Rally To Restore Sanity's Roots: 'Our Show Has Changed'

For the past two weeks, we've been documenting the Roots of the Rally To Restore Sanity (and/or Fear!), in an effort to demonstrate how, over the course of many years, the Daily Show and the Colbert Report have made a sincere and sustained effort to encourage a more sane and reasonable discourse. Readers have sent in suggestions, and they were magnificent. Your human flesh search engine act found key moments from past segments and forgotten interviews that gave birth to the sanity concept. At times, you all found the origins of the language Jon Stewart used to introduce the rally itself. From me to all of you, I'm very grateful for your long memories and the eloquent cases you made.

We close out this examination with the most cited moment from readers, and it's perhaps the most seminal moment in the history of the Daily Show. It was the opening segment of the September 20, 2001 edition of the Daily Show, their first show back from the attacks of September 11th. Jon Stewart took to the stage, and made his best effort at elucidating the great grief that the country was feeling, unsure of when or how he'd be able to be funny again. It was a weird time for the show. "Irony" has been declared to be dead. There was little to joke about, and few in the mood. But that's what comedians do, they take risks and make leaps and hope that they've got wit and soul enough in them to expose some truths and settle some nerves and unite an audience in common mirth.

This is the segment where Stewart talks about the privilege of getting to do the Daily Show, to be allowed to chuck "spitballs" from the "back of the country" at the news of the day. A lot of the people who believe that it's not Stewart's role to attempt anything resembling seriousness cite that "spitballs" line as the moment that Stewart permanently defined himself. They forget what he says next: "Our show has changed. I don't doubt that. What it's become, I don't know."

The rest of the clip speaks for itself, so I guess I should get out of the way of the pictures! I'll only add that when I watched this again, after so many years, I couldn't help but think that maybe someone has recently stolen this segment, stripped it of its sincerity, and turned it into self-serving schtick. Maybe someone should go and steal it back.

See you tomorrow!

WATCH:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
September 11, 2001
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

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Comments

[michaleenflynn]

07:48 AM on 11/02/2010

Just like a lib - needs to be told what to do.

[jwags 100990]

10:35 PM on 10/31/2010

i need to watch this

[stagebandman]

09:52 PM on 10/31/2010

I expected the moronic repubs to come out against the rally, but I was pretty taken aback by Ed Schultz and Chris Matthews' defensive takes on the event.

Those of you who are criticizing him so vigorously obviously did not watch the rally.

[samtee]

09:02 PM on 10/31/2010

It was a comedy show that people got free rides to nothing else

[Tommygun264]

09:42 PM on 10/31/2010

Another pouty Beckerhead.

[LXO3]

11:35 AM on 11/01/2010

You're confusing us with what BECK & PALIN did--disrpectful spiteful gathering is all they had. THEY BUSED IN SENIORS AND ANY WHITE PERSON THEY COULD FIND!!! NO ONE CHARGED TO PERFORM AT THIS EVENT..PALIN CHARGED TO SPEAK AT HER & BECK'S RACISTFEST! AND ALL THEY DID WAS PUSH THEIR GOLD!! ALWASY ABOUT MONEY WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE TWO. you people can't stand unity can you? sick bunch of GOP hateful losers! IF THEY WIN..YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE and me and mine because of your ignorance and prejudices..but then so will your kids and grandma and mother. Think about it!

[samtee]

11:58 AM on 11/01/2010

I think the Beck rally was darker

[MrJoyboy]

08:36 PM on 10/31/2010

"A sane and reasonable discourse" is all well and good, but if one side spouts patent nonsense and blatant lies, discourse of any kind is impossible.

[Richard Hutton]

05:18 PM on 10/31/2010

I've watched The Daily Show since Kilborn so I'm not sure what the heck I was doing THIS night but thanks for posting. I was at the rally yesterday and brought my family and we had a blast - such humor and humanity, everyone getting along just fine even around folks I do not agree with (Socialist Worker? 9/11 Truthers. Come on really?). We couldn't see the stage or here anything that was going on though I did hear Tony Bennett sing America The Beautiful. Stewart is a fine human being and I'm just happy that I'm around when he is around and his crew! Whatever your persuasion I hope you all go and vote November 2 and what will be will be either way it won't be the end of the world - we WILL survive. But this is democracy.Peace

[carolina919]

03:43 PM on 10/31/2010

Has anybody on HP ever seen the level of comment activity we're seeing here today on this article? That tells me something too....

