The Evolution of the Daily Show

[Dave Monroe]

The Evolution of the Daily Show
By Thomas Pynchon*

Actually, it all began with Death to Smoochy.  The
green light had been given to proceed with Death to
Smoochy 2 on the strength of the first weekend
grosses, as well as some unexpected merchandising
feedback.  It seemd that "Smoochy the Rhino" items
weren't selling nearly as well as those based on the
evil network executive "Marion Frank Stokes," played
by John Stewart.  This applied across the spectrum --
mouse pads, lunchboxes, T-shirts, McDonald's tie-ins
(the Happy Meal being briefly eclipsed by the Anxious
Meal, served in a takeout bag bearing Mr. Stewart's
likeness) -- you name it.  Kids started showing up at
school in business suits and wearing the same peculiar
fringe haircut as the Stokes character, provoking peer
commentary and vice-principalistic perplexity.
   In the course of reviewing star availability for
DTS2, however, one of the producers suddenly recalled
that toward the end of the first picture it was
strongly implied that "Frank Stokes" had been done
away with in a violent manner, rendering perhaps
problematic hos apearance in Part Two.  Options such
as resurrection, identical twins, and the extensive
use of flashbacks were entertained and discarded. 
Meanwhile the Frank Stokes Armani Edition action
figure was outselling G.I. Joe, Darth Vader, and
eventually even Barbie herself.  Focus groups began to
hint at  class action suit if "M.F.S.", as he had come
to be known, did not appear in Death to Smoochy 2.
   Well.  Talk about dilemmas!  Script development
sessions became notable for long and gloomy silences,
until one day, down at the far end of some
all-but-forgotten conference table, a screenwriter,
just back from a weekend seminar in Canoga Park
entitled "Disrespect -- Make It Work For You,"
tentatively rasied his hand.
   "Yes, I forget your name, you had your hand up?"
   "Let's say that in life, in his career as a network
slimebag, Frank Stokes accumulatied a huge pile of
truly horrible karma.  So next time around, to work
off this karmic debt, he gets to expose, mock,
ridicule and otherwise invite contempt for the very
behavior he was once guily of in his former life. 
Lying, corruption, the abuse of power, and so forth."
   "Hmm.  If we could pitch that in shorter sentences
..."
   So it came about that, though the studio still
owned the character of Frank Stokes, the premise of
John Stewart as a reincarnated  evildoer persisted
somehow as a negotiable script element, passing from
one corporate entity to another, undergoing mutation
at each step, till it finally ended up at Comedy
Central.  Where it was welcomed with a scream of
recognition.
   And one thing led to another ...   

*Seriously.  Thoams Pynchon actually wrote this

----------

>From the program for The Daily Show: Ten Fu@#ing Years
(The Concert), Thursday, November 16th, 2006 ...

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/press/tds_10_years_benefit.jhtml

... held @ NYC's Irving Plaza.  Courtesy of Toby G.
Levy's daughter, Angela.  Asterisked note in text, at
the page break (after "Kids started" and before
"showing up ...").  Comma outside "M.F.S.," after the
British fashion.  Melanie Jackson and the author are
thanked on the "Thanks to" page.  Listed as ...

"The Evolution of the Daily Show"
THOMAS PYNCHON  page 3

... on the "Contained Herein:" page (so pp. 3-4) ...


 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Want to start your own business?
Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business.
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-index