Well, this is depressing. Over the past few years especially, I’ve been hearing some counter-narratives about Jon Stewart and what he’s really like as a person, comedian and boss at The Daily Show. The default position for so many people is “I love him, he’s so clever and sassy.” The counter-narrative is that he’s a terrible boss, he hasn’t done enough to encourage female comedians, female writers or racially diverse comedic talent and that he actually does have some racial-humor problems. The counter-narrative has always been pretty easy to dismiss, especially when it’s being told by “media critics” or obviously disgruntled comedians who have long-standing issues with Stewart. But this story… it’s difficult to dismiss. I think it’s probably true and it really upsets me.
To set the scene, Wyatt Cenac did an interview with Marc Maron for his WTF podcast. Cenac was a Daily Show writer and on-air “correspondent” between 2008 through 2012. Maron obviously asked Cenac some questions about his work on TDS. It all began when Maron asked Cenac “You got along with Jon?” Cenac replied, “Naw.” Here’s what Cenac described to Maron:
While Cenac initially wanted to see Stewart as a father figure, he didn’t get that. What he remembers instead is a moment when Stewart screamed at him in front of the entire staff. “There had, in my experience, never been an explosion like that,” he said.
This happened back in the summer of 2011, when Stewart was roundly pillorying the 2012 presidential hopefuls, including one Herman Cain. He made fun of Cain by doing a “voice.” At the time Cenac was on a field assignment, and watched the bit from home. “I don’t think this is from a malicious place, but I think this is from a naïve, ignorant place,” he remembered thinking. “Oh no, you just did this and you didn’t think about it. It was just the voice that came into your head. And so it bugged me.” Stewart had been getting flak from Fox News for the voice, and he wanted to do something to respond — an Avenue Q–style “Everything I do is racist” segment.
Cenac, who was the only black writer there at the time, voiced his concerns during the writer’s meeting. “I’ve got to be honest, and I just spoke from my place,” said Cenac. “I wasn’t here when it all happened. I was in a hotel. And I cringed a little bit. It bothered me.” He wanted them to drop the bit and said that it reminded him of Kingfish, a character Tim Moore played on Amos ‘n’ Andy. He remembers:
“[Stewart] got incredibly defensive. I remember he was like, What are you trying to say? There’s a tone in your voice. I was like, “There’s no tone. It bothered me. It sounded like Kingfish.” And then he got upset. And he stood up and he was just like, “F–k off. I’m done with you.” And he just started screaming that to me. And he screamed it a few times. “F–k off! I’m done with you.” And he stormed out. And I didn’t know if I had been fired.”
The fight carried on at Stewart’s office and was only stopped when one of the office dogs began pawing at them. (Aww.) Eventually, the show had to go on, and Cenac remembers going outside to a baseball field and having a breakdown. “I was shaking, and I just sat there by myself on the bleachers and f–king cried. And it’s a sad thing. That’s how I feel. That’s how I feel in this job. I feel alone,” he said.
“Something like this, I represent my community, I represent my people, and I try to represent them the best that I can. I gotta be honest if something seems questionable, because if not, then I don’t want to be in a position where I am being untrue not just to myself but to my culture, because that’s exploitative. I’m just allowing something to continue if I’m just going to go along with it. And sadly, I think that’s the burden a lot of people have to have when you are “the one.” You represent something bigger than yourself whether you want to or not.”
As I said, I believe Wyatt. His story is coming after I’ve read some other critical pieces about Stewart’s mixed legacy at The Daily Show and how few diverse voices were really allowed in the writers’ room. Within this particular story, do you think Jon just couldn’t fathom one of his writers standing up to him and that’s why he went berserk? Do you think it was that Jon Stewart The Great couldn’t fathom the idea that he himself was being racially insensitive if not flat-out racist?
Photos courtesy of WENN, Getty.
I think in comedy everything gets covered by hey this is a joke so when someone points out that you are actually being racist or pushing stereotypes they get incredibly defensive. I love Stewart but I am not surprised the guy showed how tone deaf he was from criticism. I don’t think he takes criticism of any kind very well.
or maybe Stewart was pissed off as he felt like he was being called a racist. I get that. I had a situation where someone implied that I was being racist and I was absolutely devastated.
I could be wrong as I haven’t listened to the whole podcast, but it doesn’t sound like Cenac actually used the term racist. He simply said that the tone of the voice made him uncomfortable (if I am to go on the soundbites listed above). Now maybe Stewart drew an implication from that statement that he didn’t like. But it’s a little weird to me that comedians are that sensitive that someone simply saying something could be a bit problematic because the voice resembles another kind of voice (the Kingfish voice) would make said comedian throw a temper tantrum. Comedians say the public is too sensitive, but clearly comedians are a bit on the over-sensitive side if they don’t get that something that might be funny to them might not be funny to someone else.
It’s been implied in the comments section here that you are a racist if you are not 150% politically-correct and self-abasing. ; ) It is awful to be thought racist when you’re not.
Yeah, of course, that’s EXACTLY what people mean. This is what people are taking about, someone has the ‘gall’ to object to something that may be racially dense and then the ‘You’re too PC’ tears come out and the tantrum starts. That kind of hyperbole, no, not overly-sensitive at all.
People tend to get defensive when there’s some truth to the accusation. A lot of nice, left leaning, smart people are paranoid about being racist. They think racism is a FIXED trait, and they’re desperate to hide their own feelings because they know they’re wrong. What they don’t realize is that racism is a CHANGEABLE trait, that it’s something that can be actively worked on and eliminated. I’m not surprised Jon Stewart is so self conscious about his racism that he won’t let black people in the writing room except one at a time. He’s afraid of being found out for the horrible secret racism in his heart. A shame. Exposure and humility and active self improvement would have cured him.
