February 15, 2015
It was Mark Twain who suggested that the secret to his success was all about \”timing.\” I am finding that each semester I have to recalibrate my weekly timing to handle my new schedule. Last semester I had two Monday classes which threw off my Sunday penning. But now I have delightful, long weekends — for which Sunday Evenings have again become fair game for pontificating…but lately I have been incredibly constipated when it comes to The Doctor\’s Inn…trying to engage in important topics that I just don\’t have enough ummmph to finish! When it comes to Jon Stewart announcing his potential departure from The Daily Show however, I can\’t sit idly — I\’ve got to deliver: after all, this is the fellow I\’ve cited and praised on more than one occasion over-the-years.
I feel that Jon Stewart is our national conscience. If Jon\’s voice goes still — I wonder (as do concurrent voices) — what will become of US? So here I go — lending another voice to the throng hoping that Jon\’s voice continues to feed US for much longer…
I can certainly understand why, after 16 years of doing the same gig, that Jon is feeling \”ancy\” and may wish to ply his creative prowess at something else. But at a reported $20-million-a-year, one wonders if his \”anciness\” might somehow be ameliorated in some fashion other than quitting The Daily Show? After watching has directorial debut in \”Rosewater\”; I would not recommend directing as the outlet…perhaps Jon just needs a Summer Vacation each year??
When I first heard (two days ago) that Jon wanted to move on — Aaron McGruder (of \’Boondocks\’ fame) immediately jumped into my mind. Elsewhere I have written that I felt Aaron was forced out of his daily comic strip because he too regularly rubbed the wrong nerves (\’nerves\’ being the-powers-that-be). I don\’t know what Aaron was \”making\” at the height of his success — but I assumed that the-powers-that-be made him an offer that he couldn\’t refuse.
Similarly, when I learned that Stephen Colbert was leaving his show to take over the more sedate \”Tonight Show\” — I wondered whether he was made an offer that he couldn\’t refuse. Stephen was reportedly making a meager $6 million to Jon\’s $20 mil — but he also seemed to be a major voice for the people. In fact, both Jon and Stephen united with a good deal of success in their Restore Sanity/Fear assemblage. They reportedly garnered 250,000 people to their high profile convention. They most certainly made a statement to the-powers-that-be.
I wonder if Jon has now been made an offer that he can\’t refuse? Particularly when his sympathetic vein for Iran runs contrary to current Republican interests.
And this is exactly how the Mafia operates: once you have a modicum of success and have a family that you wish to protect and watch thrive — they make their move, and, explain to you at what price you and your family will be protected.
Who is the contemporary Mafia? Well, I\’m pretty sure that they are a hellova lot bigger than the Cosa Nostra and/or the US government and/or the White House, and, I\’m pretty sure that Jon has figured out who they are.
Some folks suggest that Jon is dropping out of The Daily Show to make a political run — perhaps even a run for the presidency. I think this would be very cool. I would even vote for him over Hilary (she is no longer Hitlery in my book — particularly after my recent education about Hitler\’s connection to the Rothschilds).
So now I await Jon\’s next career move with great anticipation…because if I were making $20 mil-a-year; and all I had to do was \”tone down\” my show, and maintain a modicum of pressure on-the-visible-powers-that-be — Hell! I would give it another 9 years and achieve that silver anniversary of 25 years. Now that would be good timing…