Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.
‘The Literal Price of Freedom’
Jon Stewart was back on “The Daily Show” on Monday, a week after returning to the desk for the first time in nine years. He called the response to his first show back “universally glowing” before playing clips of Democrats panning his jokes about President Biden and saying they would not watch him host.
“I just think it’s better to deal head-on with what’s an apparent issue to people,” Stewart said, defending himself. “I mean, we’re just talking here!”
“It was one [expletive] show! It was 20 minutes! I did 20 minutes of one [expletive] show! But I guess, as the famous saying goes, democracy dies in discussion.” — JON STEWART
“Where do I go to study the particulars of unquestioning propaganda? I would need mentorship!” Stewart said before rolling a clip of Tucker Carlson’s interview with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
“Saints be praised, for Professor Tucker Aloysius Mayflower Kennebunkport Backgammon Carlson III has arrived.” — JON STEWART
Stewart took notes about Carlson referring to himself as a journalist (“Lie about what your job is,” Stewart said as he scribbled) and saying his duty was to “inform people” (“Lie about what your duty is”).
“I have much to learn — ‘Disguise your deception and capitulation to power as noble and moral and based in freedom.’ Yes, master.” — JON STEWART
Carlson’s coverage of Russia included a trip to a grocery store, where he said the low price of food would “radicalize” viewers against American leaders.
“And it will radicalize you unless you understand basic economics. See, $104 for groceries sounds like a great bargain unless you realize Russians earn less than $200 a week. But that’s the kind of context that a — what did you call yourself earlier? — a journalist would have provided. But here’s the reality, you [expletive] know all this, because you aren’t as dumb as your face would have us believe. Perhaps if your handlers had allowed, you would have seen there was a hidden fee to your cheap groceries and orderly streets. Ask Aleksei Navalny or any of his supporters.” — JON STEWART
“Because the difference between our urinal-caked, chaotic subways and your candelabra-ed beautiful subways is the literal price of freedom. But the goal that Carlson and his ilk are pushing is that there is really no difference between our systems. In fact, theirs might be a little bit better. The question is: Why, why is Tucker doing this? Here’s why: It’s because the old civilizational battle was communism versus capitalism. That is what drove the world since World War II. Russia was the enemy then. But now, they think the battle is woke versus unwoke, and in that fight, Putin is an ally to the right. He’s their friend. Unfortunately, he is also a brutal and ruthless dictator. So now they have to make Americans a little more comfortable with that. I mean, liberty is nice, but have you seen Russia’s shopping carts?” — JON STEWART
The Bits Worth Watching
Melissa Murray and Kate Shaw, law professors and hosts of the podcast “Strict Scrutiny,” sat down with Stewart to discuss former President Donald Trump’s lawsuits and legal troubles.
What We’re Excited About on Tuesday Night
The Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) will appear on Tuesday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”