Or maybe Stewart was being a racist, and he was rightly called on it? Maybe the person who called him on it was devastated that every day of his life, he was putting up with racist crap from the people that were supposed to be on his side?
Yeah, people get overly defensive when there is truth in the accusation that they don’t want to have to face.
I feel like if you’re accused of being racist and genuinely don’t want to be that way the correct reaction wouldn’t be to scream and curse at the black guy telling you you’re being racist. That’s just me though….
TDS has a documented problem with having almost no female writers — we can do the math on that. They brought out all the “support staff” females one time to show, “See, we do too have females.” They answer the phones, but . . .
And I believe Wyatt.
It’s the classic problem of liberal / progressive men thinking they’re too cool / smart / nice to be sexist or racist. So a woman gets lectured about how to be a better feminist. And don’t you dare call them racist; they won’t consider it.
They’re still better than the Conservative Witch Hunt to Eradicate Women’s Rights Altogether, but Jon probably just has the Ego to think he’s above being corrected.
Since he announced he’s leaving, every show he makes sure to mention prominently, “You know, I’ll be leaving soon.” Like he’s begging for more Oh no’s from the audience.
“It’s the classic problem of liberal / progressive men thinking they’re too cool / smart / nice to be sexist or racist. So a woman gets lectured about how to be a better feminist. And don’t you dare call them racist; they won’t consider it.”
This is the problem in Silicon Valley – it’s simply unimaginable to these guys that they might have some inherent biases and that the people they feel most comfortable with and who they hire (i.e., white males who went to – or dropped out of – fancy schools) might not be the most qualified people for the job. Same in Hollywood, as well.
I have to say, I’m in my mid-forties and I thought we would have seen more change by now in terms of hiring people from historically underrepresented groups…depressingly, I was wrong.
🙁 But believe ever word of it ( Love him BTW)
“do you think Jon just couldn’t fathom one of his writers standing up to him and that’s why he went berserk? Do you think it was that Jon Stewart The Great couldn’t fathom the idea that he himself was being racially insensitive if not flat-out racist?”
I think is the second thing, and you see the course correction he’s done since the time hat Cenac Left as far as including certain voices t, You know that the N word of most White people is the accusation of Racism.
I believe the story as well. I also believe Stewart got so upset because Cenac touched a nerve. We all have our blind spots and we don’t always respond well when they are made clear to us. So yeah, I can see a white man who prides himself on being racially sensitive and aware being shown by a black man in a professional and caring way that he has caused offense not taking it well.
I like that Cenac brought his discomfort up in the writers meeting as it was the appropriate place.
I would go even further and say not only could he fathom the idea, it was probably a time or a moment when he realized this fact. It can hit a person where they live when they come to the realization that they need examine their views and/or behavior. And I agree, he has tried to work on that aspect of the show since.
I liked Cenac a lot and I was sad to see him go. I love Jon Stewart but in my experience, nobody at his professional level – in any field – has made it that far without at least a handful of supreme a**hole moments. I have a great boss but I’ve heard stories about him … god.
I think so too. Its hard for people who try acknowledge race issues and believe they don’t say anything problematic to realize they DO have some of those inherent biases. It happened to a friend of mine and she was so angry that I pointed out such a behavior but later when she cooled off she was legitimately upset that she had even done it. Not saying that is the case here but it happens. We aren’t infallible or saintly so something is bound to slip through. Kudos to Cenac for bringing it up when the consequences could have been major for him
Yeah, I believe it 100%. Jon Stewart has made great contributions to the American political conversation and has been a force in many cases for positive cultural change, but it doesn’t mean he’s a perfect paragon of a person. He’s a white person, living in a culture of white privilege — OF COURSE he’s going to have racist moments and racist biases that are invisible to him. I care an awful lot about trying to root out my own complacent-white-person racism — doesn’t mean I’m not racist in ways that I don’t even see. In fact, I’m dead certain I am. Realizing when you’ve been behaved like that is very painful if you believe that racism is evil, and Stewart let himself down with responding defensively instead of setting aside his pained feelings and looking at the more important issue of why a black person, who lives with the ill effects of racism every day, felt that his proposed bit was culturally disrespectful. But he didn’t fire Cenac, and Cenac stood up for his principles when it was difficult to do so (i.e., when it counted). No, Stewart didn’t behave well here — but hopefully this incident had some positive long-term consequences. I just feel bad for Cenac that he had to go through that kind of traumatic episode with a boss — that sucks.
+1
I agree with everything you said here. No matter how racially sensitive we may think we are, we all have our blind spots.
As much as I’ve liked Jon Stewart, I do believe Wyatt Cenac. And I feel sorry for him having to go through this, such shocking insensitivity.
I expect this to be an unpopular opinion, but I am not a fan of Jon Stewart. Stories like this seal the deal.
I’m with you
+1. He always came across as pompous and arrogant to me. He, to me, seemed like he’d be an a$$ in real life.
He occasionally vacations in the area where I work, and I’ve never heard a bad word about him.
Me too.
I find the daily show funny but he is no where near as likeable as John Oliver or Stephen Colbert. He does come off as kind of a jerk. Like a perfectionist workaholic who expects to always be the smartest person in the room. And he would expect to be treated as such.
thank god I’m not alone out here!
