The Daily Show recurring elements
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The Daily Show includes many recurring segments, recurring gags, and other miscellany, a partial catalog of which is presented here.
[edit] Current recurring segments
Here is a list of recurring segments currently featured on the show; they are listed in order of when they first appeared:
[edit] A Moment of Zen
A Moment of Zen is a segment that that occurs at the end of every show.[1] The segment was introduced when the show began. In it, Kilborn would end the show and a random selection of humorous videos would be shown. Although the show kept the segment when Jon Stewart took over as host, the segment changed to usually feature recaps or extended versions of news clips shown earlier in the show.
[edit] Back in Black with Lewis Black
Back in Black (with Lewis Black) is a popular segment on the show, where "America's foremost commentator on everything" and comedian Lewis Black catches the stories that, according to his introduction, "fall through the cracks", and comments on them in a humorous way.[1] The segment starts with an opening riff in the style of the AC/DC song "Back in Black." The segment originated in 1996, when Craig Kilborn was still host of The Daily Show. As of 2006, it is currently the longest-running recurring segment that still airs on the show. Lewis Black is also The Daily Show's longest-serving contributor. [citation needed] The segment does not have a regular schedule of appearance.
[edit] This Week in God
This Week in God features the "God Machine" and a satirical run-down of "everything God did this week."
Stephen Colbert usually did the sketch from 1999 to 2005, though occasionally it has been done by other correspondents.[2] Due to the spin-off of The Colbert Report, the sketch was handed off to Rob Corddry in 2005. Said Colbert of the hand-off: "God has an exclusive licensing agreement with The Daily Show. We're trying to get the Devil for our show."[3]
The God Machine normally takes the form of a black post with a single large, bright red button on its top, surrounded by yellow lining. It had previously appeared as the "God Lever" or the "God Rod."
The host smacks the button, and it starts flashing an apparently random succession of religiously themed images on a screen behind the host, while making a sound resembling a high-pitched voice saying "beebooboobeeboo...boop." The noise is previously recorded, but provided by the segment's original host, Stephen Colbert. The images and the sound slow down toward the end, with humorous or ironic last few images (such as Captain Morgan or Snuggles the Bear) appearing before the screen settles on an image that prompts the next item in the segment.
A frequent subject chosen by the God Machine is Islam. Whenever this occurs, the host makes a note about the religion in an attempt to placate any angry Muslims. These statements include, "Islam! About which there is nothing funny", or "Islam! Which I respect completely."
Although Colbert made the God Machine famous as an icon for irreverent and sometimes seemingly subversively provocative examination of religious issues, in his private life he is an actively practicing Roman Catholic.[4] When Rob Corddry first took over God Machine duties, he indicated that he is an Episcopalian.
"This Week in God" is very similar to the show's earlier segment, "God Stuff" with John Bloom.
On the July 31, 2006 episode, the last This Week in God segment aired for three months, due to Corddry's departure from the show. On October 19, 2006, "This Week in God" returned with Samantha Bee taking over, as the show's "Senior Religion Correspondent". Correspondent Ed Helms has also filled in for the host of the segment on occassion.
[edit] Indecision ####
The Daily Show's coverage of the U.S. presidential elections since 2000 has been given the title "Indecision 2000" (or whatever the relevant year is). The segment typically has no particular difference to the standard desk jokes that typically open the show, and the title is merely used as a heading to specify the topic of the jokes, which focus on the election, from the nomination process through the party conventions, the campaign trail, the debates and finally to Election Night (headlined as "Prelude to a Recount", in reference to events of the 2000 presidential election). The segment is occasionally rebranded as to an appropriate alternative such as, "Road to Indecision 2006", which was used in the early stages of the vetting process.
