Watch Jon Stewart's final, glorious Daily Show homily: 'Bullshit is everywhere'

Jon Stewart delivers his final Daily Show sermon

published 7 August 2015

It has been said that every priest and pastor really has only one sermon, and every Sunday is a variation on that theme, regardless of the day's readings. On his final Daily Show, Jon Stewart delivered his homily, distilling 16 years of trying to speak truth to power with a laugh and a wink into one gentle diatribe. "Bullshit is everywhere," he began, and the next 4 minutes are an elaboration on that mission statement: An explanation of the three ways the "bullshitocracy" tries to sell us their dung, certain keywords that should set off your bullshit detector, and some specific examples of especially pernicious hooey.

But this isn't just a rant. Like all good homilies, it is also a call to action. "The good news is this," Stewart concluded: "The bullshitters have gotten pretty lazy, and their work is easily detected. And looking for it is kind of a pleasant way to pass the time — like an I-Spy of bullshit. So I say to you tonight, friends, the best defense against bullshit is vigilance. So if you smell something, say something." Maybe even for 16 years, on basic cable. You can watch Stewart's final sermon below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.