Glad to hear I’m not alone either. Sometimes I find Stewart funny but for the most part I think he’s a arrogant blowhard.
I believe him. I don’t doubt for a second that someone who’s made it as far as Stewart or Colbert, or any other huge political talk show type person has been all roses. I think there’s a certain amount of type-a defensiveness of what they deem as funny/right that goes along with those guys.
Don’t get me wrong- I love the Colbert/Stewart/Whoever that we see on tv. And I do believe that for the most part they’re good people. But I don’t doubt that they can’t be megalomaniacs at times – and I can just imagine that if they’re getting criticized for something that they thought was funny from the media, and then one of their writers brings it up that the claws would come out. Because honestly, they probably are unfairly taking out the annoyance with the other critics out on the person who they think should be ‘on their side’.
People are giving Wyatt a hard time; Jon Stewart said he didn’t object to a stereotypical Jewish character they used on the show, which makes Wyatt a hypocrite. But Wyatt’s logic makes sense-Stewart is Jewish so he can make that joke, whereas Wyatt didn’t think Stewart had the authority to decide that the Herman Cain impression was appropriate. I love Cenac, I always wish he had blown up more.
+1
I hated Herman Cain but hated Jon Stewart’s impression of him more. Ditto with the GOP Black neurosurgeon (Dr Ben Carson) running for President right now even though he calls Obama the devil or evil. You can make fun of all the hateful Rightwingers (who do deserve to be spoofed) without using racial stereotypes. Making fun of George Bush’s forced old Boy Texas accent is not the same as putting an ignorant accent into the mouth of a famous surgeon who doesn’t naturally speak in Ebonics. But call him to the carpet and tear him into shreads for using such hateful religious language towards President Obama.
Cenac may well blow up now, who knows.
I agree that there are def blind spots from the left when it comes to race. While they will not be harming or maligning others based on skin color or culture, they certainly will not mingle, put their precious children in school with, nor mix with the group of people they perpetually protest as ‘oppressed” and “discriminated against.” They’ll be the first at the protest and accusing of others of racism though, but they still stay in their organic, twee Park Slopian world. You will not see people who say “ax” instead of “ask” at their friday night dinner parties.
So, as an African American in the US, you can either choose to be treated with baseless contempt and clueless anger from conservatives, or perpetual pity and segregated treatment from liberals. You are still a curiosity to both if you are well read, well spoken or anything else that deviates from the “image” of what many people hold of AAs. “But I don’t think of you as black” I have heard more from my left leaning friends, whereas with my right-leaning ones, I’m “the Black One.” God forbid you point it out to either side. I don’t doubt Cenac experienced this at all from Stewart.
It all sucks.
Your second paragraph SPEAKS to me. I have been asked ad nauseum if my parents were teachers. Finally asked why one day and the reply was you are well spoken and well read. I am well read because my parents enjoy reading and instilled that enjoyment in me at a young age. We went to the library because it was affordable as well as an environment the entire family could enjoy. I speak the way I do because I speak the way everyone in my family speaks. It has zero to do with skin color or whether or not my parents are educators.
I hear you, annaloo. You don’t get to be just a person, you always have to be Black. Not to hijack what you, but I empathize greatly with what you’ve said in that I feel that way about being gay. I can’t just be a person with dimensions and feelings and beliefs, I have to be Gay. I’ve heard that I’m not flamboyant enough, that I didn’t ping someone’s gaydar, and that my husband and I seem normal.
Thanks for the phrase “def spots” because I know from growing up how white people can act racist and then realize they’re actually not.
In my small IA farm town you’d hear the N-word spoken, even from grandmas, but there were no blacks around.
Then a black retired military man moved there and bought a really nice house.
They elected him Mayor! As soon as they met him they had someone to get to know and they were respectful.
It’s hard to explain this to my black friends because they don’t think you can be “a little bit racist” — like “a little bit pregnant.”
But some people use words and say things that they drop once they meet someone of color. Or they think they don’t like black people, “except for my friends.” But usually they just drop the racist stuff once they know someone.
It’s just ignorance or lack of experience sometimes.
I love what Jon Stewart does. As a liberal, he has been able to say exactly how I feel about the world of politics.
With that being said, he is not the perfect darling the media makes him out to be sometimes. It should come as no surprise to anyone who watches TDS that he can be a cranky a-hole. And I’ve always had a problem with the lack of female writer that both he, and Colbert, has working for them.
I thought Jon was leaving the Daily Show?
As for this topic, well not surprised. “Allies” sometimes have an issue with doing a bit of self-reflection while they are pointing the finger at everyone else.
It is sad to say but I just expect white people to do stuff like this. Even the “non-racist” ones. It’s in the DNA of our country.
But I’m hoping for better days. It has to get better right?
I can’t +1 you enough.
I believe him, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. A lot of people think they’re entitled to be racially offensive and demeaning because they present themselves as liberals and support the ‘right’ causes, therefore think they’re incapable of ‘real’ racism which in their minds is something only conservatives can be guilty of.
Yes, this. Call yourself a liberal and you get a free pass from being called a racist. Or so some think. I’ll call you out every time. I don’t care if you voted for Obama. That’s not good enough. And just because you’re politically conservative doesn’t mean you’re a hateful bigot. One has nothing to do ith the other.