The Daily Show's coverage of Canadian federal elections also uses the "Indecision" label; the 2006 federal election was covered under the title of "Indecision/Indécision 2006", playing on the Canadian practice of labelling in both French and English. The Daily Show's brief coverage of the UK elections was titled "A Spot of Indecision". When covering the 2006 election in Israel, the show switched to the Jewish calendar and covered the event as "Indecision 5766". When covering the two Iraqi elections in 2005, the show used the Islamic calendar, with the title "Indecision 1425". On October 7, 2003, the show had a special episode entitled "Re-Decision 2003" to cover the state of California's recall election.
An uncensored version of Indecision 2004 was released on a three-disc DVD box set on June 28, 2005. It includes original material from Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show's News Team", all episodes from the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, "The Bush-Kerry Debate: The Squabble in Coral Gables", "Election Night 2004: Prelude to a Recount", and highlights from throughout the 2004 Presidential Campaign.
[edit] Trendspotting
Trendspotting is a segment hosted by comedian Demetri Martin. In this segment, Demetri provides viewers with a comedic look at new trends. Past topics have included wine, Xbox 360, Myspace.com, life coaching, and hookahs. This segment first appeared on November 14, 2005.
[edit] Klassic Kolbert
Klassic Kolbert a segment consisting of a previously aired segment featuring former correspondent Stephen Colbert. The segment first appeared on February 8, 2006, several months after Colbert left the Daily Show to host its spin-off, The Colbert Report.
[edit] Poll Smoking with Dave Gorman
Poll Smoking with Dave Gorman is a segment in which the segment's host, Dave Gorman, credited as the show's Statistical Analyst, presents satirical views of polls and statistics pertaining to current events. In each segment, Gorman pretends not to notice the double-meaning of his segment's title (a reference to fellatio) and makes several accidental jokes involving the title, until the October 5, 2006 segment when Gorman "found out" the meaning of the segment's title and "decided" to go along with it. This segment first appeared on April 27, 2006.
The segment became so instantly popular that some fans of the show created the website PollSmoking.com
[edit] Crisis in Israfghyianonanaq
Crisis in Israfghyianonanaq is a recent segment that focuses on problems in the Middle East. The title refers to (in order) Israel, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq. The segment originated in 2006, and is very similar to the past segment "Mess O' Potamia".
[edit] Are You Prepared?!?
Are You Prepared?!? is a segment that debuted on the show on May 16, 2006 featuring Samantha Bee. Focusing on preparedness for a potential disaster or bad situation, the recurring segment is styled as a parody of the scare tactics used by sensationalistic news shows. In the segment, the correspondent normally travels around in a large van with the words "Are You Prepared?!?" on its side, often knocking on doors of unsuspecting residents and "testing their preparedness" in the given scenario. Bee performed the segment two times.
On November 9, 2006, correspondent Jason Jones (who is Bee's husband) began hosting the segment.
[edit] Slow News Day
Slow News Day is a segment that debuted on the June 13, 2006 episode. The segment is a compilation of news clips that follow a single unusually dull or trivial news event over the course of several hours, usually from CNN, MSNBC or Fox News. The segment is very short and is usually played before the show goes to commercial.
[edit] 10 F#@king Years
10 F#@king Years is a segment that has been featured on the show throughout 2006 to celebrate the show's tenth anniversary. The segment usually features host Jon Stewart offering a nostalgic look back at the show's past segments (normally spanning Stewart's run as host), usually focusing on a specific theme. The segment debuted on July 17, 2006.
[edit] Exper-teasers
Exper-teasers is a new segment hosted by resident expert John Hodgman, which debuted on Thursday, August 24, 2006. The segment is previously taped and features Hodgman, as the show's "Resident Expert", discussing a different topic each week from a room full of books. Samantha Bee is the voiceover announcer for the segment's introduction. In each segment, a question appears on-screen and Hodgman addresses the subject, often using doctored-up photos and other humorous visual aides. Hodgman ends each segment by saying "I'm John Hodgman, and you're welcome."
