Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Jon Stewart wants to remind everyone he’s not actually dead

(The Daily Show)

Jon Stewart’s Tuesday announcement that he will leave The Daily Show later this year was treated as major news and provided fodder for both cultural and political commentary — so it’s no surprise that the comedian famous for his riffs on the headlines had a couple of jokes about it.


World News Videos | ABC World News

During Wednesday night’s broadcast, responding to the extensive coverage of his departure and reflections on the program’s legacy, Stewart suggested that the volume and tone of the tributes had begun to make him feel as if he were being eulogized after his death.

“Last night I was perusing the Internet, ” he said, “and I guess my question to you is, uh ... ‘Did I die?’ Um ... ‘cause it all seems very ... ‘I died.’ Very weird.”

Stewart, who’s still very much alive, said he was not sure what he would do next professionally. But he suggested that he’ll make the most of the evening free time that he didn’t have the 16 years he spent hosting the program, telling the audience, “I’m gonna have dinner on a school night, with my family, who I have heard, from multiple sources, are lovely people.”

Further Reading

5 of Jon Stewart’s funniest, harshest, most memorable takedowns

11 great choices to replace Jon Stewart

Watch one of Jon Stewart’s most famous moments: his epic Crossfire appearance

Watch Jon Stewart’s moving, heartfelt monologue from his first show after the 9-11 attacks

See More:

More in Culture

Culture
What happens when a tradwife has to put her money where her mouth isWhat happens when a tradwife has to put her money where her mouth is
Culture

The buzzy new novel Yesteryear offers a sadistic influencer comeuppance fantasy.

By Constance Grady
Culture
The diabolical, millennial obsession with chicken Caesar wrapsThe diabolical, millennial obsession with chicken Caesar wraps
Culture

Can a CCW and a Diet Coke really heal millennial ennui?

By Alex Abad-Santos
The Highlight
What do we lose when we erase ugliness?What do we lose when we erase ugliness?
The Highlight

Beyond the beauty binary.

By Constance Grady
Today, Explained newsletter
Live Nation lost in court. Here’s what it means for concerts.Live Nation lost in court. Here’s what it means for concerts.
Today, Explained newsletter

The case could, over time, chip away at Live Nation’s dominance in the live music market.

By Caitlin Dewey
Good Medicine
The alcohol crisis quietly hitting high-stress, “high-status” workersThe alcohol crisis quietly hitting high-stress, “high-status” workers
Good Medicine

What The Pitt can teach us about addiction.

By Dylan Scott
Advice
What trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workoutWhat trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workout
Advice

Have we finally unlocked exercise’s biggest secret? Or is this yet another lie perpetrated Big Treadmill?

By Alex Abad-Santos