[Kay tn]

03:01 PM on 10/31/2010

Dear Colbert, I think Jon should love you because you're right. If this country stays like this, it will be 2 more years before full-blown national hiring starts again. Business and investors tend to look realistically pragmatically ahead: they like soundness, resolve, stability, fiscal responsibility, to come from the White House. They don't want to be suddenly snared by taxes, insurance costs, and other governmental surprises. Republicans have to get the reins this election on Tuesday; otherwise the overall business community will not get back into widespread hiring and investing in the United States. You're a realist and Jon should love you.

[anothervoice]

04:57 PM on 10/31/2010

You DO know Colbert is a satirist, right? Hard to understand that while imbibing the kool-aid.

[Tommygun264]

09:45 PM on 10/31/2010

Pubs & baggers are so deluded, they think Colbert really agrees with them - it's been proven:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/27/colbert-study-conservativ_n_191899.html

[Tom Payned]

10:21 PM on 10/31/2010

One would think after the press club dinner in which Stephen skewed Bush, the condumbs would figure out what satire is.

But when you stop and think about how they beleive FAUX is real news that's "Fair & Balanced" and all of the rest of the press is the "liberal media" (which didn't exist on TV until MSNBC decided Keith had it right, there is a market for liberals) because of the "Gotcha questions" like what do you read, or what Supreme court decisions do you disagree with, or what's your position on the "Bush Doctrine" what programs would you cut to balance the budget, or what's your stance on the two wars, the federal minimum wage, privatizing Social Security and the VA. You know, questions that you'd like answers to BEFORE voting for a candidate.

Don't expect a connection with reality. Remember, Christine O'Donnel is a "constitutional scholar" because she took a 7 week course about it. Palin is an expert on energy because Alaska has oil, and she signed a bill that authorized a pipeline (even though it passed through Canada and the Canadian Govt, did provide approval.)

[Kay tn]

02:19 PM on 10/31/2010

Jon, indeed ants are small creatures but they really really hurt whether they're flaming or not. It is easier to forget a swarm of bees on your body than a swarm of ants on your hand. I've had the misfortune of finding out concerning both. You can't ignore ants for very long . . . it is not a good idea.

[Kay tn]

02:11 PM on 10/31/2010

Jon, I know the point of the rally was that everyone stop negatively bashing everyone else. And I agree that people should not bash conservatives because in the immortal words of John Lennon --'all Republicans are saying is give budgeting a chance'.

[EF3]

05:30 PM on 10/31/2010

So you're saying we shouldn't be bashing the ones that are going around spreading the crazy and offering the same ideas that damage the country in the first place?

You've obviously rode in the Crazy Train.

[smitty101]

08:00 PM on 10/31/2010

Dems have had congress for 4 years and drove us into the recession. Time for the GOP to get us out. You had your chance. We will let America decide who is best to run this country after the last 4 years and two years of total control. Get out and vote!

[prog]

08:36 PM on 10/31/2010

How's that unbudgeted war going for you?

[smitty101]

10:45 PM on 10/31/2010

Iraq, bad idea. Afghanistan, Obama's just war, right?

[steamboat]

01:50 PM on 10/31/2010

Jason, Stewart's people are wrong when they try to deny filming of the rally. Its on Federal property. Even Beck didn't do that. And, of course, it was political. DNC recruiters were all over the place.

[Kay tn]

01:45 PM on 10/31/2010

Dear Jon Stewart, Why do you hate grandmas? You want to tolerate that for two years Democrats prioritized junk cars. Concerning human beings, they redefined the Cost of Living increase so they wouldn't have to give the small assistance to Seniors and Disabled Veterans. This is the 2nd winter that grandmas will freeze and its partly your fault for tolerating it. Democrats have controlled both Congress and spending for the last 4 years. Obviously, they're going to blame Bush no matter how many times they get elected and no matter how many years they control spending. Stop tolerating crap and vote Republican. Thank you. And be nice to grandma; it is the right thing to do. Proper Jews love their grandma. Where is your loyalty? Where is your love?

