Now We Know Why Jon Stewart is Leaving the Daily Show
Jon Stewart is finally talking about the decision that not only shook up late night television, but also American politics. That was his decision to step down as host of the Daily Show on Comedy Central. He talked to the Hadley Freeman of the Guardian about deciding the time was right to leave the anchor chair of the Daily Show. A lot of that had to do with the upcoming Presidential race and how he didn’t want to go through covering another one. He said, “I’d covered an election four times, and it didn’t appear that there was going to be anything wildly different about this one.” Thanks Clinton and Bush.
He added that by leaving the Daily Show before the election that would give the new host a great to place to jump in and establish himself. “I also felt that, for the show, you don’t want to leave when the cupboard’s bare. So I think it’s a better introduction when you have something providing you with assisted fuel, like a presidential campaign. But really, the value of this show is so much deeper than my contribution.”
The frustration and exhaustion of going through covering another election cycle wasn’t the only thing influencing Jon Stewart’s decision to step down. He also wasn’t getting what he used to out of it. He said, “It’s not like I thought the show wasn’t working any more, or that I didn’t know how to do it. It was more, ‘Yup, it’s working. But I’m not getting the same satisfaction.’” He added to that thought, “These things are cyclical. You have moments of dissatisfaction, and then you come out of it and it’s OK. But the cycles become longer and maybe more entrenched, and that’s when you realise, ‘OK, I’m on the back side of it now.’”
Jon Stewart isn’t saying exactly when he’s doing his last show other than it’s later this year. He also isn’t giving any details of what he wants to do next saying he has “a couple of other projects on the burner” although earlier this year a Daily Show correspondent suggested he was leaving to do stand up.
One thing he is sure of though is that the everything will be fine after he leaves. “If Oprah can leave and the world still spins, I honestly think it will survive me.”
