List of The Daily Show recurring segments

This is an incomplete list of recurring segments featured on The Daily Show:

Current segments

Your Moment of Zen

Your Moment of Zen is a segment that occurs at the end of every show.^[1] The segment was introduced when the show began. In it, Kilborn would end the show and a random selection of humorous videos would be shown. Although the show kept the segment when Jon Stewart took over as host, the segment is now often followed by recaps or extended versions of news clips shown earlier in the show.

Brian Williams used the term "moment of zen" to end his May 24, 2007 NBC Nightly News broadcast. It was used at the end segment which featured a story about a sand painting made by monks getting destroyed by a toddler.

The episode broadcast on January 13, 2010 did not contain a Moment of Zen, replacing it with an additional performance by Ringo Starr (who had performed prior to the commercials).

Back in Black with Lewis Black

Back in Black with Lewis Black is a popular segment on the show, where "America's foremost commentator on everything" and comedian Lewis Black catches the stories that, according to his introduction, "fall through the cracks", and comments on them in a humorous rant.^[1] The segment starts with an opening riff in the style of the AC/DC song "Back in Black". The segment originated in 1996, when Craig Kilborn was still host of The Daily Show. As of 2011, it is the longest-running recurring segment that still airs on the show, aside from the Moment of Zen.

Guantanamo Baywatch

A series of segments detailing the treatment of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. It features an in-house correspondent named "Gitmo" (an Elmo hand puppet with an added Islamic beard operated by Stewart in front of a greenscreen) who details his torture and eventual release from Guantanamo, having convinced the authorities he is in fact a Uighur. Stewart voices Gitmo in a style similar to Elmo, but with a Middle Eastern accent.

We're Here, We're Queer, Get Newsed to It

A segment focusing on issues relating to the gay rights movement, such as same-sex marriage and Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Formally Gaywatch

InDecision X

The Daily Show's coverage of the U.S. elections since 2000 has been given the title "InDecision X," with the "X" representing the year. This is a continuation of Comedy Central's quadrennial election coverage prior to the premiere of the Daily Show (the labels "Indecision '92" and "Indecision '96" were applied to any new political humor on Comedy Central those years, as well as actual election event coverage anchored by comedians, most prominently Al Franken). The segment typically has no particular difference to the standard desk jokes that typically open the show, and the title is merely used as a heading to specify the topic of the jokes, which focus on the election, from the nomination process through the party conventions, the campaign trail, the debates and finally to Election Night (headlined in 2004 as "Prelude to a Recount", in reference to events of the 2000 presidential election). The segment is occasionally rebranded as to an appropriate alternative such as, "Road to InDecision 2006", which was used in the early stages of the voting process, or "Clusterf#@k to the White House" for the early primary season of the 2008 election, when there were nine Democratic and twelve Republican candidates in the race.

The Daily Show's coverage of Canadian federal elections also uses the "Indecision" label; the 2006 federal election was covered under the title of "InDecision/InDécision 2006", acknowledging Canada's two official languages, French and English. The Daily Show's brief coverage of the United Kingdom general election was titled "A Spot of InDecision" or "Clustershag to 10 Downing". When covering the 2006 election in Israel, the show switched to the Hebrew calendar and covered the event as "Indecision 5766". When covering the two Iraqi elections in 2005, the show used the Islamic calendar, with the title "Indecision 1425". On October 7, 2003, the show had a special episode entitled "Re-Decision 2003" to cover the state of California's recall election.

An uncensored version of InDecision 2004 was released on a three-disc DVD box set on June 28, 2005. It includes original material from Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show's News Team", all episodes from the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, "The Bush-Kerry Debate: The Squabble in Coral Gables", "Election Night 2004: Prelude to a Recount", and highlights from throughout the 2004 presidential election.

Rob Riggle has also done a segment called "Indecision 2044", in which he interviewed kindergarteners to see who was most likely to run for president in 2044.

During the 2009 Iranian presidential election, the section was renamed to IRAn Decision 2009.

Coverage of the 2010 midterm elections was called: Midterm TeaPartyGanza, When Grizzlies Attack. This references the growing popularity of the Tea Party, a conservative movement, and Sarah Palin's nickname for conservative mothers as "Mama Grizzlies."

Mess O' Potamia/Crisis in Israfghyianonanaq

Mess O' Potamia has been a common part of the show since the early days of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Like "Indecision ####", the title is merely used to specify the topic of the jokes, which focus on the troubles in the Mesopotamia region.

In August 2006, Stewart announced that the Mess O' Potamia segment had been renamed "The Futile Crescent". Then, in December 2006, Stewart created a spin-off of the segment, this one entitled "Mess O' Potomac", to coincide with the release of the final report from the Iraq Study Group.

The final segment of Mess O'Potamia aired in March of 2009, shortly after Barack Obama assumed office. Although the Iraq War persists, the clip was entitled "Mess O'Potamia - The Iraq War Is Over".^[2]

Crisis in Israfghyianonanaq is an alternative name for the "Mess O' Potamia" segment. Originally used in 2006, it focuses on problems in the Middle East. The title is a portmanteau of the names of (in order) Israel, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq.

The Toss

Often at the end of a show, just before the Moment of Zen, Jon Stewart will "check in with our good friend Stephen Colbert at The Colbert Report." Meant as a parody of major news shows bridging to one another on networks such as CNN, the sequence usually consists of either a "sneak preview" of Colbert's show or a brief discussion about something that occurred on Stewart's. Ultimately, however, the sequence often ends with Colbert's egotistical character insulting Stewart. Usually, both Colbert and especially Stewart are prone to breaking character and laughing. Once a feature of virtually every episode, the frequency of The Toss has been gradually cut back to the point that it now only occurs once every couple of weeks. As of August 18, 2011, it has not appeared since February 2, 2011.

