Where is Jon Stewart? He's awfully silent.

[Nyan]

I'm not exactly on social media, so I don't know if he's been tweeting anything.
Last time I heard, he was about to launch a show on HBO. When is that gonna happen?

His reason for leaving the Daily Show was basically that he needed a break. But somehow, I don't find it entirely convincing.
My best guess is that he had become too subversive for TV. He must have rubbed Viacom the wrong way when he went after their ad slot for the Koch brothers.

Jon Stewart was the one and only news guy for millennials. And at the moment, his viewers -millennials- are coalescing around one presidential candidate and political revolution he's talking about. I wonder what's on his mind.

[arcane1]

1. He's still rescuing farm animals, last I heard.

I didn't realize he was starting another show. Was he going to be in it or was he just producing it?

[mucifer]

2. He's gone veg and started an animal sanctuary:

http://www.farmsanctuary.org/media/2015-press-releases/jon-and-tracey-stewart-partner-with-farm-sanctuary-to-open-fourth-location-in-new-jersey/

[jillan]

22. Love that about him.

[GreatGazoo]

3. Jon Stewart is not "too subversive for TV"

TDS put RW guests in front of left leaning audiences. He had John McCain on 12 times (!) and was obsessed with showing you clips from Fox News. Stewart turns LW anger into laughs but nothing more. The rally in DC that answered Beck's said "laugh and go home"

Without TDS and Colbert, Fox News has far less reach and less ability to frame CW.

[potone]

4. I'd love to hear from him, too.

But I doubt that he felt shoved out of his job. He had been on the Daily Show for years, and it was not surprising that he wanted to do something different. And do you really think, given his character, that he wouldn't have said something if Viacom was pressuring him to quit? I don't.

By the way, he wasn't important only to millennials. Lots of us older people turned to him as a coping mechanism during the seemingly endless years of the Bush presidency.

[revbones]

5. He may be contractually prevented from speaking out

There was the whole to-do about him leaving TDS prior to the election season to give Trevor Noah that fertile ground to come in on - and leave less of a hole after Jon left. If Jon had rode it out through the election season, it would have left Trevor even bigger shoes to fill. Given that, there may have been some sort of bonus or exit situation where he agreed not to raise his profile politically for a certain period of time to avoid overshadowing Trevor.

That said, he may just be burnt out on it for now...

[jillan]

6. Every now and then I see a tweet from him. From what I've seen

He is feeling the Bern.

[Joob]

10. Oh yeah definitely, you can even tell from one of his segments

[link:

|

[2banon]

28. aww man, that was hilarious! great JS

[Nyan]

33. His overall policy preferences and ideology lean towards Bernie.

To me, his debate with Bill O'Reilly was very illuminating; during that debate, he said that we're basically all democratic socialists. And he vigorously argued for single-payer healthcare.
And I also remember him saying that what his show is set out to do is go after corruption and in-authenticity (and who is authentic and anti-corruption?). It should be fairly obvious to anyone that he would be an avowed Bernie supporter. But then, if you openly support Bernie, you can't host a TV show.

[JonLeibowitz]

17. What is his twitter handle? I didn't know he had one.

[jillan]

21. Hmmmm - this is all I could find

https://twitter.com/search?q=jon%20stewart&src=tyah

Definitely not official.


What I saw was a meme with a quote from him about Bernie. If you go to that link you will see it too.

I really do miss him, and from your name and avatar I imagine you do too.

[JonLeibowitz]

25. Indeed. I find myself going back to watch his old stuff. He is talented.

[jillan]

27. Never missed a show. I had my DVR set up to make sure of that.

We lost both his and Colbert's (so to speak) voice . It's a big void.
I was much more of a Jon Stewart fan than a Colbert fan.

sigh - now I'm getting sad....

edited to change the wording... I originally said we lost them, that didn't sound too good. lol

[JonLeibowitz]

32. I always enjoyed Colbert, but yes, Stewart is my first love.

You could feel Jon Stewart's devotion and love of country. Being a political commentator aged him -- it's not healthy to love your country these days, unfortunately. You think about what it could be.

[passiveporcupine]

34. I just had to google stewart

to see if his name used to be Leibowitz...and sure enough...I never knew that. I do love your name and avatar!

Jon has always been one of my loves. He can't be replaced. I miss him too, even though I have always been an animal rescuer, and love that he's doing that now,and living rural with nature and some relaxation and best of all, no city noise.

[hellofromreddit]

7. Dealing with our garbage politics constantly for years on end wears anyone down

I wouldn't be surprised if he simply had no personal interest in it anymore.

