by Alexandria Cheney, WSJ
He’s been an audio book reader, a one-man show performer and the “brown guy” correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” Now he’s the co-writer and star of “Today’s Special.” Even though he’s busy promoting his film, Aasif Mandvi talked with Speakeasy about the political force Jon Stewart has become.
The Wall Street Journal: What are your thoughts on Jon Stewart’s growing prominence in the political world?
It’s fantastic. Listen, Jon Stewart is a guy who doesn’t shave and walks around in his underwear in the office. So the fact that people take him with any serious regard at all is exceptional for me and I’m flummoxed by it. But apparently people are really listening to what he has to say.
Did you attend the “Rally to Restore Sanity?”
Yeah, I was forced to go. Just between you and I there were only about 10,000 people there. The other 200,000 was CGI. Just kidding. I was backstage most of the time and it was awesome because I got to meet Cat Stevens and R2D2 and it was ridiculous. I mean, you can be snarky and throw spitballs from the back of the class and you can be that guy. But then there’s something awe-inspiring and really very genuine about all those people showing up and wanting to represent in that way. And I know that Jon was even quite verklempt by the whole thing. And part of it had to do with this experience of community, they just wanted to be there representing in some way. And they made their signs and ironic whatever you want to call them, and they came down there and they represented and made it a communal experience.
There’s an immense energy behind Stewart. What do you think that energy and influence will turn into?
I don’t know what it’s going to turn into. I think that what we do often is, you know, we are beholden to nothing but comedy and so that allows us the freedom to ask those questions, to put the camera lens in places where other news organization may not put it or don’t want to put it. And we do because we are trying to find out the absurdities. Our job is to point out the hypocrisy, the absurdity, to call B.S. when there’s B.S. to be called and that’s kind of what we do. So I think in many cases that allows for us to have a kind of freedom.
On the show you are advertised as “brown.” What does that mean for you?
Not to get too philosophical about it but there is something about all the work that I do that is really about sitting on that fence between cultures. “The Daily Show” has become an example of that. I think the most powerful stuff I get to do on “The Daily Show” and the most insightful stuff is when I’m sitting on the fence commenting on both sides as an insider and an outsider at the same time, and that’s a position that “The Daily Show” benefits from having. But for me personally, it’s what all of my writing and creative stuff is about.
What is “The Daily Show” brand of comedy?
We’re satirists, “The Daily Show” is ultimately a show that often comes out of Jon’s own personal frustration. Some would call it cynical but I think it’s more frustrated. I think it’s a form of satire which is very necessary and cathartic in our society. I think that it attracts a very highly skilled comedy show writers and very funny people.
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