The recent cancellation of the Strike Force Five live podcast taping in Vegas didn’t deter the late-night hosts from treating their fans to a new episode. In this latest installment, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver were joined by surprise guest Jon Stewart.
They delved into Stewart’s earlier days before hosting The Daily Show and discussed how he found structure after leaving the show. Stewart, at the beginning of the show, jokingly claimed he wasn’t a fan of it, even though he attempted to watch the first episode.
During his appearance, the Strike Force Five hosts asked Stewart about his early tenure as host of The Daily Show. Stewart recommended that new hosts inherit a staff that has no prior knowledge of who they are. He amusingly mentioned that his first meeting with the staff occurred just one week before he started, and they made it clear that the show would not be like “MTV bullshit” (referring to his previous short-lived MTV late-night show).
He also joked about having bands on the show. Stewart reminisced about a correspondent who left the show shortly before he started. The correspondent told the press that he was leaving because he wanted to leave while he could still be proud of the show.
Stewart explained that after leaving The Daily Show, he took up playing the drums as a way to structure his life, which was no longer defined by a daily late-night show. As Stewart pointed out, the schedule of a talk show host becomes the rhythm of one’s life.
He admitted that none of them entered the business to be proper businessmen who wake up early and take the subway. However, having a talk show requires that structure. Stewart emphasized the importance of filling the void after leaving the show and how music became that outlet for him.
He initially tried learning guitar but soon realized it required a lot of practice. Instead, he discovered that drumming allowed for almost immediate interaction with music. Stewart found it fulfilling and a lovely feeling to have his body do things in a pattern that wasn’t there before. He described it as the opposite of death, offering a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
