The Daily Show: An Oral History

by Chris Smith

For Jon the jokes had to be in conversational language, but powerful conversational language. That’s where I really learned how to write. He used to say things like, “Specificity is key.” In other words, if you’re making a joke about, “Why don’t you have another ice cream cone?” if you say, “Why don’t you have another tub of rum raisin?” it gets funnier because now you’re specific in the flavor. He’d go, “What do I preach?” I’d go, “Specificity.”

In some ways the Zadroga thing was the subtext of the whole show, the whole sixteen years. A bewilderment, a bewilderment over something which seems obvious that was not being accomplished. The whole show was that: “Does anyone else think this is fucking weird?” That’s it. That’s all the show was. I don’t think that’s a noble thing. But it’s something. It’s a shared moment.