[Kittycat]

8. Got out with his sanity!

Enjoy your life Jon, stay far away from the crazy.

However, taking part in rescuing a bull running loose in NYC near a College campus, on Liberty street is pretty damn good. I mean talk about the story to end it all.

[kgnu_fan]

11. kick

[BernieforPres2016]

42. That's what I was going to say

I think he got sick of pointing out the same type of garbage for 15 years or whatever it was and seeing it only get worse. He more than did his part and felt like he was just repeating himself. It's a long time to go through the grind of putting together a show 4 or 5 days a week. I don't blame him for checking out.

One of the most amazing things about Bernie to me is that he has held to the same philosophy for at least 35 years as an elected official even as he's watched the world move in the opposite direction, and he still maintains his energy and idealism. Most people would have long ago thrown up their hands and walked away. I think that's why he has so much energy in this campaign. It is his life's work coming to fruition.

[TheFarseer]

9. It could have helped Bernie so much

if he was still doing TDS. I dare say Bernie could easily be winning and I'm dead serious.

[Nyan]

16. I think so, too.

[brooklynite]

39. There are millennial viewers oF TDS who AREN'T Sanders fans?

[BernieforPres2016]

43. I think you're kidding yourself

John Oliver is doing the same kind of thing, only once a week, but in a lot more detail on major issues. Most people don't seem to want to be informed.

I posted a link last night to a John Oliver piece from 2014 on student debt along with some statistics he gave. Dealing with student debt via free tuition to state colleges and universities is a major plank in Bernie's platform that he talks about in every stump speech. It should be a major issue in this campaign. It got 1 or 2 comments at DU, a place where one would think people care about ideas.

[TheFarseer]

45. TDS was a lot bigger than John Oliver even though I love his show

But I could still easily be kidding myself. No guarantees JS would stump for Bernie either.

[brooklynite]

12. Yes, the retirement of someone doing the same thing for 20 years is best explained by a conspiracy

[NanceGreggs]

15. Isn't everything? n/t

[Godhumor]

23. I see Big Sarcasm had gotten to you and Nance

Wake up Sheeple!

[Bjorn Against]

13. He is still going to be on HBO but they have not announced a date

HBO is also planning a five night a week newscast of Vice to compete with the major network news broadcasts. I suspect that Jon Stewart will debut at the same time as Vice as there is a similar target audience and they will both be producing material daily.

[pacalo]

19. Sounds great -- hope it's coming up soon.

[Bjorn Against]

24. They say it is launching in 2016

They have not given any clue as to what month of 2016 however.

[pacalo]

29. Before the convention, I hope.

[Blue Owl]

14. He's got the Bern on low

n/t

[JonLeibowitz]

18. His last show was on his wife's birthday. I highly doubt he was forced out.

[Nyan]

30. I don't think he was outright forced out, either.

It's gotta be more subtle than that. My guess is that he must have sensed institutional forces here and there trying to pull him towards certain direction. And that could wear you down when you try to fight it constantly.
Of course, it's all a speculation. Nobody but him knows for sure.

[applegrove]

20. He mentioned wanting to be home for dinner with his family more than just

weekend nights. I'm sure he is loving it.

[Agnosticsherbet]

26. He retired to do something he felt was more worthwhile, rescuing animals.

[redstateblues]

31. I have abandonment issues and Jon leaving before the political season has certainly

made me feel abandoned. He was the best. Jon had blockbuster rating-they would have never run him off. It's all about money and ratings to TV companies.

[7wo7rees]

35. Enjoying life on the farm with his family!

Oh by the way, something about coming back on HBO...

[Califonz]

36. If I were him, I'd be swimming in

an Olympic-size pool full of $100 bills. But that's just me.

[phleshdef]

37. "Retirement" has a definition and John Stewart is mostly following that definition.

[Zira]

38. I'm getting the idea he was paid to shut up. And took the money.

Just saying, he's been too quiet.

[Skwmom]

40. He called Dodd-Frank bullshit. I think he became aware of the Big Con and the role he played in it.

[ScreamingMeemie]

41. Ehhh, I think the millennials would like him to be their news guy, but he's more of

a Generation X thing, if we are honest. I think he retired because he wanted to. I am convinced he was exhausted and wanted to hang it up.

[Vinca]

44. He's probably sitting in a dark room somewhere sobbing.

The biggest thing this election season is missing is Jon Stewart. Trump is pure comedic gold and Jon retired too early.

[IamMab]

46. He's not your parents. He owes you nothing. nt

[Nyan]

47. When did I say he owes me anything?

Geez.