In my own words, a consistent theme of Roy Wood Jr’s comedy is “common sense is still common sense…and if you don’t see it, you’re probably looking at it incorrectly.”
We’ll come back to this.
I’m not entirely sure if it was the universe’s atonement for the 24 hr news cycle or the amount of confusion that news cycle stirred after a suspicious presidential election result…but in 2000 Jon Stewart — having just taken over the desk at the Daily Show the year before — graciously accepted a calling.
The Daily Show developed a formula for leveraging humor to filter the talking points of pundits into drinkable water for an entire generation of voters.
Exactly what was needed at the time.
Then in 2015 when Stewart felt this country’s democracy had devolved into a dogfight between dueling echo chambers; he sought a voice that could be objective, BECAUSE it was from outside the echo chambers. Seeing Trump on the horizon and choosing Trevor Noah as his successor was how Jon – savvy Jersey “boss” that he is – preserved the future of his family.
Exactly what was needed at the time.
But in the months since Noah’s departure, fans of the show have enjoyed Comedy Central’s “Game of Thrones” for the most important desk in political comedy. And after having a wealth of luminaries guest hosting in the chair… its easy to wonder…
What exactly is needed now?
For the show to continue serving as a dispensary of both hard news and the gummy edibles required to minimize the resulting nausea, it will need someone who can speak to and entertain all timezones as a citizen first and then as an unimpeachable intellectual when challenged by the ill equipped. And if that person is part of a larger legacy, that’d just be a bonus.
After having been in-studio for a week watching Roy Wood Jr’s guest hosting turn on the Daily Show, it was abundantly evident that he is an ideal fit. A comedic draw that sells out appearances on both coasts, the midwest and the south. Roy — a Broadcast Journalism grad from Florida A&M University with 15 years of morning radio under his belt– is beyond qualified to lead a newsroom (staffed by a crew he already knows) to the Daily promised land. And as far as legacy goes? Look up Roy Wood Sr…you’re welcome.
Every decision from Wood’s choice of guests, to the stories selected, displayed a grasp of the platform’s impact and honored its origins. Complete with the on-screen verbal approval from the originator of the show’s legendary formula, Roy’s week on the iron throne of comedy was less of an audition and more of a sneak-peak of things that should be to come.
So to the undecideds (possibly even at Comedy Central) who are unsure who would best fit behind the almighty desk…I only have one thing to say:
Common sense is still common sense…and if you don’t see it, you’re probably looking at it incorrectly.