[edit] The Seat of Heat
The Seat of Heat debuted on the show on September 13, 2006. The segment is featured during the guest interview; Stewart asks the guest one question that is thought to be particularly tough to answer (for example, during an interview with Johnny Knoxville: "Which member of your show will be the first to die and what will his scrotum be stapled to then?"). During the segment, the screen behind Stewart and his guest fills with images of flames. The Seat of Heat is the first regular segment during the guest interview since "Five Questions".
[edit] Past recurring segments
Here is a list of past recuring segments, in alphabetical order:
[edit] A Moment for Us
A Moment for Us was a segment in which host Craig Kilborn paused the show for a personal monologue with the audience.[5] Kilborn carried the segment over when he left The Daily Show to become the host of The Late Late Show. The segment was featured during Kilborn's stint as host, from 1996 to 1998.[6]
[edit] A Tale of Survival
A Tale of Survival was a segment that was always done by correspondent Vance DeGeneres, in which he would present a feature done in the style of a Dateline NBC report. In it, a trivial incident was reported as if it were quite dangerous and serious, such as the time the pork chop a man was preparing caught fire and distressed his pet parrot. Between pre-filmed portions, Vance would appear in the studio hiding behind various set-decorations or apparatuses, describing the events in greater frightful detail. Unlike other Daily Show pieces, this one would be divided by a commercial break to accentuate the anticlimactic aspect. The segment first appeared in or around 1999 and was discontinued when Vance DeGeneres left the show in 2001.
[edit] Ad Nauseum
Ad Nauseum was a segment in which its host played various clips of television advertisements and then made fun of them. The original host of the segment was Michael Blieden until 2000. Steve Carell was the host from 2000 to 2002, but when he left the show for his movie and television career, correspondent Ed Helms began to take his place starting in 2002. The segment was discontinued around 2003.
[edit] Backfire
Backfire was a segment that was an in-studio debate between correspondents A. Whitney Brown and Brian Unger. It is very similar to the later segment, "Even Stevphen", which were also in-studio debates between two correspondents. The segment's title is a parody of the political debate show, Crossfire. The segment began in or around 1996 and was discontinued when A. Whitney Brown and Brian Unger left the show in 1998.
[edit] Come On!
Come On! was a segment hosted by Rob Corddry which featured Corddry investigating and generally disliking fads. His catchphrase for the segment was to usually cut off the people that he interviewing by loudly saying, "I mean, come on!" Corddry's mannerisms and use of the catchphrase in the sketch suggest those of John Stossel and his "Gimme A Break!" segments.
[edit] The Decider
The Decider was a segment that is done in the style of a comic book. The segment is animated and its main character is President George W. Bush as the superhero The Decider. The segment originated when Bush made a comment referring to himself as "the decider" during a press conference on April 18, 2006. The Decider has only been featured on the show twice, on April 19 and May 18, 2006.
[edit] Digital Watch
Digital Watch is a segment that has always been hosted by Ed Helms that has always focused on new technology. The segment began sometime around 2002 and was discontinued sometime around 2005.
[edit] Even Stevphen
Even Stevphen was a segment that was an in-studio debate between correspondents Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert. It is very similar to the show's earlier segment, "Backfire". The segment is not a misspelling, but a composite of the two correspondents' homophonic first names, sometimes appearing as Even Stephven. While the segment was about debating a recent topic, Colbert and Carell would often spend the time insulting each other instead. The segment was discontinued when Steve Carell left the show. On September 20, 2006, a montage of the best of Even Stevphen was shown as part of The Daily Show's 10 F#@king Years.
[edit] Five Questions
Five Questions was a segment that was conducted during each show, when Craig Kilborn was the show's host. The segment would always come at the very end of Kilborn's informal celebrity interviews. In the segment, Kilborn would ask a sequence of five absurd questions that often had even more irrelevant answers.[5] Actor Bill Murray gained notoriety for being the first and one of the few to answer all "correctly". Kathy Ireland had the dubious honor of only getting one, and that was with Kilborn's help.
