CNN we don’t watch television to read.
And for those who do enjoy the reading, the New York Times gives us this picket diary from TDS writer Rachel Axler. It offers exactly what we’ve come to expect from “The Daily Show”: a way to laugh at shit that’s otherwise deeply depressing. Some excerpts:
12:15 p.m. A man in a suit passes by. He yells, “I hope you all get fired!”Look — this is weird for us, too, you know. Writers are not a naturally combative species. We’re used to sitting in front of our computers and crying. Fresh air is like poison to us. If protocol didn’t dictate otherwise, it’s very likely we would never wear pants. But we’ve given up our salaries and our jobs — easily the only jobs we’re qualified for — to stand outside and yell at people. So, for the sake of decency, could you please not yell back.
As young Liz Lemon would say, “It’s funny cause it’s true.” Currently, I am not wearing any pants.
Then there’s:
4:55 p.m. What do we want? A sudden tilt in the Earth’s axis resulting in a shallower angle of sunlight. When do we want it? Cold.
Classic Daily Show tone. You can almost hear JonJon delivering it.
And Jon’s delivery is key.
As great as these writers are (“Winter of Our Dissed Content”!?), without Jon, the jokes aren’t transcendent. He’s the perfect cocktail of timing, intelligence, sincerity, humility and righteous indignation.
Let’s hop in our way back machine, shall we?
If you love “The Daily Show” but have never seen “The Larry Sanders Show,” I must insist you right the wrong. Get yourself “Not Just the Best of…” on DVD
and every Monday - Thursday, when you would be watching Jon and friends, hang out with Larry and the gang. (Don’t worry, your laughter will be thanks enough.)
“The Larry Sanders Show” was one of HBO’s first attempts at not making TV. Workplace comedy set at a late night talk show. Garry Shandling is Larry, the host, Jeffrey Tambor is Hank, the sidekick and Rip Torn is Artie, the producer. Towards the end of the series, Jon Stewart shows up as himself, the permanent guest host and heir to the throne. It’s up there with “Arrested Development” as one of the funniest shows in the history of the TVs.
I’m tempted to go on a tear about the genius of Jeffrey Tambor but I shall refrain. (Really, how fucking great is he?) Instead, I’ll leave you with Bill Moyers’ recent interview with Jon Stewart.
Hey now.
I hope this post has provided a brief respit from the despair many of us feel in a world with out Jon Stewart and “The Daily Show. ” Let’s all hope and pray this strike is over soon. For the writers. For the crew members. For all the small businesses whose success depends on production. But most importantly, for America. No one wants a Super Tuesday without “The Daily Show.” No one.
Beckylooo is an aspiring television writer, aka an assistant. She has a deep understanding of the importance of a pleasant phone manner and a well stocked fridge. Further rantings and ravings can be found at If A TV Falls in the Woods.
Comments
Posted by: Smokin at November 27, 2007 2:56 PM
Much love for the way back machine ref, Beckylooo.
And for the record, I feel the same way about Tambor. The man's timing is impeccable.