Shiksa Mistress

Jon Stewart January 14, 2009

Before TiVo, before The Daily Show, there was a little-known movie called Playing by Heart.  Its cast ran the gamut of uber-famous (Gena Rowlands and Sean Connery) to newly-famous (Angelina Jolie, Ryan Phillippe), where even the third tier gave stellar performances (Jay Mohr—yes, really). Somewhere between these last two fell Jon Stewart, soon to be America’s favorite political anchor and this 17-year-old’s dream candy.

Sure, it helped that his role was that of unfailingly patient and understanding Innocent Man to Gillian Anderson’s Wounded Heroine.  He also had deep blue eyes, wore the hell out of a V-neck and, despite being 5’7”, managed to tower over Anderson in every scene.  But the most notable aspect of the performance was the nuanced wit he brought to what could have been a cardboard character.  The same depth proved to be typical of his gigs; no matter how funny he was, there was always something soulful invested in it.  His well-informed and self-deprecating humor incited a pattern that the Mistresses have been, for better or worse, repeating ever since.

The rest of the nation jumped on the wagon with The Daily Show, its dry political commentary becoming a huge hit in Bush-dominated America.  Stewart denies that the show is either liberal or conservative, saying “When we spot silliness, we say so out loud. We’re not really Democrat or Republican. We’re out to stop that political trend of repeating things again and again until people are forced to believe them.”  The Mistresses, along with much of the intelligence-starved nation, tuned into The Daily Show for their news, preferring a humorous reaction to the obvious and stultifyingly stupid transgressions of the administration.  In those eight dark years before the guarantee of Obama, the knowledge that there were others out there who got it was the only solace we had.  That, and the irony that worse things got, the more the show thrived; the sound bites did so much of the work that Stewart barely needed a joke: “When in doubt, I can stare blankly. The rubber face. There’s only so many ways you can stare incredulously at the camera and tilt an eyebrow, but that’s your old standby: What would Buster Keaton do?”

The Buster Keaton reference brings it back.  It’s about the comedy, the reaction—satire as a tool for exposing the misconduct we take for granted, and inspiring us to think critically about people we’re supposed to blithely accept (thank you, Tina Fey).  And, of course, it’s funny.  It’s an enjoyable news program. And that Jon Stewart is easy on the eyes in a way Dan Rather can’t touch.

He had this Mistress at the Buster Keaton reference, but it doesn’t stop there.  Stewart does the New York Times crossword every night, and proposed to his wife through a puzzle made by NYT puzzle editor Will Shortz.  If that doesn’t have the word nerds orgasming, he is also a huge fan of Jack Finney, The White Stripes, and Tom Waits—more than enough reason to give him the Full Menorah.  Mr. Stewart, we salute you.