[quincyscott]

02:30 PM on 10/31/2010

With all due respect, the reason Social Security recipients did not get a cost of living increase has nothing to do with anyone redefining anything. They evaluate the payments annually, have done so for decades now. The reason seniors received cost of living increases in the past is that the economy had been growing and the cost of living had been rising. Right now the economy sucks. Hence the cost of living is down. Hence Grandma did not receive a cost of living increase. This has nothing to do with any evil Democratic Congress, and far less has it anything to do with Jon Stewart.

Lots of people are hurting right now, not just seniors. Although I am not Jewish, I love Grandma. But I also hope that Grandma and Grandpa will continue to stay informed about the world, and perhaps remember their history a bit. If those Republicans you praise had had their way back in the 1930s and 1960s, we would not have Social Security or Medicare. Those were Democratic programs. And now Republicans want to claim they are protecting Grandma. Death panels! Please, don't let them pull the wool over your eyes, Kay tn. If the Republicans had had their way, Social Security would now be tied to the stock market! And then I don't think Grandma would be too pleased. And I would like to think she would not find some way to blame it on Obama.

[Hunter Stuart]

10:26 AM on 11/01/2010

Sorry, where did JStew say he "hated grandmas"? This comment has got to be a joke.

[Rich Zubaty the Rude Guy]

11:35 AM on 10/31/2010

Now that the rally is a success and everyone feels warm and fuzzy about sanity it’s time to ask if John Stewart’s brand of sarcasm has ever really changed anything? I’ve watched shows where he tore into Medea Benjamin of Code Pink for antiwar protests, and others where he edited things out of context to viciously ridicule men who were trying to get together as men to make sense of their lives in these imploding times. Neither of these, nor dozens of other divisive, sarcastic moments I’ve seen on the Daily Show, qualifies as sanity. The problem with Jon Stewart is he was too young to have seen Abbie Hoffman levitate the Pentagon and end the Vietnam War. The point is, at some points in history only by doing something that is wildly irrationally outside the box is it possible to disarm the suits. How could Nixon’s staff run media interference against a mob who claimed to have levitated the Pentagon? Were they gonna go on Meet the Press and say, “I was there. It didn’t go up half an inch.” That gets them talking OUR talk, within the debate frame that WE have set. And they won’t do it. Rush Limbaugh and Mitch McConnel will never debate Ralph Nader because Nader would eat them alive. The closest thing we have to it now is Stephen Colbert taking right wing ideology to its logical disastrous extreme. People who are well-adjusted in an insane society are by definition, insane.

[anothervoice]

05:00 PM on 10/31/2010

It's not sarcasm. It's irony for the most part.

Is he changing things? Without question. He's asking the painful questions we all want asked.

[Rich Zubaty the Rude Guy]

06:38 PM on 10/31/2010

There is nothing ironic about crapping on Medea Benjamin or men's support groups. He's a snide opportunist. Why depend on him to ask the questions?

[starkweather444]

11:23 AM on 10/31/2010

I think that Keith is just as much a part of the problem that Stewart and Colbert were making and obviously they think so as well. I was a fan of Keith's for years but I found myself in the past year getting tired of the screaming and the fear. Yes I know the teabaggers are scary and that the country might be a lot scarier after Tuesday but that is why Stewart's message is so important now, Keith said on twitter that 3 days before the election this message that they are all the same is bad timing. But I think it is great timing, I really hope the smart guys that are the cable pundits like Keith actually listen to this message and not dismiss it so quickly. I was really disappointed by Keith's response but I kinda expected it.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

09:45 AM on 10/31/2010

Oh wow..... I just watched the clip. So tough not to get teary eyed. As a lifetime resident of the tristate area..... it STILL hurts to think of those towers crashing after all these years.

I love Jon Stewart. Now how do we get him to become president?