'The Daily Show's' Moment of Zen Pays Tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman

By Dustin Rowles | Videos | February 4, 2014 |

By Dustin Rowles | Videos | February 4, 2014 |

Celebrity deaths often bring out the best and worst of the Internet, but it’s a measure of how admired and respected Philip Seymour Hoffman was that the worst of the Internet has been at a minimum. Certainly, there are those who have used Hoffman’s drug addiction to indict the “broken leftist culture that dominates Hollywood,” while others, like LeVar Burton and Jared Padelecki, have taken the opportunity to shame Hoffman for his substance abuse problems. Even still, the bad has been minimized by others who have used the opportunity to meaningfully address addiction problems.

Mostly, however, it’s been fond remembrances, like Cameron Crowe’s kind words, scores of “best Philip Seymour Hoffman films” lists, Terry Gross replaying an old interview with the actor on Fresh Air last night, and one of my favorites: Mike Ryan’s piece about a brief encounter he had with PSH at a party.

Last night, The Daily Show — which has had PSH on several times over the years — also added to the tributes, devoting their Moment of Zen segment to a great speech from PSH.