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His moment of Zen: Bruce Springsteen brings down the curtain on Jon Stewart's last Daily Show

“… rather than saying goodbye or good night, I’m just going to say I’m gonna go get a drink.”

JON STEWART ENDED 16 years as host of ‘The Daily Show last night with a standing ovation and was played out by rock legend Bruce Springsteen, bringing to close a unique era in US broadcasting.

As the hash tag #JonVoyage trended on Twitter, an emotional Stewart made his last appearance on the Comedy Central show, thanking colleagues, fans and family and delivering a final monologue.

jon Daily Show Daily Show

“Nothing ends. It’s just a continuation. It’s a pause in the conversation. So rather than saying goodbye or good night, I’m just going to say I’m gonna go get a drink,” he said.

Since 1999 he has been a liberal conscience, from the end of the Clinton presidency and the arrival of George W. Bush, through the 9/11 attacks to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the financial crisis.

“Bullshit is everywhere. There’s very little that you’ll encounter in life that has not been infused in some way with bullshit,” said Stewart in his final monologue.

The best defense against bullshit is vigilance so if you can smell something, say something.

Watch…

tpmtv / YouTube

- White House tribute - 

Trevor Noah, the South African comic who will replace Stewart in September, cheekily appeared to measure up the set and… Stewart’s crotch.

But few fans believe Trevor can fill Stewart’s enormous shoes.

Many were already missing Stewart’s wit as last night’s Republican debate ended moments after the final, pre-taped show went on air.

“It just feels like this is going to be a tremendous void and it’s hard to see how it can be filled,” said Chris Reilly, a homemaker from Connecticut in the queue to attend the show for a fourth time.

Besides taking politicians and TV networks to task — CNN and Fox News in particular — his show had a guest list second to none.

President Barack Obama has shared the screen with Stewart seven times, most recently last month, when he joked he would ban Stewart from leaving.

ob Daily Show Daily Show

The White House blog paid tribute to “one of the most influential programs on television” that “changed the way we talk about the world around us.”

Winning almost two dozen Emmy awards, Stewart also cultivated and nurtured new talent, helping to launch the careers of comedians who are now stars in their own right, such as Stephen Colbert and John Oliver.

Conservative, liberal divide 

Stewart paid tribute to them in his final show.

He offered viewers a behind-the-scenes tour of the show’s rather cramped premises in the Hell’s Kitchen district of Manhattan, and videoed introductions to seemingly all the backstage staff.

But the highlight was the closing set from Springsteen, a fellow New Jersey native, who blasted out renditions of his hit tracks ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ and ‘Born to Run’.

Our Generation / YouTube

Watched by a modest TV audience of 1.3 million a day, The Daily Show reached several million more online, in particular younger viewers.

But according to the Pew Research Center, less than one percent of conservatives said they trusted the show, while nearly half of liberals – 45 percent – do.

It was in times of crisis that those Americans looked to Stewart as a rock.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, he was there fighting back tears.

In June, after the racially motivated murders of black worshippers at a church in Charleston, he delivered a searing monologue about America’s “gaping racial wound that will not heal, yet we pretend doesn’t exist”.

Comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld was one of those to pay their respects. “Wish you all best, dude,” he wrote on twitter.

“Love you, man.”

© AFP, 2015

Read: Everything you need to know about the man taking over from Jon Stewart

Read: Watch Jon Stewart’s emotional speech about quitting The Daily Show 

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    Mute Gerard J. Hannan
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    Nov 27th 2015, 7:31 AM

    Cool. Ireland capital has a big Christmas tree. Will we ever get over the shock of it?

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    Mute Alan b
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    Nov 27th 2015, 7:59 AM

    What time does it stay open until

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    Mute Mulveys Flooring
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    Nov 27th 2015, 10:03 AM

    9pm sun-wed 10pm Thursday-sat

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    Mute Gaeltán
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    Nov 27th 2015, 8:17 AM

    NOLLAIG SHONA DÍOBH UILIG! Bíodh grá inár gcroí is bain sult as an spraoi! X

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    Mute Keith Russell
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    Nov 27th 2015, 8:31 AM

    Well cool

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    Mute Craig Gibbs
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    Nov 27th 2015, 7:40 AM

    Alright I’m gonna say it. What the tree is lit it looks like a massive condom.

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    Mute James Xenophon
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    Nov 27th 2015, 8:03 AM

    If your mind can make that look like a condom then you’re obviously some kind of crazed sex maniac.

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    Mute Craig Gibbs
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    Nov 27th 2015, 8:20 AM

    I’ve been called worse by better people

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Nov 27th 2015, 12:20 PM

    Better see a doctor then lol.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Nov 27th 2015, 12:21 PM

    So full of needles and its green… Doctor time lol.

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    Mute TommyRyder
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    Nov 27th 2015, 9:00 AM

    Plain white lights?
    Why couldn’t they have been rainbow coloured?
    Hope our gay brothers and sisters don’t feel excluded this Christmas.

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    Mute Lloyd Hetherington
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    Nov 27th 2015, 9:05 AM

    You’re obsessed, Tommy.

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    Mute TommyRyder
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    Nov 27th 2015, 9:15 AM

    Cmon Lloyd.
    Someone’s gonna point this out and start a campaign, don’t ya jus no it.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Nov 27th 2015, 12:23 PM

    At least it is not a racist inuendo?

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    Mute Enda Smith
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    Nov 27th 2015, 8:30 AM

    It ain’t no Rockerfler, but it’s a start.

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    Mute Gary
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    Nov 27th 2015, 8:32 AM

    Enda, Dublin should be able to compete with New York because…………????????

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Nov 27th 2015, 12:19 PM

    And you say he was a teacher Gary, not great with the geography then?

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    Mute Enda Smith
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    Nov 27th 2015, 12:20 PM

    No it shouldn’t compete with NY. Maybe we should be able to dress it up a little(tongue in cheek) but I know every little gurrier would see it as a challenge to wreck the decorated tree.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Nov 27th 2015, 7:51 AM

    Oh baa humbug, happy Christmas all!

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    Mute Stephen Doyle
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    Nov 27th 2015, 9:10 AM

    Is it Christmas again?

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Nov 27th 2015, 12:18 PM

    Yes, what a surname…

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    Mute Pat Gorman
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    Nov 27th 2015, 10:22 AM

    Have they calculated the Carbon Impact of this childish waste of fossil-fuel generated energy?
    I wonder how they celebrated Christmas before Edison invented the light-bulb.

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    Mute Gary
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    Nov 27th 2015, 10:59 AM

    Pat, Edison didn’t invent the light bulb. All he did was improve on an already invented product.

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    Mute Christine Hanway
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    Nov 27th 2015, 9:24 AM

    All this hype about a Rockefeller Style Christmas Tree… as a major Christmas lover I was so disappointed esp after all this comparison!

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    Mute daraoleary
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    Nov 27th 2015, 1:07 PM

    Nothing says Christmas like a white plastic marquee

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    Mute OCallaghan TP
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    Nov 27th 2015, 9:48 AM

    Feck it must be Christmas so..

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