It’s not at all surprising. This is what happens when the room is mostly white guys, because the white guy in charge just happened to see fellow white guys as the funniest and most talented, by total coincidence, it has nothing to do with race how dare you. The few women and POC who actually make it in the room get increased scrutiny, and their opinions are not supported by the rest of the staff, and anytime they speak up about bigotry and discrimination, the bosses get their back up and don’t want to listen to them. I don’t dislike Jon Stewart, but this doesn’t surprise me at all.
Well said.
“because the white guy in charge just happened to see fellow white guys as the funniest and most talented, by total coincidence, it has nothing to do with race how dare you.”
I suppose “F_ck you, I’m done with you!” is another way to reiterate that sentiment.
And I’m a huge Jon Stewart fan.
It’s interesting to me that this is coming to light at The Daily Show and also elsewhere in politics, that liberals/progressives are at best tone deaf when it comes to race and get defensive when it comes to shining a light on their own problems with racial sensitivity. I don’t doubt for a moment that this happened, I completely believe Wyatt. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Jon Stewart said or thought “how could *I* be a racist?”
True, but this isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. Escaped slaves didn’t find the North to be a place of milk and honey, it was just a place where you weren’t being actively whipped and spit on everyday.
Liberals can and have been racist, just to a lesser degree. In the end it reminds me of the major freak outs everyone was having that Atticus Finch could be anything other than a shining and perfect moral compass.
Sadly I’ve met a few folks who’ll fight and defend for the rights of minorities but still get uncomfortable when they leave their side of town, so to speak. It’s an ongoing battle.
You are EXACTLY right that this isn’t a new phenomenon. This is what I find the most depressing aspect of this story. Chances are that a lot of people out there are nodding their heads in understanding of Wyatt Cenac, but it somehow seems brand new for people who have never been in his shoes.
Also, I can’t agree with you more about the insidiousness of systemic racism. Preach it, it is an ongoing battle. A lot of people who say they are pro-equality for any group but when it comes to walking the walk, they come up empty and are avoiding eye contact.
What’s sad is in the context of the interview they had come to some sort of understanding. Stewart had apologized for his outburst even if he didn’t own up to his insensitivity and Cenac had realized he was looking at Stewart as a father figure moreso than a boss and was seeking way too much validation from him. I knew almost immediately when I was listening to the podcast that the story would get out. Sadly I think this definitely affects Stewart’s reputation and makes it so much more likely that they won’t reconcile. Cenac was debating going on the final episode.
“Sadly I think this definitely affects Stewart’s reputation and makes it so much more likely that they won’t reconcile. Cenac was debating going on the final episode.”
Poor Cenac, I think another wave of “F_ck you, I’m done with you!” is coming his way….
Yes. I listen to Maron religiously & when I heard this episode, my thoughts were the same as yours. And Wyatt went very deep about his issues, in general and really set up his feelings about John Stewart in a pretty profound way, talking about how his expectations weren’t realistic, that he wanted a father figure, etc. I absolutely believe that this entire incident happened, but even Wyatt expressed that he took it much harder than he should. He seems like a very emotionally fragile person, honestly.
*Not that I think what John Stewart did was in any way acceptable or correct, just that Wyatt Cenac has some pretty deep issues that seem to really cloud his perspective on many, many things, not just this incident.
I would have been pretty offended if someone had yelled “F- off. I’m done with you” to me.
I can also see how that statement coming from Jon Stewart, who commands a certain level of respect, would affect me in a different way than if, say, Sean Penn said the same thing.
Yes exactly. As another person that religiously listens to WTF he sounded like a lot of other comics with issues (including Maron), looking for validation in the wrong places and exploding when things go wrong.
I don’t think Stewart is in the right either but I think it’s sad for Cenac that this story is out there.
Sounds as if Cenac learned some significant lessons about his own issues regarding separation of work and personal relationships. I have not listened to the podcast but from what I have read it sounds as if Cenac had his perception of Jon Stewart jolted into a more realistic space. I don’t know that this equates to his having ‘deep issues that seem to really cloud his perspective on many, many things’. I say that primarily because Cenac brought his objections to a piece that appeared on the show to an appropriate space which was the writers room. He made a valid point that was a blind spot of understanding for Stewart. Stewart took it personally, responded poorly.
Again not having heard the podcast your comment could be well founded.
@Cran Cenac in fact has some deep seeded issues he talked about earlier in the interview. His father was murdered in a robbery when he was four and his mother was controlling and mentally abusive to the point that they don’t speak. He was unemployed and completely broke when he got the Daily Show job he felt that John Stewart saved his life. So there was this unrealistic expectation on John to be a mentor and best friend instead of his boss.Marc Maron goes really, really deep in his interviews and he gets his subjects to really open up but in a way that’s not conducive to sound bites the situation was much more grey in reality.
Poor Wyatt. Even without his traumatic childhood, I can only imagine how devastating it would be to experience racism your entire life, only to entire what you assumed was a safe space and discover the same old discrimination. If Jon Stewart hears this piece, I hope he has the good grace to stay silent if he doesn’t have anything productive to add. I don’t care how well-intentioned he may be, he was in the wrong here.
I’ve enjoyed Jon Stewart, but I’m looking forward to Trevor Noah. It’s time for this show to actually walk the walk, and not just pay lip service to the idea of diversity.
@Luca76 thank you for the additional background. I had no idea.
I have heard wonderful things about Marons podcasts though. People really like his show.
Being accused of a racist act hits a liberal at his/her core. He/she just cannot fathom that his/her opinion of his/her self could be skewed and that he/she could be blind to his/her own casual racism. It almost causes a psychological break. The need for self reflection is not exclusive to conservatives. Everyone needs to reflect on one’s own actions and biases every day. Deconstructing oneself and rebuilding as each day wears on makes for a better and, ironically, less self-absorbed human and humanity.