You're Welcome with John Hodgman

On February 12, 2009, "Resident Expert" John Hodgman began a new segment called You're Welcome, in which he uses his "expertise" to permanently solve the country's most pressing problems. For instance, in the first segment, he proposed to save the struggling economy in part by making Criss Angel the treasury secretary (promising that he would "levitate the economy, make it disappear, then pull it out of the belly button of a Hooter's waitress"), and instituting an "emergency Christmas" to get people shopping.

Other segment titles

As with "Indecision" and "Mess-O-Potamia," other humorous titles have been used to indicate the subject matter of various segments. Recently, these have included:

• Clusterf**k to the White House, a segment on the 2008 presidential election, the title referring to the large number of candidates (which at the time was 18) running for the position.
  • Clusterf**k to the Poorhouse, which features news about the worsening US and world economies.
  • Variations on the theme include Clustershag to 10 Downing on the 2010 British elections, and Clusterf**k to the Warhouse on the Israeli and Korean crises of late May and early June 2010.
• Baracknophobia, referring to news outlets and other organization that have a seemingly irrational fear of President Barack Obama.
• A variant on Indecision 2008, The Long, Flat Seemingly Endless Bataan Death March to the White House, covering the drawn-out contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
• You Don't Know Dick (later, "Even Dick Don't Know Dick" and "You Don't Know Richard Cheney" when Lynne Cheney was the guest), which chronicles Vice President Dick Cheney's various levels of secrecy. On the February 5, 2009 episode, Stewart officially changed the name of the segment to "Why Are You Such A Dick?"
• ¿Ay, Mami, Por Que es El Mentiroso Todavia a Cargo de la Ley? (Mommy, Why is the Lying Man Still in Charge of the Law?), which features highlights from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's testimonies before Congress relating to the U.S. attorney firings scandal.
• America to the Rescue, which highlights arms deals between the United States Government and the governments of Middle Eastern countries. The segment is introduced by a melange of powerful music, a brief segment of George W. Bush speaking, and computer-generated fighter jets. A self-compounding instance that compounded U.S. weapons deals linked to Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden, "flashback" segment introductions from the Persian Gulf War (featuring George H.W. Bush and the early 1980s Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (featuring Ronald Reagan).
• Maritime Salvage Update, which has appeared twice and chronicles current underwater archaeological news
• I Give Up, when Stewart highlights a story which makes him upset and hopeless.

Past recurring Stewart-era segments

Here is a list of past recurring segments from mostly the era in which Jon Stewart hosted the show, in alphabetical order:

10 F#@king Years

10 F#@king Years is a segment that was featured on the show throughout 2006, to celebrate the show's tenth anniversary. The segment usually features host Jon Stewart offering a nostalgic look back at the show's past segments (normally spanning Stewart's run as host), usually focusing on a specific theme. The segment debuted on July 17, 2006 around the time of the show's actual anniversary. The segment continued on until the end of 2006, when the anniversary was over.

Are You Prepared?!?

Are You Prepared?!? was a segment that debuted on the show on May 16, 2006 featuring Samantha Bee. Focusing on preparedness for a potential disaster or bad situation, the segment was styled as a parody of the scare tactics used by sensationalistic news shows. In the segment, the correspondent normally travelled around in a large van with the words "Are You Prepared?!?" on its side, often knocking on doors of unsuspecting residents and "testing their preparedness" in the given scenario. Bee performed the segment two times, with her husband, correspondent Jason Jones hosting an installment on November 9, 2006.

Even Stevphen

Even Stevphen was a segment that was an in-studio debate between correspondents Steven Carell and Stephen Colbert. It is very similar to the show's earlier segment, "Backfire". The segment's name is a composite of the two correspondents' homophonic first names, sometimes appearing as Even Stephven or Even Stephen (the ph and v appear superimposed on top of each other in the segment's opening graphic). The segment's debut, on September 20, 1999, is the source of the two soundbites used in the most frequent incarnation of the segment's opening graphic: Carell's "You just made me vomit in my own mouth!" and Colbert's "What's the weather like up your own ass?" ^[3] While the segment was about debating a recent topic, Colbert and Carell would often spend the time insulting each other instead, sometimes resulting in one of them breaking down in tears, due to painful childhood memories. The segment was discontinued when Steve Carell left the show, after a brief one-off take featuring Ed Helms (Carell's The Office co-star) as Colbert's debate partner, in which Helms deliberately demonstrated that he was incapable of grasping the premise of the segment.^[4] On September 19, 2006, a montage of the best of "Even Stevphen" was shown as part of The Daily Show's "10 F#@king Years".^[5]

The segment was revived on the July 7, 2010 episode of The Colbert Report, when Carell was the guest. They debated how uncomfortable the interview was for them, leading into both insulting each other for bad career decisions, and ending with both men crying and a surprise appearance by Jon Stewart who begged the two to answer how they were able to leave the show.

A Tale of Survival

A Tale of Survival was a segment that was always done by correspondent Vance DeGeneres, in which he would present a feature done in the style of a Dateline NBC report. In it, a trivial incident was reported as if it were quite dangerous and serious, such as the time the pork chop a man was preparing caught fire and distressed his pet parrot. Between pre-filmed portions, Vance would appear in the studio hiding behind various set-decorations or apparatuses, describing the events in greater frightful detail. Unlike other Daily Show pieces, this one would be divided by a commercial break to accentuate the anticlimactic aspect. The segment first appeared in or around 1999 and was discontinued when Vance DeGeneres left the show in 2001.