A book released in 1998 by Comedy Central titled The Daily Show: Five Questions (ISBN 0-8362-5325-6), and highlights many of the best interview moments from Craig Kilborn's stint as host.
When Kilborn left the show in 1998 in order to replace Tom Snyder on CBS's The Late Late Show, he was able to take the segment Five Questions with him to the new show, disallowing any future TDS host from using it in their interviews.[6] However, in Jon Stewart's first week as host, he slowly phased out the "Five Questions", doing "Four Questions" on Monday, "Three Questions" on Tuesday, "Two Questions" on Wednesday, ending with "The One Question" on Thursday.
[edit] God Stuff
God Stuff was a segment in which the segment's host, John Bloom, presented an assortment of actual clips from various televangelists. It is very similar to the later segment, "This Week in God". The segment began around 1996 and was discontinued when John Bloom left the show in 1998.
[edit] Great Moments in Punditry As Read By Children
Great Moments in Punditry As Read By Children was a segment that featured small children reading transcripts of contentious moments from programs like Crossfire and Hannity and Colmes. The segment was featured prominently between 2004 and 2005.
[edit] Headlines
Headlines was the segment that always opened the show for the first four years that Jon Stewart hosted the show. In the segment, Stewart would focus on the big stories of the day. The segment was abruptly dropped around 2003, and no reason was given. This was one of the three divisions of the show under Stewart's first few years; the others being "Other News" and "This Just In." All three were dropped in 2003. The term is still used on The Daily Show website to categorize videos of a night's leading news story.
[edit] The Jobbing of America
The Jobbing of America was a segment about jobs, hosted by Stephen Colbert.
[edit] Mark Your Calendar
Mark Your Calendar was a segment in which its host went over highlights of the upcoming month. At one particular time, the segment was done on a monthly basis. Mo Rocca originally hosted the segment, Ed Helms hosted it from 2002 to 2003, and Samantha Bee began hosting the show in 2003. Although Samantha Bee is still a correspondent on the show, this segment no longer appears. At one point, the segment was known as Mark One's Calendar.
[edit] Mess O' Potamia
Mess O' Potamia has been a common part of the show since the early days of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Like "Indecision ####", the title is merely used to specify the topic of the jokes, which focus on the troubles in the Mesopotamia region. In 2006, the segment was discontinued in favor of the similar but newly-titled segment "Crisis in Israfghyianonanaq". In August of 2006, Stewart announced that the Mess O' Potamia segment had been renamed The Futile Crescent.
[edit] Other News
Other News was the segment that always followed Jon Stewart's "Headlines" segment for the first four years of his stint as host. In the segment, Stewart would focus on the less important stories of the day, which would provide a comedic contrast to the segment "Headlines". The segment was abruptly dropped around 2003, and no reason was given. This was one of the three divisions of the show under Stewart's first few years; the others being "Headlines" and "This Just In." All three were dropped in 2003.
[edit] Out at the Movies
Out at the Movies was a segment hosted by Frank DeCaro who provided the audience with a look at new feature films in-character as a flamboyantly homosexual film critic who can find gay subtext in any film. [7][8] During his stint on the show, Comedy Central ran yearly extended thirty-minute-long versions of "Out at the Movies" for the Oscars. The segment debuted in 1996 and was one of the show's longest running segments. It was discontinued when Frank DeCaro left the show in 2003.
[edit] Produce Pete
Produce Pete was a segment hosted by Steve Carell, in which he gave humorous advice regarding produce. The segment was previously-taped and first came about around 2002 or 2003 when Carell became too busy with his movie career to do live segments on the show. This segment would typically air towards the end of the show, right before "A Moment of Zen". The segment was discontinued when Carell left the show, though it did make a brief reappearance after Carell was "discovered" to have been lost in Iraq.
[edit] Public Excess
Public Excess was a segment hosted by correspondent Rich Brown. The segment began in 1996 and was discontinued when he left the show in 1998.