Cosign. Very well said, Pinky.
So perfectly stated, Pinky. Double co-sign.
It’s difficult for anyone to see themselves truly, flaws and all. Racism is especially difficult for us to recognize in ourselves, because we view our actions in terms of our intent, rather than the impact they have on others. The situation with Stewart is a very good example of that.
Anyone who hasn’t read this article yet should definitely do so, it’s an excellent reminder for all of us: http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/07/intentions-dont-really-matter/.
You make gods of men, eventually you get disappointed.
True.
I hadn’t watched Stewart’s show in a very long time, I saw clips now and then, but tired, overall, of the platform. Did Stewart ever apologize, and/or discontinue with the voices? Just curious.
I read that Cenac said that “he and Stewart have recently emailed. He thanked Stewart for mentioning his name to Comedy Central as a potential successor and also laid out how he felt during his final year at the program. Stewart “kind of apologized as much as he could, for if I felt hurt” and asked him to go to the final show.”
http://gothamist.com/2015/07/25/after_wyatt_cenac_revealed_intense.php
I listened to the podcast. Stewart apologized to Cenac when it happened and a year later when he left the show, then they had an email exchange. The problem Cenac had is that while Stewart apologized for exploding on him he never addressed his initial problem with the skit and Cenac felt disrespected and that there was a passive aggressive feud between them from that day on.
+1,000. Also, before anybody starts feeling too sorry for Cenac…he is the one, who just last year, told an incredibly insensitive joke involving people with Down syndrome. So, Stewart was wrong in this situation, but Cenac is certainly no hero either.
It’s very important that this gets pointed out as well about Cenac.
Yes the “I just gave myself Down Syndrome” joke. Ugh. I forgot about that.
Thanks for sharing that! A good reminder that we all do stupid, hurtful things sometimes. All we can do is own up to our mistakes and try not to make them again.
I don’t know what to say. Wyatt was right to call him on this. I hope Stewart doesn’t make the same mistake twice.
I think people should take note on how insidious racism is. I think they should keep that in mind because they might one day find themselves doing something just as hurtful.
I also think, for this very reason, that it is imperative that people keep speaking up.
Absolutely. As a white female, I feel awful for the people of color who have this forced burden on their shoulders, feeling that if they don’t speak up, no one will. All the more reason for allies to step up during conversations like this, and not be afraid to be called out when we make mistakes.
I don’t believe Jon Stewart is a racist. Being accused of racism is probably what ticked Stewart off in the first place. People can be too hypersensitive to the point where no comic can make fun of so-and-so person who doesn’t share the same race, religion, or sex without someone calling said comic a racist/bigot/sexist. Jon Stewart has more than proven his credibility as a truth teller and equal opportunity comedian who goes after anyone who deserves to be mocked for their insane politics. He has made fun of and impersonated numerous people of all races and religions. Making fun of Herman Cain does not make Jon Stewart a racist. Blowing up at an employee on a bad day does not make him a racist. It’s really hard to be an entertainer these days because one bad moment and people try to smear your reputation and make you into something you’re not. Same thing is happening to Amy Schumer. I don’t think Stewart needs to respond to this any further. He’s apologized. Why bring this up again right before the end of TDS? To sully Stewart’s good name?
I think people are pointing out that the action could be perceived as problematic, if not racist, which it sounds like this comedian tried to point out. Who knows if the person is racist or not to their core, but the action is another thing.
If I were Jon Stewart, I’d probably prefer that someone let me know that what I’m doing is questionable than go out and make a fool of myself over something that really might not be worth it (a few laughs?). I guess I could see myself being sensitive about being called out if I perceive
myself a certain way, but the “F-Us” seem kind of pointless if you’re trying to appear enlightened.
It’s not making fun of Herman Cain. Plenty of comedians got laughs at Cain’s expense – it’s not that hard. You know what is racist? Using a stereotypical Kingfish-style voice to mock Hermain Cain. That was what Cenac was taking issue with – not mocking Cain in the first place.
Being progressive does not give one a pass. Jon Stewart doesn’t get a pass because he’s liberal or funny or often right. He still has a responsibility to not be racist. And you can racist against an a-hole. If somebody called Alan West or Ben Carson a racial slur, that’s racist. Doesn’t matter one bit that Carson and West are rightwing nutjobs. Does. Not. Matter. Racism isn’t about the character or decency of the target – it’s about the person saying the slur. And yes, using a Kingfish voice to represent a black man (who, let it be said, didn’t sound like Kingfish in the least) is racist. I don’t see why that’s so hard to grasp.
You’re part of the problem because you make excuses for people you like. Part of working against racism is recognizing that it’s insanely pervasive and that otherwise progressive people can get on the wrong side of the argument on occasion, and when they do, they need to be called out just the same as everyone else. Stewart should not be immune from this, and his inability to recognize it certainly speaks more to his character than you want to believe.
Since I haven’t watched in so long, it’s difficult to gauge if the mockery of speaking voices was pure racism. But on the other side of that, Stewart failed, at a very basic level, of not having more diversity on a staff of writers, to be arbiters of what type of humor crosses a line. SO now you are left with the perception from only one person on staff, who I’m sure felt incredible isolation.