Ad Nauseam

Ad Nauseam was a segment in which its host played various clips of television advertisements and then made fun of them. The original host of the segment was Michael Blieden until 1999. Steve Carell was the host from 1999 to 2002, but when he left the show for his movie and television career, correspondent Ed Helms began to take his place starting in 2002. The segment was discontinued around 2003.

It appears to be inspired by the "Ad Absurdum" segment on the CBC's Royal Canadian Air Farce.

The Decider

The Decider is a segment done in the style of a comic book. The animated segment's main character is President George W. Bush as the superhero The Decider. The segment originated when Bush made a comment referring to himself as "the decider" during a press conference on April 18, 2006. The Decider has only been featured on the show three times, with its first appearance debuting on April 19, 2006. The Decider made an additional appearance on May 18, 2006. After a long hiatus of two years, the segment was featured again on the June 19, 2008 episode of The Daily Show, with an additional twist — The Decider had now become The Procastinator.^[6]

Diagnosis

Diagnosis: was a segment that occurred twice, as "Diagnosis: Mystery" and "Diagnosis: Science." "Mystery" was hosted by Jason Jones in the guise of a medical interest piece, exploring cures for homosexuality. "Science" was hosted by Rob Riggle, exploring how cloning animals will affect food choices.

Digital Watch

Digital Watch was a segment hosted by Ed Helms and focused on new technology. The segment began sometime around February 2003 and was discontinued sometime around the Summer of 2004.

Dollars and "Cents"

Dollars and "Cents" was a segment where two hosts discuss economics and give financial advice. It ridiculed the format of financial news shows and included a stock ticker and a bug in the left corner saying "MSTDSFN," mimicking the names and logos of MSNBC and CNN FN.

The hosts and format varied somewhat. When it premiered in early 2000 it was hosted by Steve Carell and Vance DeGeneres, with Nancy Walls reporting from the stock exchange as a "Money Bunny." The "Money Bunny" was usually treated poorly by the two male hosts who would make jokes at her expense. After DeGeneres left, he was replaced by Mo Rocca. Eventually, other correspondents would appear in the rotating spots as "Host" and ""Money Bunny" such as Miriam Tolan, Matt Walsh, Campbell Smith, Lauren Weedman and Ed Helms. Dollars and "Cents" was last seen in 2002 when Rob Corddry was reporting from its news desk.

Exper-teasers

Exper-teasers was hosted by resident expert John Hodgman, debuting on August 24, 2006. The segment was pre-recorded and featured Hodgman, as the show's "Resident Expert", discussing a different topic each week from a room full of books. Samantha Bee was the voice over announcer for the segment's introduction. In each segment, a question appeared on-screen and Hodgman addressed the subject, often using doctored-up photos and other humorous visual aides. Hodgman ended each segment by saying "I'm John Hodgman, and you're welcome." While the "Exper-teasers" segment only appeared twice, Hodgman continues to appear on the show as the Resident Expert.

Great Moments in Punditry As Read By Children

Great Moments in Punditry As Read By Children was a segment that featured small children reading transcripts of contentious moments from programs like Crossfire and Hannity and Colmes. The segment was featured prominently between 2004 and 2005 and usually aired just before a commercial break.

Headlines

Headlines was the segment that always opened the show for the first four years that Jon Stewart hosted the show. In the segment, Stewart would focus on the big stories of the day. The segment was abruptly dropped around 2003, and no reason was given. This was one of the three divisions of the show under Stewart's first few years; the others being "Other News" and "This Just In". All three were dropped in 2003. The term is still used on The Daily Show website to categorize videos of a night's leading news story.

The Jobbing of America

The Jobbing of America was a segment about jobs, hosted by Stephen Colbert.

Klassic Kolbert

Klassic Kolbert was a segment consisting of a previously aired segment featuring former correspondent Stephen Colbert. The segment first appeared on February 8, 2006, several months after Colbert left the Daily Show to host its spin-off, The Colbert Report.

Mark Your Calendar

Mark Your Calendar was a segment in which its host went over highlights of the upcoming month. At one particular time, the segment was done on a monthly basis. Mo Rocca originally hosted the segment, Ed Helms hosted it from 2002 to 2003, and Samantha Bee began hosting the segment in 2003. Although Samantha Bee is still a correspondent on the show, this segment no longer appears. At one point, the segment was known as Mark One's Calendar.

Mopinion

Mopinion was a commentary segment delivered in a deadpan fashion by Mo Rocca.^[7]

Other News

Other News was the segment that always followed Jon Stewart's "Headlines" segment for the first four years of his stint as host. In the segment, Stewart would focus on the less important stories of the day, which would provide a comedic contrast to the segment "Headlines". The segment was abruptly dropped around 2003, and no reason was given. This was one of the three divisions of the show under Stewart's first few years; the others being "Headlines" and "This Just In." All three were dropped in 2003.

Out at the Movies

Out at the Movies was a segment hosted by Frank DeCaro who provided the audience with a look at new feature films in-character as a flamboyantly homosexual film critic who can find gay subtext in any film.^[8][9] During his stint on the show, Comedy Central ran yearly extended thirty-minute-long versions of "Out at the Movies" for the Oscars. The segment debuted in 1997 and was one of the show's longest running segments. It was discontinued when Frank DeCaro left the show in 2003.

