dailyshow

If you caught Thursday's Daily Show, you saw host Jon Stewart mock the Jimmy Dean/Sara Lee breakfast treat that provides a sausage wrapped in a chocolate chip pancake and skewered on a convenient wooden stick. While I think that particular breakfast item belongs in the pharmacy section as an ipecac to induce vomiting in case you accidentally ingest poison rather than in the freezer section next to the Eggo toaster waffles, Chicago-based Sara Lee said they received calls and e-mails asking where they could find the snack. Apparently people will listen to Jon Stewart when he attacks the current administration, but they prefer to make up their own mind when it comes to what pancake-wrapped meat they shove down their gullet. Stewart may have inadvertently kicked off a whole new trend of complete meals on a stick: I imagine we can expect to see a block of cheese wrapped in bologna and bread with a mayonnaise dipping cup soon, as well as a giant meatball wound in spaghetti.

During some election years, The Daily Show takes the program on the road for some out-of-town tapings. Although the plans haven't been finalized yet, the show is in talks to hang out at Ohio State University (in Columbus) before this year's mid-term elections. The episodes would be taped during the week of October 30, probably in the Roy Bowen Theatre.

Hmm... I have a friend that will be attending that school in the Fall. Note to self: Force friend to give frequent updates about Jon Stewart's whereabouts; stalk vicariously.

The Colbert Report's Stephen Colbert gave the 2006 commencement address at Knox College over the weekend. At the start of it, he acknowledges that he is a man named Stephen Colbert, but he also plays a man on TV with the same name, and he's not sure which one they invited to speak:

"On a beautiful day like this, I'm reminded of my own graduation 20 years ago, at Northwestern University. I didn't start there, I finished there. On the graduation day, a beautiful day like this. We're all in our gowns. I go up to the podium to get my leather folder with my diploma in it. And as I get it from the Dean, she leans in close to me and she smiles and the Dean leans into me, shakes my hand, and says "I'm sorry." I have no idea what she means. So I go back to my seat and I open it up. And, instead of having a diploma inside, there's a scrap - a torn scrap of paper - that has scrawled on it, "See me." I kid you not.

Evidently I had an incomplete in an independent study that I had failed to complete. And I did not have enough credits. And, let me tell you, when your whole family shows up and you get to have your picture taken with them - and instead of holding up your diploma, you hold the torn corner of a yellow legal pad - that is a humbling experience."

[via TV Tattle]

How could this possibly have happened?

A school in Utah thought they booked Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show and a fairly well known guy, but instead they got Jon A. Stewart, a motivational speaker and part-time pro wrestler.

The odd thing is that this wasn't just a quick mistake, that actual discussions and negotiations went on for months and the school still didn't realize they had the wrong Jon Stewart. Instead of having the other Stewart speak, they decided to cancel the event.

Maybe the Daily Show host will hear about this and decide to go. That would be funny.

Bopping around online I came across two very interesting interviews with comedian Demetri Martin.

In the first one at The Believer, he talks juggling, Conan O'Brien, doing standup for old guys in London, and how riding a unicycle with never get you laid. In the second interview, at Brian Palmer's site, he describes going from law school to comedy, skateboarding, and how he ended up on The Daily Show.

And why'll we're at it, check out some of his standup and Daily Show bits at YouTube.

Over the weekend, Jon Stewart welcomed a new baby daughter into the world. Former Daily Show correspondent, Bob Wiltfong (is he a contributor now? I'm not really sure what to call him), also became the father of a baby boy on the 5th (Superbowl Sunday baby). The Jon news was posted in The Daily Show LiveJournal community so it may or may not be true... However, there is reason to believe because tonight's episode was meant to be guested by Torie Clark and it has now been switched to an Anthony Hopkins repeat. Plus, Jon's wife was expecting baby sometime early 2006... and it is early 2006. With a new baby and the Oscars, this is shaping up to be quite a nice year for Jon.

And... Wow, two Daily Show births in one weekend? And Samantha Bee and Jason Jones just had their child last month? And Rob Corddry and his wife are expecting? There's seriously something crazy going on in that studio. I predict the announcement of Ed Helm's pregnancy (like in that Arnold Schwarzenegger movie!) sometime in the next week.

The Best

1. Eyes: One of the smartest, most stylish private eye shows to come along in years. So ABC cancels it quickly and doesn't even run the remaining episodes. 
2. Surface: The best of the sci-fi/horror shows (Threshold, Invasion, Supernatural) that debuted this year.
3. The Daily Show: Always dead-on, always funny.
4. Arrested Development: I don't know if this show is as funny as it used to be, but even at 90% strength it's better than most other comedies. 
5. Lost: I don't know if they'll ever have answers for all the questions, but the ride so far has been great. 

• All the hot and cool things EW is looking forward to this summer (and fall...and winter). 
• Some TV-related people and things on the list: Jon Stewart (and The Daily Show dvds), Alan Alda, Jimmy Smits, Felicity Huffman, Kristen Bell, Rachel Bilson, Hugh Laurie, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Profit on dvd, Supernanny Jo Frost, and Jessica Walter.
• Some TV-related people and things not on the list: Nancy Grace.
• A lengthy essay from Stephen King on the media circus that was the Michael Jackson trial. It's not online, unfortunately, but worth reading.