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
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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
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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
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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.
Out at the Movies with Frank DeCaro
The departure of this segment seems was a side-effect of the show gradually focusing less on entertainment and more on politics. Still, it’s hard not to miss this silly, lighthearted segment, in which the flamboyantly gay DeCaro would review movies mostly by leering at hunky movie stars. In the above clip, he reviews Gladiator and spends most of his time enjoying the sight of a shirtless Russell Crowe (although Joaquin Phoenix gets some love, too). Ah, the days before we knew about Russell Crowe’s tendency to throw phones at people and play in terrible bands.
Come On!
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An absolutely spot-on parody of John Stossel’s “Give Me a Break” segments, in which Corddry takes on such scam artists as women and children. In this segment, he explores the possibility that the world doesn’t really need the sun (I mean, come on!). If you’ve ever gotten really, really annoyed with Stossel’s antics, this is the classic Daily Show segment for you.
