The best fake news show in St. Paul…

It’s one of my favorite TV shows, first because I’m a big fan of great comedy and political satire. Second, becuase I’m a journalist and I’ve learned to laugh at what “we” in the media do from time to time. That’s why I took great pride and satisfaction in being one of the fans to sit in the live studio audience for an on-location taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart here in St. Paul yesterday.
Here’s an account of my experience:

I got in line at about 1:30 p.m. at McNally Smith’s College of Music in the History Theater. The rain had just stopped and I was probably about the 20th person in line, so very near the front. I met some very friendly folks, Monty and Renee, in line and we talked until 4:15 when they began letting us into the theater. We were each given numbered tickets, which is the order they let us into the theater for seating. (Numbers started at 151 and I was 185.) Since my best friend Jason had called me sick the night before saying he wouldn’t make it, I had shown up at the taping by myself. This turned out to my advantage as they had one open seat in the very front row.

We all waited about 30 min., then a “warm up guy” came out to tell some jokes and get us hyped up and as loud as possible. We were literally screaming whenever the show started, someone new came out or the joke was really funny. I had no idea you got to let loose and get rowdy like that for a live taping. It was the most fun I’ve ever had watching anything ’cause you could literally belt out laughing or yell and you’d still be drown out by the others around you!

After the warm up guy was done, he introduced Jon Stewart. Jon entered to thunderous applause and a standing crowd of adoring Minnesota fans. This was the show’s first visit to Minnesota. Jon started with a joke about all he’d heard about Minnesotans was that we were “total dicks.” Obvious sarcasim there. He said even our anarchists were polite! Then, Jon took questions from the audience. I was privileged to be the first hand and the first person Jon picked. I told him I worked for a small weekly newspaper and asked if, as a fellow journalist, he had any pointers or career advice. He just stared and asked me if I’d ever seen the show! “We’re not actually journalists,” he said. We all laughed and then he asked me what newspaper I worked for. I told him Thisweek Newspaper. He paused, noded and said “oh yeah, that’s a good paper.” Then he asked me if I had a beat, did I cover Wednesday or what? I managed to resist trying to be funny back and just answered that I was the online editor. He said the online stuff was good, what the kids like. Then he moved on to other questions.

Stewart is excellent at impromptu comedy and seemed at ease joking with folks. I’ve always appreciated how his humor is not condesending to the person he’s talking to, or at least the jist of his comedy is playful and not built on sarcasim like so many others.

After about 15 min. of question/answer, Jon asked if we should just get rolling and so we did. The show intro flashed across the theater monitors and then one of the techies gave us a countdown and we all just went crazy! It was so cool to see one of my favorite shows from a front row seat.

The episode went very well, with some of the best comedy we’ve seen so far this political season. You can watch the full episode for yourself here.

There were a couple of five minute breaks where the commercials usually go. When I watched the actually aired episode I noticed that they cut some of the skits short for time, but the TV audience didn’t miss too much. The bit about the Xcel Energy Center being compared to the SuperDome was HILARIOUS!

At the end of the show, Jon thanked us for our hospitality and for coming to the show. Then, security personnel came on stage to explain that a protest was passing on the street outside and that authorities had informed them that it could turn violent at any moment. They had placed our building on lock down and we needed to stay in our seats for about 10 min. About five minutes later, they let us leave by a different street exit. When I got outside, the protest was still passing just down the block. It was loud and police were flocking to it, but it didn’t seem chaotic. I watched and took some cel phone pictures, but it passed without incident. Then, I found my car, got in and drove home with a big smile on my face. It’s funny how fun experiences, little indulgences like going to see a favorite show or concert leave you feeling like a kid on Christmas morning.

Thanks Daily Show and Jon Stewart for making my day.

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Tags: Jeff Achen