- A humorist is a comedian who has been dead for
over a hundred years. (audience laughing) But in the case of Jon Stewart,
we are making an exception. (audience laughing) I first met Jon or bulldog, as all of his good friends call him (audience laughing) in 1999, when I became a
correspondent on The Daily Show, it was a dream job. I shared an office with my
friend, Stephen Colbert. I traveled the country doing field reports about interesting and eccentric people. I worked with an incredibly
talented production team. And above all else, I had front row seats to witness
the magic of Jon Stewart. It is impossible to exaggerate the amount of physical and mental effort that went into making The Daily Show. And John carried the bulk of that work on his sinewy narrow shoulders. (audience laughing) He was our leader and we
would do anything for him. One of my first assignments
was an interview with a man who ran a venom research
facility in Nebraska. When I got there, the research facility was actually a mobile home full of snakes. (audience laughing) Some in cages, some free range. (audience laughing) The scientist who ran the facility The scientist who ran the facility had been bitten by his
snakes so many times that the hospital
wouldn't send an ambulance all the way out to his home anymore. (audience laughing) It was terrifying. As I have a phobia of
things that can kill me. (audience laughing) Fortunately, I managed to not get bitten or squeeze to death. Jon loved the interview. As he watched it, he jokingly said over and over that it would've been great if I'd actually been bitten by a snake. (audience laughing) I remember him saying, quote "that would've been great
if you'd been bitten by one of those snakes. (audience laughing) I would've loved that. That would've been so funny." (audience laughing) Do you remember that, Jon? - I do remember. - Another time, Jon sent Stephen and I out to do a report about
the effects of alcohol on motor skills. In a loosely controlled experiment, I drank six Long Island iced teas in the course of about 45 minutes while Stephen tested
my cognitive abilities. (audience laughing) On the way home, I threw up out
the window of Stephen's car. (audience laughing) Unfortunately, the window was closed. (audience laughing) Jon loved that I had pushed the envelope, that I had jeopardized my
personal health and wellbeing for the sake of a two
minute comedy sketch. (audience laughing) He asked if there was any
extended footage of the vomiting, there wasn't. He also reiterated that he'd like to see me bitten
by a snake at some point. (audience laughing) - You have to stop. - Jon was always supporting us, always cheering us on from the comfort and safety of his office. (audience laughing) He once had me eat Crisco on camera. It could have been vanilla frosting, because that looks exactly the same and I told him so. But Jon, Jon is a perfectionist and would have none of it. Go big or go home, Jon used to say. He loved that phrase. He also liked, "I'm getting
too old for this ****." (audience laughing) And also, "did I do that yet". (audience laughing) My years of working with
Jon were wonderful, full of excitement, fear of
physical distress and laughter. And as much as it pains me to do this, I have to be earnest for a minute. Jon, you are a great
writer and performer. You are articulate and thoughtful. You are funny and kind. And you care deeply. As most of you know, The Daily Show was shot in New York City, and naturally, the show
stopped filming after 9/11. Production was shut down and
the city struggled to recover. We didn't know when we
would go back on the air because it was hard to imagine
trying to be funny again, when Jon finally decided
to resume the show. His first night back, he
delivered a commentary. Speaking from the heart, he took on the immensely difficult job, finding some context, some hope in the wake of such a devastating tragedy. - Any fool can destroy,
but to see these guys, these firefighters, these policemen, and people from all over the country literally with buckets, literally with buckets, rebuilding. That is, That is, that's extraordinary. - In that moment, he encapsulated at least to me why the show existed
and what sets him apart. He strives to make sense out of the insane and to find joy within darkness. Jon, your intellect, sense
of humor and fearlessness are an inspiration to me. I thank you for that. We thank you for that. Congratulations, bulldog. (audience clapping) (upbeat music)
