Who here has been watching The Daily Show in dread anticipation of Jon Stewart’s giggling? Just me? Fine. But I realized last night that I’m actually waiting for him to do the Jon Giggle. If the audience laughs at something, if the audience doesn’t laugh at something, if the correspondent says something funny, if Colbert says something funny during the toss, Jon giggles. I know they sometimes try to work his incessant giggling into the script (like the bit where John Oliver was reading off the silly fake names of fallen British soldiers), but usually it’s just a feeling that it’s coming… it’s coming… the laugh from hell… oh, God, there it is…
Who here has been watching The Daily Show in dread anticipation of Jon Stewart’s giggling? Just me? Fine. But I realized last night that I’m actually waiting for him to do the Jon Giggle. If the audience laughs at something, if the audience doesn’t laugh at something, if the correspondent says something funny, if Colbert says something funny during the toss, Jon giggles. I know they sometimes try to work his incessant giggling into the script (like the bit where John Oliver was reading off the silly fake names of fallen British soldiers), but usually it’s just a feeling that it’s coming… it’s coming… the laugh from hell… oh, God, there it is…
Opinions differ on whether it’s OK for comedians to laugh during their shows. I find it irritating for the most part, others find it endearing. Maybe Jon’s giggle is making the audience like him even more, since it proves he’s one of them. Me, I just think he’s one laugh away from being that loud guy in the audience on Night Court.
Update: After posting the above, I stumbled upon this comparison of Stewart and Tom Hulce.