Stewart's Back on 'Daily Show' with Fangs Bared for Former Employer

Jon Stewart, the acclaimed late-night TV host, has once again made headlines by taking a significant jab at his former employer, Apple, during the latest episode of "The Daily Show." The incident occurred on Monday when Stewart was interviewing Lina Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, and accused Apple of discouraging him from inviting Khan onto his podcast while he was working for the tech and entertainment giant based in Cupertino, California.
Stewart's revelation comes amidst legal troubles for Apple, as the U.S. Justice Department and 16 state attorneys general, including California's, have recently filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that it has attempted to monopolize the smartphone market. During the interview with Khan, Stewart referred to his short-lived podcast, "The Problem With Jon Stewart," which was an extension of the Apple TV+ series of the same name. The podcast lasted two seasons before concluding in April 2023, shortly before Stewart returned to lead Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" for the first time in nearly a decade.
"I wanted to have you on a podcast," Stewart told Khan during the show. "Apple asked us not to do it. ... They literally said, 'Please don't talk to her.'" He then questioned Apple's sensitivity and their fear of having these conversations in the public sphere. Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding Stewart's allegations.
This incident is not the first time Stewart has clashed with Apple over creative differences. In February, he revealed to "CBS Mornings" that he had initially planned to cover the 2024 election cycle on "The Problem With Jon Stewart" but was met with resistance from Apple, who "decided that they didn't want me to say things that might get them in trouble." Reports also suggest that Stewart and Apple had disagreements over issues related to China, where many Apple products are manufactured.
During Monday's "Daily Show" episode, Stewart also dedicated a segment to the dangers of artificial intelligence, another topic he claims Apple objected to him covering. As hundreds of coders and other IT specialists have been laid off by major tech companies like Apple, Google, and Meta in recent months, concerns about AI displacing jobs have intensified.
Since announcing his return to "The Daily Show," Stewart has quickly recaptured the attention of audiences with his signature passion and humor, as observed by Times news and culture critic Lorraine Ali in February. Comedy Central reported a 48% increase in viewership (from 1.65 million to 2.44 million) just a week after Stewart's comeback.
Stewart's recent "Daily Show" episodes have consistently generated headlines, delving into his perspectives on various political issues and his critiques of powerful figures. His return to the show comes approximately a year after Trevor Noah hosted his final episode, concluding his seven-year tenure as the host of the Comedy Central series.
As Jon Stewart continues to make waves in the late-night TV landscape, his willingness to confront his former employer and tackle controversial topics has solidified his position as a vital voice in the entertainment industry. His ongoing presence on "The Daily Show" is expected to shape the political discourse leading up to the 2024 election cycle, while his role as an executive producer ensures his influence will be felt on the program through 2025. Thanks for listening to Quiet Please. Remember to like and share wherever you get your podcasts.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
John Stewart, the acclaimed late nightTV host, has once again made headlines
by taking a significant jab at hisformer employer Apple during the latest episode of
The Daily Show. The incident occurredon Monday, when Stuart was interviewing Lena
Khan, the chair of the FederalTrade Commission, and accused Apple of discouraging
him from inviting Cohn onto his podcastwhile he was working for the tech and

(00:22):
entertainment giant based in Cupertino, California. Stuart's revelation comes amidst legal troubles for
Apple, as the US Justice Departmentand sixteen state attorneys general, including California's,
have recently filed a lawsuit against thecompany, alleging that it has attempted
to monopolize the smartphone market. Duringthe interview with Kahn, Stuart referred to

(00:43):
his short lived podcast, The Problemwith John Stuart, which was an extension
of the Apple TV Plus series ofthe same name. The podcast lasted two
seasons before concluding in April twenty twentythree, shortly before Stuart returned to lead
Comedy Central's The Daily Show for thefirst time in nearly a decade. I
wanted to have you on a podcastStuart told Kahn during the show, Apple

(01:07):
asked us not to do it.Ayiasis They literally said, please, don't
talk to her. He then questionedApple's sensitivity and their fear of having these
conversations in the public sphere. Applehas not yet responded to requests for comment
regarding Stuart's allegations. This incident isnot the first time Stuart has clashed with
Apple over creative differences. In February, he revealed to CBS Mornings that he

(01:30):
had initially planned to cover the twentytwenty four election cycle on the Problem with
John Stuart, but was met withresistance from Apple, who decided that they
didn't want me to say things thatmight get them in trouble. Reports also
suggest that Stuart and Apple had disagreementsover issues related to China, where many
Apple products are manufactured. During Monday'sDaily Show episode, Stuart also dedicated a

(01:55):
segment to the dangers of artificial intelligence, another topic he claims Apple objected to
him covering. As hundreds of codersand other IT specialists have been laid off
by major tech companies like Apple,Google, and Meta in recent months,
Concerns about AI displacing jobs have intensifiedSince announcing his return to the Daily Show,

(02:15):
Stuart has quickly recaptured the attention ofaudiences with his signature passion and humor,
as observed by Times News and culturecritic Lorraine Alley. In February,
Comedy Central reported a forty eight percentincrease in viewership from one point sixty five
million to two point four to fourmillion, just a week after Stuart's comeback.
Stuart's recent Daily Show episodes have consistentlygenerated headlines, delving into his perspectives

(02:40):
on various political issues and his critiquesof powerful figures. His return to the
show comes approximately a year after TrevorNoah hosted his final episode, concluding his
seven year tenure as the host ofthe Comedy Central series. As John Stewart
continues to make waves in the latenight TV landscape, his willingness to confront
his four former employer and tackle controversialtopics has solidified his position as a vital

(03:04):
voice in the entertainment industry. Hisongoing presence on the Daily Show is expected
to shape the political discourse leading upto the twenty twenty four election cycle,
while his role as an executive producerensures his influence will be felt on the
program through twenty twenty five. Thanksfor listening to Quiet. Please remember to
like and share wherever you get yourpodcasts.