[edit] This Just In
This Just In was the segment that always followed Jon Stewart's "Other News" segment for the first four years of his stint as host. In the segment, Stewart would focus on the breaking stories of the day. The segment was abruptly dropped around 2003, and no reason was given. This was one of the three divisions of the show under Stewart's first few years; the others being "Headlines" and "Other News." All three were dropped in 2003.
[edit] The Ugly American
The Ugly American was segment hosted by Insomniac's Dave Attell.[9] The segment debuted in 1999 and was discontinued in 2001 when Dave Attell left the show for his own aforesaid show.
[edit] We Love Showbiz
We Love Showbiz was a segment hosted by Steve Carell and Nancy Walls. It was a parody of Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight and similar shows; poking fun at their sycophantic attitude towards celebrities.
[edit] Recurring jokes
There are several comedic themes and gags which have recurred through the series.
[edit] Sexual innuendo
For years, Stewart and the correspondents of The Daily Show have crafted a unique form of humor around sexual innuendo. An image that commonly appears when magazines review the show comes from a 2003 report[1] by Stephen Colbert about a purported sexual scandal involving Prince Charles. The Daily Show was lampooning the fact that British news outlets had to resort to using innuendo to be able to report on the situation at all due to the strict libel laws in the United Kingdom. Colbert reported, with emphasis:
- "This is a story I could really wrap my hands around. I mean, I'd love to grab this story by the hilt and work this story long and hard, maybe teasing you with a few details. Make you beg for the story until it builds into a huge climax and explodes all over the front pages."
A moment later, he ate most of a banana in one bite and tried to continue reporting, but lost his composure and could only stop laughing for a few moments at a time— a rare occurrence on the program. However, he succeeded in wrapping up the piece with his trademark stone-faced signoff (which is, simply, "Jon?").
[edit] NAMBLA
A running gag is the insertion of the phrase "...or NAMBLA" (an acronym for the North American Man/Boy Love Association) instead of stating a proper abbreviation or acronym after mentioning a long or convoluted name, such as Republican National Convention or Federal Bureau of Investigation. Similarly, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was dubbed "NAMBL-OPEC" and the National Rifle Association was dubbed "BLAMBLA." The International Atomic Energy Agency was termed IAEA-BLA. An advocacy group concerned about alleged sexual abuse by Catholic priests was termed "Anti-NAMBLA". In August of 2005, Stewart renamed NARAL Pro-Choice America "NAR-AMBLA". In the October 2005 debut of a segment called "Man vs. Nature: The War on Terra", which detailed the devastating effects of global warming, Stewart shivered as he said "NAMBLA" in reference to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Stewart will even refer to organizations that are already acronyms as NAMBLA ("...the AARP, or NAMBLA").
In June of 2005, Jon Stewart played on the gag while criticizing an acronym-within-an-acronym for the word "oil" stated in Congress, responding with "That is no NAMBLA, my friend."
On July 27th, 2006, a segment of the show titled "10 F@#king Years" featured many clips referring to the NAMBLA jokes. Jon Stewart ended the recap with yet another NAMBLA joke:
"You know, it's ironic. Now that we're 10-years-old, we're exactly the right age to draw the attention of NAMBLA. However, for the record, The Daily Show has absolutely no affiliation with the North American Man Boy Love Association, or, as it's called, UNICEF."
The joke was used once again in reference to the Mark Foley scandal, with Stewart speaking of the "North American Man Boy Love Association, or Congress".