I do think that the hyping of this story may be driven by conservatives who have an ax to grind, since Stewart is somehow the leader of anything liberal and effectively demolished some on the right in the past, (whether or not Stewart was truly wrong). There are prejudices hidden everywhere, in everyone’s psyche, so I’m not disputing that this may, in fact, have been a blind spot for Stewart. However, on the other side, the newest narrative is that ‘progressives are the real racists’ and that conservatives are not racist at all. You see this in dialogues, all over the net, from local newspapers to national ones in comment sections. It has taken on the air of propagandizing and ‘new message’ political strategizing. Finding racism in one political side does not make the other side innocent, but that is the push. That both sides being racist is mutually exclusive, in other words.
I think Wyatt Cenac’s story is true, but I also think Jon Stewart has improved since Cenac left. Perhaps Cenac touched a nerve with Stewart, and it led him to serious contemplation which resulted in positive change. Since Cenac has gone, Stewart has been a big proponent of both Larry Wilmore (very funny, I hope everyone is watching his show!), and Trevor Noah, and there have been more diverse writers on his staff, too. I don’t doubt Stewart’s sincerity when he talks about racial issues, but maybe it took Cenac to help him open his eyes more.
I do, however, remember one year at the Emmys, seeing both the Colbert and Daily Show staffs on stage, and being struck by the difference. The Daily Show staff was overwhelmingly white guys, and Colbert’s staff was much more diverse. I remember thinking at the time that it was unnerving, and that maybe Stewart had a diversity problem he didn’t even realize he had.
This is the segment Cenac is referring to. I don’t see anything racist about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qGw2UgQPwI
Thanks for posting this – and I agree with you.
Stewart uses Southern cadences, vowels, litotes, the repetition of threes and phrase rhythms all the time (William & Mary alum, so unlike a lot of Yankees, he actually has a little experience with & amongst them) – and they usually range from fainting Southern Belle (when he’s doing Lindsey Graham) to the more soaring & oratorical (often associated with black) preacher rhetoric to clipped, curled-consonant redneck to slow, drawn-out hillbilly.
I’m half Southern, one side of the family from Georgia – Herman Cain’s birthplace, btw – and this voice (both in the clip, and in Stewart’s parody) is very, very familiar to me. While I understand that some people may take offense at it, I don’t hear a racial reference to Kingfish (a caricature himself) so much as I hear a Northerner & a comedian imitating a Southern character – which Cain’s opinions and quotes and sound bites define him as, more than his race does – imo.
I stopped watching TDS because of the ongoing Southern racist/ignorant stereotyping.
Not all white Southerners are uneducated bigots yet the stereotype prevails.
I don’t think this is racism..how about dickism? Jon Stewart is just too full of himself. I believe there’s an asshole in every corporation. Cenac got his Naive popped, welcome to reality.
Does anyone have a link to the clip of this TDS bit? I’m not in a position to look it up at the moment. ETA: thanks, kibbles!
I think there are a few things going on here:
First line cited: “While Cenac initially wanted to see Stewart as a father figure, he didn’t get that. ”
So there’s some of that that in there; I’d love to see the original quote and not the writer’s summation.
TDS was infamous – in NYC comedy circles (esp. improv), for years – as ‘the frat writers room.’ It was also very, very pale in there. The boy’s club thing was an ironic blow to take, since TDS was created by the great Liz Winstead & her writing partner, Madeleine Smithberg (although fronted on air by the original frat poster boy).
My impression? The more successful TDS got, the more aware & touchy they themselves (all, not just Stewart) got about defending race & gender amongst their own ranks. I do know that feelers were put out in the community, and it became known that suddenly, they were more open to see your reel or read your book (usually three bits) – and that you might even get a callback… from a real HR employee, and not just a white male writer bringing in his similar cronies/drinking/curcuit fellow writers or former classmates.
Comedians are almost always hyper-sensitive to censorship & being called out; most of them want the right to make fun of anybody and anything – in any way that comes to them. This is especially true for people with stand-up and improv backgrounds. A lot of comedians actively use stereotypes – to insist to be able to use them, to stir sh*t up, to still shock someone, and to poke fun at the using of it in the first place. Although they try to stay away from the ‘you can’t say this because you’re not a ‘___________’ argument, the race & gender of the comedian is still in the room as a factor, imo – especially when they’re agile human types, and not comedy robots firing off crap one-liners to a dead house.
I bet all the writers in that room wanted Jon to love them, their pitches, choose their stuff for broadcast and mentor them – really. It can get very intimate, and like a family, and you end up craving support and approval and earning your place at the table and, then, being able to have a voice & be yourself… fights, squabbles, objections and all. And you can totally see Jon as the boss/father figure – still an in-your-face Jersey boy, btw – who gets completely furious being called out in front of the entire family/his staff – by a member of said family/staff – about an issue that’s a sore point with him (and probably for more than one reason).
“And sadly, I think that’s the burden a lot of people have to have when you are “the one.” You represent something bigger than yourself whether you want to or not.”
Wow. Powerful. That really hit home. Clearly, this situation was very painful for him.
Does anyone remember the time Jon mocked Bill de Blasios son? That was the first time I realized he might have an issue with how he perceives racism. Look, I love Jon Steward and TDS, and I wish he was the great man we build him up to be. But of course he makes mistakes. But I also think he learns from them. I think I remember he tried to diversify bis cast&writers. Also his coverage about all the things that went down lately (riots/police violence/bias against black people) has been good and shows that he is on the right side. Flawed and all.
Usually when people get that defensive that quickly, they know they’re crossing a line and are feeling guilty.