Poll Smoking with Dave Gorman

Poll Smoking with Dave Gorman is a segment in which the segment's host, Dave Gorman, credited as the show's Statistical Analyst, presents satirical views of polls and statistics pertaining to current events. In each segment, Gorman pretends not to notice the double-meaning of his segment's title (a reference to fellatio) and makes several accidental jokes involving the title, until the October 5, 2006 segment when Gorman "found out" the meaning of the segment's title and "decided" to go along with it. This segment first appeared on April 27, 2006 and last appeared on October 5, 2006.

Gorman had originally appeared on the show as a guest in December 2001, to promote his book Are You Dave Gorman?. He was hired as a contributor four years later, making him the second contributor to be hired after appearing on the show as a guest to promote his book (after John Hodgman). The segment was so inspiring that a fan of the show created the website PollSmoking.com.

Produce Pete with Steve Carell

Produce Pete was a segment hosted by Steve Carell, in which he gave humorous advice regarding produce, interspersed with comments about his life's own failures. The segment was previously-taped and first came about around 2002 or 2003 when Carell became too busy with his movie career to do live segments on the show. This segment would typically air towards the end of the show, right before "Your Moment of Zen." The segment was discontinued when Carell left the show, though it did make a brief reappearance after Carell was "discovered" to have been lost in Iraq.

The Seat of Heat

The Seat of Heat debuted on the show on September 13, 2006. The segment is featured during the guest interview; Stewart asks the guest one question that is thought to be particularly tough to answer (for example, during an interview with Johnny Knoxville: "Which member of your show will be the first to die and what will his scrotum be stapled to then?"). During the segment, the screen behind Stewart and his guest fills with images of flames. The Seat of Heat is the first regular segment during the guest interview since "Five Questions". However, this segment was short-lived, having been discontinued in November 2006, two days after Stewart jokingly complained to guest Tina Fey that "for some reason, we're married to this bit now."^[10]

Slimming Down with Steve

Slimming Down with Steve was a segment chronicling Carell's character's misguided attempts to lose weight. Among the methods suggested were eating vegetable shortening as a healthier alternative to ice cream (which Carell did in front of Stewart and the audience, to their obvious disgust) and undergoing surgery that apparently left him with open wounds. Humor was also derived from Carell's extremely degrading comments about his own (very exaggerated, if even existent) weight problems, such as, "I've been trying to slim down through diet and exercise, but I still feel like 190 pounds of crap in a 175-pound bag!" -- announced with a cheery smile. The segment ran five times in 2001 and featured a cheesy opening sequence with a song whose lyrics, sung by Carell, consisted only of "Slimmin' down with Steve, slimmin' down with Steve!" repeated over and over.

Slow News Day

Slow News Day was a segment that debuted on the June 13, 2006 episode. The segment was a compilation of news clips that follow a single unusually dull or trivial news event over the course of several hours, usually from CNN, MSNBC or Fox News. The segment was very short and was usually played before the show goes to commercial with no introduction.

This Just In

This Just In was the segment that always followed Jon Stewart's "Other News" segment for the first four years of his stint as host. In the segment, Stewart would focus on the breaking stories of the day. The segment was abruptly dropped around 2003, and no reason was given. This was one of the three divisions of the show under Stewart's first few years; the others being "Headlines" and "Other News." All three were dropped in 2003.

This Week in God

Colbert activating the God Machine

This Week in God featured the "God Machine" and a satirical run-down of "everything God did this week," very similar to the earlier Daily Show segment "God Stuff" with John Bloom. The title "The God Machine" itself is a parody of the theatrical device Deus ex Machina, which means "God from the Machine" and refers to an almost contrived event that saves the day in a theatrical production.

Stephen Colbert usually did the sketch from 2003 to 2005, though occasionally it has been done by other correspondents.^[11] Due to the spin-off of The Colbert Report, the sketch was handed off to Rob Corddry in 2005. Said Colbert on the hand-off: "God has an exclusive licensing agreement with The Daily Show. We're trying to get the Devil for our show."^[12]

On the July 31, 2006 episode, the last This Week in God segment, for three months, aired, due to Corddry's departure from the show. On October 19, 2006, "This Week in God" returned with Samantha Bee taking over, as the show's "Senior Religion Correspondent". Bee returned again for the segment's "Christmas Christacular" on December 18, 2006. Correspondent Ed Helms has also filled in for the host of the segment on occasion.^[13]

The God Machine normally took the form of a black post with a single large, bright red button on its top, surrounded by yellow lining. It had previously appeared as the "God Lever" or the "God Rod." The host smacks the button, and it starts flashing an apparently random succession of religiously themed images on a screen behind the host, while making a sound of a high-pitched voice (recorded by Colbert) saying "Beepboopboop beepboopboop boopboop. Beepboopboop beepboopboop boopboop. Beep. Boop. Boop". The images and the sound slow down toward the end, with humorous or ironic last few images (such as Captain Morgan, Snuggle the Bear, Toad or Colbert himself) appearing before the screen settles on an image that prompts the next item in the segment.

A frequent subject chosen by the God Machine is Islam.^{[citation needed]} Whenever this occurs, the host makes a note about the religion in an attempt to placate any angry Muslims. These statements include, "Islam! About which there is nothing funny", or "Islam! Which I respect completely."