On October 30, 2006, Jon Stewart played a clip from the Ohio State Gubernatorial Race in which Ken Blackwell where Blackwell accused his opponent of getting support from NAMBLA. Jon Stewart stated "I knew I'd be right at some point with that acronym"
[edit] Tongue-in-cheek anti-Semitism
As a way of responding to the periodic theme of a Jewish conspiracy theory in many segments, often Stewart (who is himself Jewish) and some of the correspondents will play out some of the common stereotypes and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. For instance, on Stephen Colbert's segment "Rudolph Apprehended", he "argued" that Eric Rudolph's road to terrorism was orchestrated by a "Global Cabal of Jews", who ultimately were the cause of Rudolph's personal failures in life and emotional instability. Similarly, in a segment titled "The Price of Oil", Jon Stewart indicated that the only logical conclusion for the wildly rising and fluctuating oil prices is that they are controlled by a global cabal of Jews comprised of Dick Cheney, Magic Johnson and the head of Ayatollah Khomeni (none of whom are Jewish), saying that it makes as much sense as anything else. In other segments they will parody many of the racist attitudes towards Jews, including segments where Jon will reference a bagel as one of the goals of a Jewish conspiracy. In addition, Colbert often played the role of the one with the most anti-Semitic tendencies on the show. During some of the Even Stevphen debate segments, Colbert parodies anti-Semitic right-wing Christian ideologues.
[edit] "Meet Me at Camera Three"
Meet Me At Camera Three is a common phrase used by Stewart, which began in 2006, to initiate what is intended to be a direct address to the person or group with which the current topic is concerned. Typically after expressing his distaste for the subject's actions, Stewart will then request that (for example) "Walt Disney Company, meet me at camera three", at which point the shot switches to a camera situated at the right of the regular camera. Stewart turns on spot to face the camera, and sends his message to the subject, possibly beginning his speech with a relevant greeting (such as "Howdy" after the President spoke of being a southern man, or "Hola" to Spanish-speaking subjects), and then shot is switched back to its regular camera. In a recent episode it was revealed that when wishing to send a direct message to another person or group while in the middle of addressing someone at camera three, Stewart may address the person or group at "Camera Four", which appears to be shot vertically from the ground, in front of the desk.
[edit] "I don't care for it..."
Often, when a celebrity guest show comments on how much of a fan of the show they are, Stewart will reply with "I don't care for it, I think it's crass".
[edit] Special episodes
On occasion, the show has special episodes devoted to one particular theme.
The show's April 5, 2006 episode was called, "Race: The AfroSpanicIndioAsianization of America". The primary focus of the episode was race relations in America. All of the pieces by correspondents and by Jon Stewart were on this topic. Contributor Demetri Martin performed in a previously-taped segment in which he asked pedestrians how many episodes the show should devote to race; or rather which race they don't need to (to which most responses were either Asians or Hispanics), and contributor John Hodgman appeared as the show's Resident Expert on race. However, the interview segment towards the end of the show had nothing to do with the rest of the show. The guest was Tony Zinni and he only appeared to promote his book, The Battle for Peace.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Comedy Central Press Release for The Daily Show
- ^ http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=12756
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/arts/television/12colb.html
- ^ http://www.timeout.com/newyork/DetailsAr.do?file=hotseat/506/506.hotseat.html
- ^ a b Pennington, Gail. "KILBORN CAN'T WAIT TO UNCHAIN HIS HUMOR AS HOST OF 'LATE LATE' SUCCESSOR TO TOM SNYDER ON CBS SAYS HE'S MOVED BEYOND FRAT-BOY JOKES", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mar 30, 1999.
- ^ a b "Craig Kilborn takes his shot at late-night The former 'Daily Show' wiseacre brings his smarts and smirks to CBS", USA TODAY, Mar 30, 1999.
- ^ Amorosi, A.D.. "20 Questions: Frank DeCaro", The Philadelphia City Paper.
- ^ "Going for the groan", The St. Petersburg Times
- ^ Wolk, Josh. "Season of the niche: Insomniac", Entertainment Weekly, June 22, 2001.
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| Hosts: | Craig Kilborn | Jon Stewart | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People: | Correspondents | Guests | Notable guests | |||
| Special series: | Indecision 2000 | Indecision 2004 | Midwest Midterm Midtacular: Battlefield Ohio | |||
| Spin-offs: | The Colbert Report | Red State Diaries | |||
| Other: | America (The Book) | Awards | Recurring elements | |||
