Jon Stewart’s directorial debut Rosewater opened nationwide today, and with a major release to plug comes the best kind of publicity opportunity: a Reddit AMA! The Daily Show‘s host dished to the Internet on why he likes hanging out with Bill O’Reilly, his favorite foods, and what Stephen Colbert smells like (spoiler: not as good as Don Rickles). Click through for the hour-long chat’s highlights.
1. He’s well aware the sexual tension between him and Bill O’Reilly is “palpable.”
Right? It’s really the height differential that keeps us from consummating.
2. His favorite superhero is Superman.
To be fair, though, I was always a huge fan of the X-Men series before it got too timetravely for me to figure out what was going on.
3. There’s a reason why his favorite off-duty outfit is a short-sleeved T-shirt over a long-sleeved T-shirt.
I found my style inspiration in 8th grade at a Molly Hatchet concert, and I’ve never looked back.
4. If he could go back in time and interview anyone from history, it’d be Abraham Lincoln.
For the obvious historical importance aspect, as well as the “secret to the confidence of being able to rock the top hat and Amish beard.” Respect.
5. His hypothetical Ben & Jerry’s flavor would include matzo and lactose-free milk.
6. John Oliver “occasionally allows me to stroke the dimples (!!!).”
7. His “greatest joys” are making his correspondents break character.
Because you felt as though you had accomplished something somewhat Herculean. It’s not easy to tickle those folks, but when it happens, you savor it.
8. All he wants for Christmas is a “solid competing storyline for Channukah.”
9. His favorite animal is the otter.
Something about the mischief. And their cute little hands. But when you really study it, and you see that they can actually rip things apart with them, it can take a dark turn.
10. He really misses his “awesome beard.”
The sad thing was, the last time that I had a strong relationship with him was before I started the show, and I remembered him as red and brown and luxurious. When we met again, last summer, I had no idea how he had been suffering. Somehow, all the minerals or color or whatever it was had been sucked away from him, and I found myself in Gandalf-land.
11. He enjoys some Taylor Swift from time to time.
Ray Lamontagne is the soundtrack to my house right now. I can always rock a good Springsteen or Foo Fighters. But that doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally shake it off, shake it off, shake-shake-shake-shake it, shake shake it off, player! Shake!
12. The best part of being famous is getting “nicer treatment than you deserve”; the worst part is when “people occasionally call you a ‘fucking scumbag’ on the street in front of your family.”
13. Anthony Weiner wasn’t easy to cover.
I think I was… sad. For the individual that i knew as a friend. And that colored, you know, the general process of creating the humor. I also think I may have overcompensated by doing more material on it than we might have normally.
14. He loves debating Bill O’Reilly.
It reminds me of everything Thanksgiving I had growing up, where my relatives would come over. And we would always end up screaming and yelling over plates of gravy and cranberry sauce, and then laughing our asses off while watching football later.
15. Don Rickles is “maybe the finest smelling human being I know.”
Like a mix between Sinatra and a pastry.
16. His favorite foods are “the classics.”
Your cheeseburger / fry / milkshake. Your pizza. Your solid steak. Steak and mash. Nice gravy. I’m not the most adventurous of eaters. So keep that aioli shit from me.
17. Stephen Colbert smells like a mix between “persimmons and a tattered copy of THE HOBBIT.”
18. He prefers waffles to pancakes.
But it also depends on what you’re talking about in terms of fillings. I feel that the waffle is… a strong conduit for a fruit-based or a sweet-based addition. It’s somehow – in terms of waffle-to-filling ratio – is more robust. That being said, you can’t argue with a stackable food, such as the pancake.
19. He’s a pretty uncritical movie buff, but he does have some favorites.
I’m that annoying person that walks out of every movie and goes THATWASUNBELIEVABLE! Can’t believe they figured out how to train a DRAGON! That being said, I’d have to put almost any Scorsese movie at the top of the list. I had to learn how to do accents somewhere.
20. He has a comprehensive theory about the Star Wars garbage monster (and how it survived the garbage compactor).
What I believe occurred is within those compactors, you can generally find some corroded areas, where a small compactor-monster – a baby, if you will – could find respite. My guess is through the years he had worn that small opening into a home den. And had been trained in a skinnerian fashion to retreat to it, upon hearing the giant grinding gears of the compactor kicking in. I can’t prove it, but in my heart, I believe it to be true.