Colbert made the "God Machine" famous as an icon for irreverent and sometimes seemingly subversively provocative examination of religious issues. When Rob Corddry first took over God Machine duties, he indicated that he is an Episcopalian.

On the April 19, 2007 episode of The Colbert Report, during Sean Penn's and Stephen Colbert's Meta-Free-Phor-All, a modified version of the "God Machine" sound was used to generate subjects. The "God Machine" made an additional appearance during the June 5, 2007 episode of The Colbert Report.

Trendspotting

Trendspotting was a segment hosted by comedian and "Youth Correspondent" Demetri Martin. In this segment, Martin provides viewers with a comedic look at new, youth-targeted trends. Topics included wine, Xbox 360, Myspace.com, life coaching, hookahs, and credit card companies. On July 24, 2007, correspondent John Oliver filled in for a slightly altered "Political Trendspotting" segment on the YouTube Debates, wearing a Demetri Martin wig and attempting to adopt his hip vernacular. (Ironically, Oliver is 5 years younger than Martin).

We Love Showbiz

We Love Showbiz was a segment hosted by Steve Carell and Nancy Walls (who are now married). It was a parody of Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight and similar shows; poking fun at their sycophantic attitude towards celebrities. After Walls' departure in 2002, other female correspondents (Lauren Weedman and Rachael Harris) hosted opposite Carell. When Carell was not available, Ed Helms would host. Rob Corddry also hosted twice during the summer of 2003, once with Steve Carell and once with Samantha Bee. The segment was discontinued in 2003.

Wilmore-Oliver Investigates

Wilmore-Oliver Investigates was a segment in which correspondents Larry Wilmore and John Oliver parody investigative journalism. The segment has been featured three times. The first installment explored the use of the n word, and the second segment explored celebrities who utter offensive statements. The third looked into a Republican debate at a primarily African-American college which none of the major candidates showed up to; this segment was repeated on January 24, 2008. Most of the humor in the segment is drawn from the differences between British correspondent Oliver and African-American correspondent Wilmore. The segment debuted on March 28, 2007.

This first segment was a focus of conversation when Wilmore appeared on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross in June 2007.

Whaaa?

Whaaa? was a segment that was sometimes introduced during coverage of news stories that Stewart claimed to find particularly bewildering, such as the revelation that the Army was firing Arabic-speaking linguists for being gay, or that AOL Time Warner had managed to lose $99 billion in a single year. The device was used during 2002 and 2003 and was identified by Stewart's turning to camera three and the appearance of a large blue logo reading, "Whaaa?"

Past recurring Kilborn-era segments

Here is a list of past recurring segments from mostly the era in which Craig Kilborn hosted the show (1996–1998), in alphabetical order:

A Moment for Us

A Moment for Us was a segment in which host Craig Kilborn paused the show for a personal monologue with the audience.^[14] Kilborn carried the segment over when he left The Daily Show to become the host of The Late Late Show. The segment was featured during Kilborn's stint as host, from 1996 to 1998.^[15]

Backfire

Backfire was a segment that was an in-studio debate between correspondents A. Whitney Brown and Brian Unger. It is very similar to the later segment, "Even Stevphen", which were also in-studio debates between two correspondents. The segment's title is a parody of the political debate show, Crossfire. The segment began in or around 1996 and was discontinued when A. Whitney Brown and Brian Unger left the show in 1998.

Five Questions

Five Questions was a segment that was conducted during each show, when Craig Kilborn was the show's host. The segment would always come at the very end of Kilborn's informal celebrity interviews. In the segment, Kilborn would ask a sequence of five absurd questions that often had even more irrelevant answers.^[14] Actor Bill Murray gained notoriety for being the first and one of the few to answer all "correctly". Kathy Ireland had the dubious honor of only getting one, and that was with Kilborn's help.

A book released in 1998 by Comedy Central titled The Daily Show: Five Questions (ISBN 0-8362-5325-6), highlights many of the best interview moments from Craig Kilborn's stint as host.

When Kilborn left the show in 1998 in order to replace Tom Snyder on CBS's The Late Late Show, he was able to take the segment Five Questions with him to the new show, disallowing any future TDS host from using it in their interviews.^[15] However, in Jon Stewart's first week as host, he slowly phased out the "Five Questions", doing "Four Questions" on Monday, "Three Questions" on Tuesday, "Two Questions" on Wednesday, ending with "The One Question" on Thursday.

God Stuff

God Stuff was a segment in which the segment's host, John Bloom, presented an assortment of actual clips from various televangelists. It is very similar to the later segment, "This Week in God". The segment began around 1996 and was discontinued when John Bloom left the show in 1998^{[citation needed]}.

Public Excess

Public Excess was a segment hosted by correspondent Rich Brown. The segment began in 1996 and was discontinued when he left the show in 1998. Public Excess segments from the past were still being shown in Daily Show episodes up to mid 2000.

Trivial Compromise

Trivial Compromise was a Jeopardy-like segment shown during the last commercial break during Craig Kilborn's tenure as host. It was hosted by Creator/Producer Lizz Winstead's mother and father Ginny and Wilbur Winstead via telephone.

Recurring jokes

There are several comedic themes and gags which have recurred through the series.

"Senior ______ Correspondent"

When a correspondent does a purported live shot, the caption of his or her title will say "Senior ______ Correspondent," with an absurd subject in which he or she is supposedly expert and therefore qualified to cover the story at hand. Some of the more ridiculous examples have included "Senior Child Molestation Correspondent," "Senior Conceptual Art Correspondent" and Larry Wilmore's long-standing title, "Senior Black Correspondent."