I believe Wyatt, and am sad that happened. I’ve always had the impression that writers’ rooms, especially on a higher pressure, loads of content generating show like that can be tense, testy, and difficult places to be.
I believe it.
I think a lot of people have a blind spot, even great people who otherwise seem very intelligent and determined to try to make strides in difficult discussions.
There’s so many factors to this that it’s hard to know what to touch on, but on some level I think it always comes down to – you’ll never know. Many white people, even allies, get very defensive and angry when they’re told they’ll never fully grasp racism. They get mad because they think, “I’ve read all the books, I’ve tried to look as much as possible, I’m out there with you guys. What do you mean ‘I’ don’t get it?!”
Even while being well-meaning it’s possible to have those latent thoughts or to not realize your own perception of life is slowly dictating the workforce (not having many female or minority writers). For Jon it probably hit him at that moment that Cynac was right and all the feelings came out.
Sadly like Cynac said this is part of the ridiculous burden people place on individuals when they don’t make their spaces more diverse. Then it’s, “Well am I crazy? Am I getting something from this that isn’t there? Should I speak up and risk my job or bite my tongue and be unhappy? Does that make me an Uncle Tom or a fool? Am I a sucker?” all because you know that not only do you carry the burden of doing your job and not fcking up as a minority, but also of not letting your work be a legacy of letting your people be mocked or ‘shucking and jiving’.
+1 to everything.
To exemplify your third paragraph, as a white person I cannot imagine the pressure that comes with being in a position like Cynac’s.
Thanks for another incredibly thought-provoking comment, Side-Eye.
CEnac. Ugh.
I’m a faithful Daily watcher and am in JS political corner. Maybe I too have a blind spot but it’s been my experience that JS routinely adopts a satarical voice when spoofing most politicians. For example he does a trump voice and a Bronx character and so on…why is doing a Cain offensive in this narrative?
Not to pile on, but I never felt Cenak was as talented and perhaps that had something to do with the situation. In other words his neediness and then not quite measuring up were a source of frustration and then he challenged JS.
To be fair Stewart was called out on the Cain imitation so Cenak wasn’t completly off the mark in seeing a problem
I watched the clip and I don’t get the fuss. Is that really racist? It seems like quite a big stretch. I think there are a lot bigger race issues out there, and the daily show is a pretty big champion of this particular cause. Is JS perfect? No. Is Wyatt’s joke about Down Syndrome acceptable? no.
I just watched it. I don’t see anything racist about it. He was simply imitating Cain’s voice, cadence and accent. I am from the south and for once am impressed with someone imitating a southern accent . Usually when the southern accent is mimicked it is so over the top and exaggerated to the point of mockery.
I’ve always liked JS and he seems like a good person but in the past five to ten years or so he’s become increasingly preachy and full of himself. I believe every word of this.
JS has definite anger issues–he did a similar tirade at an *audience member* who questioned some of the warm-up comedian’s jokes. If he’ll go off at an audience member (who was Asian) and in front of dozens, I’ll bet he was a real nightmare behind the scenes.
http://www.salon.com/2014/04/09/jon_stewart_cursed_me_out_i_dared_question_a_daily_show_warm_up_comics_racist_jokes/
I read that article and I thought it was ridiculous and misleading. For one, he didn’t curse her out -he cursed in his answer. Second, the author admits she should have phrased her question differently, instead she asked “Why does your warm-up comedian use ethnic humor?” So she admits she misspoke and yet she doesn’t extend that courtesy to Stewart.
I feel like the only people who really like Jon Stewart are bland twenty-somethings in college who want to seem politically aware and cool, but not delve too deeply into anything. Just my experience.
I think the pajiba article nailed it. Maybe Stewart was upset with himself after being called out and he lashed out to deal. Maybe WC was giving him a tone. We can’t really know.
The take away though… Stewart lost his temper to an employee that felt like a minority hire and didn’t feel comfortable in his job to do it honestly. And that’s very sad.
When he said how he felt post yelling it rang true. For whatever reason I think Stewart did this. When I had friends that worked at viacom it was a known secret Stewart was bull headed and tough to work with. His on and off personality was a 180.
Anger gets to the best of people in the workplace. I’ve been on the receiving end of it with my current boss who 95+ percent of the time is very reasonable and kind to me. There was one week that was extremely stressful for the entire team and she went off on me. This was once in the more than 2 years we’ve worked together. If she had done this everyday that would have made her an asshole. But in the context of many years working together, losing her temper once doesn’t make her one. She apologized the next day and I told her it was no problem, I understood everyone was on edge at the moment. I have also lost my temper once. This is extremely rare for me. I’m pretty good at putting on my mask and being professional at work, but we’re all human and sometimes we can’t help but let our emotions show. What matters is if we can be humble enough to accept someone’s apology and move on. Cenac seems like he is still hung up on this one incident.
I think it’s niave to think someone that’s responsible for delivering a widely watched nightly show that’s constantly stirring the political pot, not lose his cool once in awhile.
I’m in the camp of thinking this was an attempt of a takedown of a beloved ( bordering on mythic) figure. Additionally, I think this smacks of professional jealousy.
I agree. It seems like the part of the story that is being ignored is Jon apologized twice and recommended him as a potential replacement. So the ultimate take-away is that Jon Stewart isn’t perfect, which isn’t news to anyone. Frankly, I thought it was a decent imitation of Cain.
I felt like it kinda boiled down to “we didn’t have a good relationship because he wasn’t the father figure I wanted him to be.” Well, that wasn’t his responsibility.
Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I have yet to read a single detailed explanation of why this particular clip IS anything beyond a credible imitation & parody of Cain’s voice and opinions and oratorical delivery.
And I wonder how many people making early, snide, rather broad brush and generalized comments actually even listened to the clip in question before declaring Cenac justified, Stewart guilty of racism, and before espousing and extrapolating on all the easy & expected views concerning well-meaning but benighted, secretly racist, insidiously un-self-aware liberals and ‘the progressives’?
In this case, it might be wise to at least give allowance, acknowledge and consider the wide space available for differing thoughts concerning the distinctions between the actual original incident of parody, the feelings of a minority employee in a white male-dominated meeting environment, the history of systemic racism (in all aspects of society), and the trigger-wire subject of what is the nature of equal opportunity when it comes to comedy & parody in the first place & in the workplace.
There’s a biography about Jon called “Angry Optimist – The Life & Times of Jon Stewart”. TBH – it’s pretty bland… however, there are a few parts which touch upon Jon’s anger & perfectionist issues at work. He & his staff put in LONG days for many years. I’m sure he’s had his moments with many of his colleagues, however, he’s also done a lot of good things for charities, and it seems like he’s a good husband and Dad (and son).
Having worked in TV for many years (had to quit after a decade because I couldn’t deal with the BS, nepotism, misogyny, harassment, etc.) I know it’s not an easy place to work, ESPECIALLY for women and minorities. Now we know why so many people passed on hosting TDS!
I’m not saying I don’t believe it, but I do find it an interesting coincidence that this came out on Marc Maron’s podcast. Marc loathes Jon Stewart because he was in line for the Daily Show hosting job before Jon. The hatred goes way back. It’s just interesting that Cenac has been carrying this story around for years and that’s the place he decides to let it out.
So Jon yelled at this guy and he wasn’t sure if he was fired – but clearly he wasn’t because he remained on the show and was even recommended by Jon himself as a replacement. So, where is the “news” here?
+1 ! EXACTLY! Timing is everything and the timing is REALLY suspicious. Funny how Wyatt Cenac talks about it right when Stuart is leaving the show. Why didn’t he say something to the press/media WHILE he was still there? I smell BS here.
Ok, my opinion on this will probably be coloured by having watched a lot of TDS – I LOVE Jon and never found Wyatt very funny. Jon could very well have been too angry with Wyatt, for calling him racist. But, I think Wyatt sounds ungrateful, and the timing reeks of revenge. Jon gave him a job when Wyatt really needed it, kept him on when it would have been easier to let him go, apologized, recommended him for a great job. And now Wyatt is up on his high horse, being “the one”, “the representative of his people”, and making as much trouble as he can for someone who pretty much saved his career. I wonder; how many will want to hire you now?
+1 Agree with everything MSat, daniel, and Ankhel said.
COMPLETELY, TOTALLY AGREE.
Yikes. I love Stewart. And i loved Cenac on Stewart. Ugh, so unfortunate. I will say, working with producers/programmers who think their creative juice is the BEST IDEA is like this on a regular. Lol Ive seen this type of blow up over stonewalled ideas. I don’t know if this is a racial thing or just an ego/workplace issue but not uncommon unfortunately.
I definitely beleive it. I love TDS but off-screen Stewart doesn’t exactly have a rep for being a nice person. This is just one of dozens of stories like this. Even people who seem to like and admire him never have much to say about him as a person. Compare to someone like Colbert, who everyone rushes to call a lovely, stand up guy. With Jon people just go straight to the work he does on TDS.
Marc Maron famouy has bad history with Jon Stewart due to jealously of his fame (he admits it). To have Cenac come on his show to tell this story is a complete troll move. the situation is probably true and totally unfortunate but – I would never hire Cenac to a writers again after committing the cardinal sin of airing this dirty laundry…Read anything by any comedian about it. Cenac should have kept this private or filed a lawsuit back when it happened.
Just look at that smug, condescending look on Jon Stewart’s face in the first picture. Typical. I’ve never liked him.
It was bad enough having only one African-American on staff. You should listen to him when he comments on your racial-themed bit. Maybe if you’d had a more diverse staff at the time, there would have been a few more opinions against. Also that line about “tone”. Ugh. Women hear that crap all the time, too. “I’m going to shift attention away from the concrete issue you’ve highlighted in clear terms by insinuating something about the way you sound.” I’m surprised he didn’t call him over-emotional.
Stewart’s just gotten too old and complacent. He does this faux I-suck routine EVERY NIGHT (like Letterman fine-tuned), but anytime anyone else says something critical or that questions his clean-conscience-of-America status, he loses it — like with that idiotic rally a few years ago, comparing student protesters to the Tea Party. Seriously, if you’re a comedian, figure out how to (a) keep a sense of humor/perspective about yourself; or (b) act like you have a sense of humor/perspective about yourself.
This turned me off Colbert, whom I used to adore, too. It stopped being about the issues and instead the focus shifted to this cult of personality he’d created (initially satirical, and then sadly more and more literal — certainly on the audience’s part).
I find Stewart’s Donald Trump bits so depressing recently (I started watching again in recent weeks after tuning out several years ago). He used to mock focusing on crap like that in the past, like on Crossfire, and now he revels in it over and over and over.
In the end, in the media, everyone loves a parade/circus best. It’s easiest to cover.
I don’t believe it was racist. Herman Cain is an idiot and John Stewart was doing a VERY MINOR impersonation to prove a point. He wasn’t making fun of his race or his looks or anything that MAKES him black. This is reaching..