Comedy Central
With Jon Stewart’s run as host of The Daily Show coming to an end, it seems like a good time to recall some of the classic segments we no longer see on the show. These were flagship segments in Stewart’s early years, but they eventually faded from sight. These five recurring bits represent some of the best work of the early years of The Daily Show.
Ad Nauseam
Out of all the retired Daily Show segments, this one really feels like it should still exist today. After all, the oversaturation of TV commercials is greater than ever, and they’ve now found their way into Hulu and YouTube. There could be probably be a great Ad Nauseam segment based on those repetitive Rob Lowe DirecTV commercials. As it stands, we can remember that for a few years, The Daily Show was offering the most intelligent critique of consumer culture that you could find.
This Week in God
Who doesn’t miss the God Machine? In the early- to mid-2000s, it was one of the best parts of the week. For years, Stephen Colbert hosted this segment looking at religion, but when he left to do The Colbert Report, Rob Corddry took it over. When Corddry left in 2006, the segment was retired, which is a shame because it was one of the most consistently funny bits on the show, and it offered a surprisingly diverse look at various religions.
Produce Pete with Steve Carell
This segment is representative of the era when The Daily Show acted as a parody of other news shows, before evolving into a show that focused more on Stewart’s political commentary. Here, Carell plays a produce “expert” who tries to be upbeat and jovial, and but can’t hide the bitter resentment stewing within him. After watching the above segment, I have no interest in learning how to can peaches, which was exactly what Carell was going for.