Pun Captions

Most news stories covered on The Daily Show are accompanied by an image in the top left-hand corner of the screen and a caption that is a pun connecting the story's subject with a familiar saying or pop-culture item. Examples include "Ebony and Irony," which was used when it was revealed that Strom Thurmond's family once owned Al Sharpton's; "Syria's Unfortunate Events" for the end of Syria's occupation of Lebanon; and "Scum-dog Million-hairs" in reference to corrupt Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich and his oft-ridiculed haircut. If the audience laughs particularly long at a joke, Stewart will often mock them with a comment to the effect of, "Really? We kinda thought we phoned that one in;" if they groan or snicker at it, he will say something defensive like, "You think it's easy coming up with these?" or "You should've seen the ones we didn't go with." One recurring joke, often used to make fun of the audience and the viewers, is to make a pun at World of Warcraft, using it's text or making the segment's name World of ___craft.

Green Screens

Stewart and the correspondents often make ad-libbed references to the fact that their "live reports" are nearly always filed from inside the studio in front of a green-screen only a short distance from Stewart's desk. This is sometimes brought up if the picture on the screen contradicts reality—for example, if it shows a nighttime view of the city where the correspondent claims to be. Other references are scripted, such as when Samantha Bee, Jason Jones and Dan Bakkedahl all claimed to be reporting from three different Middle Eastern cities; appearing on a split screen, they tossed the many-pocketed khaki vest typically worn by correspondents during Middle East segments from frame to frame (each of them being unwilling to deliver a report about the Middle East without wearing khaki). Another time, Jason Jones, having actually gone to Denmark to report a story, shoved a passerby in order to "prove" he was really there.

Sexual innuendo

Stephen Colbert harps upon the 2003 Prince Charles sex scandal by inhaling a banana in this memorable moment from The Daily Show.

For years, Stewart and the correspondents of The Daily Show have crafted a unique form of humor around sexual innuendo. An image that commonly appears when magazines review the show comes from a 2003 report by Stephen Colbert about a purported sexual scandal involving Prince Charles.^[16] The Daily Show was lampooning the fact that British news outlets had to resort to using innuendo to be able to report on the situation at all due to the strict libel laws in the United Kingdom. Colbert reported, with emphasis:

"This is a story I could really wrap my hands around. I mean, I'd love to grab this story by the hilt and work this story long and hard, maybe teasing you with a few details. Make you beg for the story until it builds into a huge climax and explodes all over the front pages."

A moment later, he ate most of a banana in one bite in imitation of fellatio. Stewart can first be heard giggling off-camera at this point; Colbert tried to continue reporting, but lost his composure and could only stop laughing for a few moments at a time — a rare occurrence on the program. However, he succeeded in wrapping up the piece with his trademark stone-faced signoff (which is, simply, "Jon?").

NAMBLA

A running gag is the insertion of the phrase "...or NAMBLA" (an acronym for the North American Man/Boy Love Association) instead of stating a proper abbreviation or acronym after mentioning a long or convoluted name, such as Republican National Convention or Federal Bureau of Investigation. Similarly, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was dubbed "NAMBL-OPEC" and the National Rifle Association was dubbed "BLAMBLA." The International Atomic Energy Agency was termed "IAEA-BLA". An advocacy group concerned about alleged sexual abuse by Catholic priests was termed "Anti-NAMBLA". In August 2005, Stewart renamed NARAL Pro-Choice America "NAR-AMBLA". In the October 2005 debut of a segment called "Man vs. Nature: The War on Terra", which detailed the devastating effects of global warming, Stewart shivered as he said "NAMBLA" in reference to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Stewart will even refer to organizations that are already acronyms as NAMBLA ("...the AARP, or NAMBLA").

While covering the 2004 Republican National Convention, Stephen Colbert was asked who he was representing and quickly answered, "NAMBLA." (Incidentally, the woman he said this to turned out to be a friend of his sister.)^[17]

In June 2005, Jon Stewart played on the gag while criticizing an acronym-within-an-acronym for the word "oil" stated in the United States Congress, responding with, "That is no NAMBLA, my friend."

On July 27, 2006, a segment of the show titled "10 Years" featured many clips referring to the NAMBLA jokes.^[18] Jon Stewart ended the recap with yet another NAMBLA joke:

"You know, it's ironic. Now that we're 10-years-old, we're exactly the right age to draw the attention of NAMBLA. However, for the record, The Daily Show has absolutely no affiliation with the North American Man Boy Love Association, or, as it's called, UNICEF."

The joke was used once again in reference to the Mark Foley scandal, with Stewart speaking of the "North American Man Boy Love Association, or Congress."

On October 30, 2006, Jon Stewart played a clip from the Ohio gubernatorial race in which Ken Blackwell accused his opponent of getting support from NAMBLA. Jon Stewart stated "I knew I'd be right at some point with that acronym."

On November 30, 2006, Jon Stewart played a clip from the joint news conference of President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Amman, Jordan. Jon Stewart made a joke about George W. Bush's announcement regarding the Joint Committee on Accelerating the Transferring of Security Responsibility, dubbing it SCRAMBLA.

Stephen Colbert carried the joke over to his program, The Colbert Report; in November 2007 when he was told by the South Carolina Democratic Council that he wasn't going to be on the primary ballot, he responded by saying "I assume you'll be donating my application fee to NAMBLA?"

