TVSquad

Sorry for the lateness, dear readers. I hope you haven't spent too long weeping into your Jon-shaped pillows because it's taken me a while to post this review. Understandably, a week-long hiatus is tough to pull through. Please forgive me, for I have a pretty good excuse. Monday night, I attended a Daily Show taping for the first time. That's right! A pilgrimage to the mecca. Whoo! Expect an excruciatingly detailed account of my adventure within the next few days. Did Annie get to touch the desk? Did Annie get to grab a few beers with John Oliver after the show? Did Annie finally find out if Jon Stewart is really tiny enough to fit in her pocket?

Here's a hint: No. Anyway, enjoy this episode review for now.

Jon, the giddy sports fan that he is, started with baseball talk, which went way over my head. What's this... "Mets" he speaks of? And this "baseball"?

"Bless/Mess O'Potamia": There's increased violence in Iraq! But that's good, apparently. Jon's attempt at breaking down the logic didn't do much to help me. All I remember is something about a dildo joke on a platter.

"Our Definest Hour": Senior Baghdad Correspondent John Oliver described Iraq standing up for itself as its bar mitzvah. I can't pick a favorite line from this segment. I mean, come on! A British guy rapping! That is inherently hilarious. Plus, I quite enjoyed "You are a WHITE man...", "Did that look as bad as it felt?", and "Were you at my bar mitzvah" "No, Jon, I was not invited... or alive." Obviously, John can do no wrong.



Naturally, more baseball talk came along. President Bush paid a visit to the field, throwing the first pitch at the Nationals' opening game. He smiled and waved to the booing crowd, delivered a decent pitch, and then joined the commentators. Doesn't he have papers to fill out or, like, a war to brood over? Anyway, Jon offered some good stuff here. I'm quite fond of any instance in which a founding father is referred to as a "total pussy".

The night's guest was Nebraska's Senator Chuck Hagel, promoting his book America: Our Next Chapter: Tough Questions, Straight Answers. First of all, the senator's pink tie was super-snazzy and he's probably the only senator in his party who's brave enough to wear it. Secondly, this interview was really strong, simply because of Hagel's points and his ability to hold his own against Jon without overpowering the interview or coming off like he was trying too hard. However, sitting in the audience gave me a first-hand account of Tina Fey's comments about the TDS audience's tendency towards "clapter" (if you're reading that interview for the first time, by the way, she's post-clarified that it wasn't meant as a jab at Jon or the show). A few of the people around me started clapping after just about everything the senator said, and even though only a few of those claps turned into full-blown applause, it got old really quickly.

Moment of Zen: President Bush calls the first home run! Because he has nothing better to do.