A reference to NAMBLA also appears in America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction. A spread providing information about different lobbies includes a "stated agenda" and "hidden agenda" for each group; for example, the "hidden agenda" of Hollywood is, "A Baldwin in the White House by 2016." NAMBLA's entry reads, "Stated agenda: The legalization of sexual relations between men and young boys. Hidden agenda: Dude, did you read the stated agenda?"

Tongue-in-cheek anti-Semitism

As a way of responding to the periodic theme of a Jewish conspiracy theory in many segments, often Stewart (who is himself Jewish) and some of the correspondents will play out some of the common stereotypes and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. For instance, on Stephen Colbert's segment "Rudolph Apprehended", he "argued" that Eric Rudolph's road to terrorism was orchestrated by a "Global Cabal of Jews", who ultimately were the cause of Rudolph's personal failures in life and emotional instability. Similarly, in a segment titled "The Price of Oil", Jon Stewart indicated that the only logical conclusion for the wildly rising and fluctuating oil prices is that they are controlled by a global cabal of Jews consisting of Dick Cheney, Magic Johnson and the head of Iran the Ayatollah Khomeni (none of whom are Jewish), saying that it makes as much sense as anything else. In other segments they will parody many of the racist attitudes towards Jews, including segments where Jon will reference a bagel as one of the goals of a Jewish conspiracy. In addition, Colbert often played the role of the one with the most anti-Semitic tendencies on the show. During some of the Even Stephen debate segments, Colbert parodies anti-Semitic right-wing Christian ideologues. Colbert has often called Stewart his "Jewish friend."

During a segment of 'Even Stepvhen' when Colbert and Carell were debating Christianity and Islam (representing each side respectively) the two men could not reach an agreement until Jon asked them to hurry up and finish the segment, after Carell commented that 'Maybe the Jew is right', they put their differences aside and came to an agreement that both of them were against Jon (Jews).^[19]

"Meet Me at Camera Three"

Meet Me At Camera Three is a common phrase used by Stewart, which began in 2006, to initiate what is intended to be a direct address to the person or group with which the current topic is concerned. Typically after expressing his distaste for the subject's actions, Stewart will then request that (for example) "Walt Disney Company, meet me at camera three", at which point the shot switches to a camera situated at the right of the regular camera. Stewart turns on spot to face the camera, and sends his message to the subject, possibly beginning his speech with a relevant greeting (such as "Howdy" after the President spoke of being a southern man, or "Hola" to Spanish-speaking subjects), and then shot is switched back to its regular camera. In a recent episode it was revealed that when wishing to send a direct message to another person or group while in the middle of addressing someone at camera three, Stewart may address the person or group at "Camera Four", which appears to be shot vertically from the ground, in front of the desk.

"I don't care for it..."

Often, when a celebrity guest comments on how much of a fan of the show they are, Stewart will reply with "I don't care for it; I think it's crass".

Special episodes

On occasion, the show has special episodes devoted to one particular theme.

The show's April 5, 2006 episode was called, "Race: The AfroSpanicIndioAsianization of America". The primary focus of the episode was race relations in America. All of the pieces by correspondents and by Jon Stewart were on this topic. Contributor Demetri Martin performed in a previously-taped segment in which he asked pedestrians how many episodes the show should devote to race; or rather which race they don't need to (to which most responses were either Asians or Hispanics), and contributor John Hodgman appeared as the show's Resident Expert on race. However, the interview segment towards the end of the show had nothing to do with the rest of the show. The guest was Tony Zinni and he only appeared to promote his book, The Battle for Peace.

Vilsack Duck

During 2006 the show developed a running joke based on the name and relative obscurity of Democratic Governor Tom Vilsack. In a joint parody of the Aflac Duck, mentions of the governor on the show are proceeded with a duck quacking his name as "Vil-sack!". When Vilsack appeared as a guest on the show in December 2006, the joke was again used with the duck initially respectfully stating Vilsack's full name and title before being urged by Stewart to return to the standard joke. Vilsack himself later in the same show made light of the joke by presenting Stewart with a talking plush toy of the Aflac Duck with a badge reading "#1 Vilsack Fan", and saying "I'm not going to duck the issue". On occasion, the duck has also blurted out similar words such as "Brown-back!" (for Sam Brownback) and "Mor-mon!". As a result of Tom Vilsack's withdrawal from the presidential race, the joke was retired during the February 27, 2007 episode, including a CGI render of the duck wailing "Villlllllllsaaaack!!" in anguish.

A similar joke was used to describe then-Presidential-candidate Barack Obama, where the duck said "half-black."

Time Magazine Person of the Year 2006

A recurring joke has involved Time Magazine's much criticised/mocked choice for Person of the Year 2006; 'You', signified with a mirror surface on the cover. When clips are played showing an individual highlighting the behaviour of 'you' (the common people/American voter), Stewart has begun dropping quips about the Time Magazine choice. If the comment made was positive, the joke involves the notion that this is the next big thing for 'you' after Time Magazine. If the comment was negative, the joke is based on the idea things have gone downhill for 'you' after the Time Magazine highlight.

Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage On A Stick

First referenced on October 19, 2006, this food item has become a recurring joke with much humor derived from its strange mix of ingredients.^[20] Baconnaise, another unusual food item, was first mentioned on February 25, 2009 ^[21] and has likewise been brought out as a recurring joke.^{[22][23][24][25][26]} Jon Stewart combined the two foods, dipping a blueberry-pancake-and-sausage stick into a jar of Baconnaise Lite.^[27]

Giant Head of Brian Williams

When the set was changed for the second time on April 9, 2007, the stagehands, according to Jon Stewart, made "one glitch... a classic mistake that people make when they first break in a new set" and "installed the giant head of Brian Williams". Williams appears in the giant projection screen behind Jon Stewart and occasionally insults and demeans Stewart in regards to his journalistic skills on the show, including pointing out that Stewart "needs a teleprompter to read the fake news". Also, when Stewart mocked Brian Williams' service as a moderator in a Democratic Presidential Debate, Williams appeared behind him, intimidating and correcting Jon, before threatening that he found a way to appear at Stewart's home. Jon typically responds that he's surprised that Brian Williams is such a dick to him. In later shows, the giant heads of Robert Loggia, Ted Koppel, and Bruce Willis have also made an appearance.

R. Kelly Impersonator

Daily Show host Jon Stewart interacts with the "R. Kelly Impersonator" over the Kilpatrick and Beatty text-messaging scandal.

R. Kelly Impersonator was introduced during the Larry Craig Scandal, singing commentary to the tune of Trapped in the Closet. He has since returned for other sex scandals, such as the text-messaging scandal involving Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. In 2005, an episode of South Park aired which featured a similar mechanism (R. Kelly providing commentary through song).

The Schmaily Schmow

The Schmaily Schmow with Schmon Schmewart is a cheap parody of The Daily Show, introduced in a Demetri Martin segment covering Viacom taking legal action to remove their content from being uploaded to YouTube. In the segment, Demetri suggested the best way to get around this issue was for the public to film their own knock off Daily Show segments, with all trademarks proceeded with "Schm". A video was then shown of a home made "The Schmaily Schmow" filmed with a cardboard set and a little boy in place of Stewart. Since then, Stewart himself has occasionally referenced the idea. All clips from the "Schmaily Schmow" are "courtesy of 'Schmomedy Schmentral'".

"No disrespect"/"How you doin'"

From time to time, when a story or news clip includes a "man on the street"-type figure or someone affecting a "tough guy" attitude, Stewart will take the cue to do a lengthy impression of a stereotypical working-class New York Italian, always peppered with the phrases "no disrespect" and "how you doin'" as a kind of verbal tic. For example, imitating a member of Congress who was deriding bank CEOs for their dubious efforts to use bailout money for the common good: "So I'm tellin' you, take your Salvation Army and your breast-cancer ribbons and shove 'em up Gandhi's ass! Boom!... no disrespect how you doin'."

Jon Stewart...

These segments start with Jon Stewart in the title and are often followed by something that, while related to the topic, can easily be misinterpreted as rude or unacceptable behavior. Such captions include Jon Stewart Looks at Kids junk, a look at recent technology advances, or Jon Stewart's Big Gay Problem, which was an intended name change for the Gaywatch segment, now known as We're here, We're Queer, Get Newsed to it. When the name of the segment is introduced, it is followed by Jon turning towards back stage and telling off the crew.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Comedy Central Press Release for The Daily Show
2. ^ Jon Stewart, Barack Obama (3 March 2009). Mess O'Potamia - The Iraq War Is Over. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-3-2009/mess-o-potamia---the-iraq-war-is-over. 
3. ^ Even Stevphen - Weather | The Daily Show | Comedy Central
4. ^ Even Stevphen - War | The Daily Show | Comedy Central
5. ^ 10 F#@king Years - Even Stevphen | The Daily Show | Comedy Central.
6. ^ The Procastinator | The Daily Show | Comedy Central
7. ^ Film producer Moore may visit WU in October - News
8. ^ Amorosi, A.D.. "20 Questions: Frank DeCaro". The Philadelphia City Paper. http://citypaper.net/articles/071300/ae.20q.shtml. 
9. ^ "Going for the groan", The St. Petersburg Times
10. ^ [1]
11. ^ Comedy Central - Media Player
12. ^ Steinberg, Jacques (October 12, 2005). "The News Is Funny, as a Correspondent Gets His Own Show". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/arts/television/12colb.html. Retrieved May 11, 2010. 
13. ^ This Week in God - Burial Cloth
14. ^ ^{a b} Pennington, Gail (March 30, 1999). "KILBORN CAN'T WAIT TO UNCHAIN HIS HUMOR AS HOST OF 'LATE LATE' SUCCESSOR TO TOM SNYDER ON CBS SAYS HE'S MOVED BEYOND FRAT-BOY JOKES". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 
15. ^ ^{a b} "Craig Kilborn takes his shot at late-night The former 'Daily Show' wiseacre brings his smarts and smirks to CBS". USA TODAY. March 30, 1999. 
16. ^ Prince Charles Scandal | The Daily Show | Comedy Central.
17. ^ [2]|NPR's Fresh Air
18. ^ 10 F#@king Years - NAMBLA, Thursday July 27, 2006
19. ^ Even Stevphen - Islam Vs Christianity | Boreme.com
20. ^ Study of 'Daily Show': It's a lot like O'Reilly, The Associated Press. Published May 8, 2008.
21. ^ Rahner, Mark (April 9, 2009). "It's mayo, it's bacon, it's Baconnaise — and sales are sizzling". The Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2009010469_baconnaise09m.html. 
22. ^ http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-february-25-2009/optimist-prime
23. ^ http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-22-2009/the-stockholm-syndrome-pt--2
24. ^ http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-june-11-2009/indecision-2009---everywhere-but-here-edition
25. ^ http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-june-17-2009/heal-or-no-heal
26. ^ http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-1-2009/burka-ban
27. ^ http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-february-25-2009/bobby-jindal-s-republican-response