I am JR Havlan, 16-year veteran writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, standup comedian and host of Writers’ Bloc Podcast -- AMA

Did anyone else think he was a veteran, 16 year-old writer for the Daily show

this seems to be a source of great disappointment to many people though i assume most of you are joking about it. anyway, sorry to be the guy who shattered your dream of a 16-year-old being a writer for the daily show. i'm not even sure that would be legal.

How long do you think Jon will do the show? Will there be another host after him?

Who(iasosopo) is behind the recent running gag revolving around uber-prankster Ronaiah Tuiasosopo? How will you decide when to stop using it?

1 - forever and ever, amen! 2 - what did i just say. i said he's doing it forever. but probably ray lewis. 3 - it is, indeed, ronaiah tuiasosopo himself! 4 - when it gets old to us... which may be never.

Is this what Jon thinks too? That he'll continue to do this for a while?

yes. i've found that in general my thoughts are constantly identical to jon stewart's even when we we are predicting the future in a comedic manner. of course, i could be wrong about that.

HUGE Daily Show fan, just want to take this opportunity to ask: What's your favorite thing about the show? I.e., working with Jon, having the dogs around, being able to work around John Oliver and Sam B and the other correspondents?

the answer is "all of the above". but mainly i enjoy the fact that i am able to do something with my ridiculous choice of career that i believe is at least a LITTLE bit relevant. that's also nice. and the catered lunch. also nice.

this AMA is useless, OP tries too hard.

I find this AMA to be unintentionally educational. It shows that even an accomplished, veteran comedic writer can still make amateur mistakes.

A few years ago, I took a class in improv comedy. In the very first exercise of the very first class, I made a stupid joke, and the teacher immediately called me out on it.

"One of the basic rules of improv comedy: don't go for the joke." He said. "The jokes will happen."

Apparently, one of the core ideas of improv is that the best comedy happens organically. You shouldn't force it. Funny people can take something as seemingly boring as talking to a friend in a park and figure out a way to turn it something genuinely entertaining.

So there I was - some doofus taking an intro class in comedy - making one of the biggest mistakes an amateur could make. And here we have a successful professional who has been writing for The Dailiy Show for 16 years making the very same mistake.

Not only is this strangely educational, but it's strangely reassuring as well.

TL; DR: Comedy is hard.

thank you, "guy who took an improv class". your insight to comedy is a life lesson to me and i vow from here on out to never TRY to be funny again since it's obviously the wrong thing to do when you're writing for a comedy show that airs 4 nights a week. as for the rest of the haters (but mainly for the lovers), i think you'll find that given time beyond the original 2 hours i spent doing this i have since gone back to answer many if not ALL of the actual, meaningful questions that were asked. and for the record, the Writers' Bloc Podcast is a detailed, sincere (and believe it or not, organically funny) discussion of the comedy writing process. but why listen to me when you can just go on-line and shit on it without actually hearing it?

Do you ever answer questions honest and straightforward or do you always just make jokes?

mainly i just make jokes, but i do recall once being asked "do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" and i'm pretty sure i gave a straight answer to that but i'd have to go back and check the tapes.

I don't really get the deal with people downvoting (currently at 8|8) a comedian who's voluntarily taking the time chat with anyone with an internet connection. Looks like some people mad that comedians like to make jokes.

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this person is absolutely right and i am now taking the time to go back through and answer more questions in a more serious way. though in fairness i AM a comedian and a comedy writer and i am not "the daily show". i just work there. so... you're still gonna get a mix, like it or not.

How did you get the job? I've always wanted to get a job writing jokes but don't know where to start.

What's the writing process like in the Daily Show's offices? Is it a collaboration? Is Jon involved in the process?

Thank you for this AMA.

Thanks for the questions - here you go

Former Colbert intern here, from his 2008 PA primary coverage. Why don't Jon and Colbert check in with each other at the end of the show anymore? those bits were always hilarious.

i think it's a timing issue -- early on it was a good way to transition between shows but now that stephen so easily holds his own we use that time differently. they were awfully fun to do though.

How did Jon Stewart prepare for the Bill O'Reilly debates? Did you guys help him or did he prepare alone?

have you seen the movie "rocky"? it was a lot like that. mainly eating half a dozen raw eggs for breakfast and then running through the streets at dawn wearing old, sweaty gray sweats. and yes, we helped him, but it was mainly jon.

You know when comedians try to be "on" all the time? That shit is fucking annoying. cough

I have a friend like that, have to ask him the question 4 times before he actually answers it without a joke.

How did Jon Stewart prepare for the Bill O'Reilly debates?

How did Jon Stewart prepare for the Bill O'Reilly debates?

How did Jon Stewart prepare for the Bill O'Reilly debates?

... I actually really wanted an answer to this one.

maybe this will clear things up for people who seem to think that mother teresa's unfunny sister was supposed to be answering these questions. 1 - i get paid to be funny, so i usually stick with that. 2 - think about the question for a second and you can answer it yourself. the answer is that he prepared by doing what pretty much anybody would do: he put in many extra hours studying and researching the issues that were not only important to him but seemed to be hot button issues for o'reilly. and yes, we helped him when we could but, as usual, it was mainly jon's own knowledge and effort. 3 - happy now. 4 - i expect not.

Why does Stewart buy into the "nice guy" O'Reilly bit. The guy is an asshole who sexually harassed an female employee while masturbating himself with a vibrator. He is a bully and a sleazebag on his show. He is a kiss up/kick down guy and Stewart seems to buy into it. Why?

Well if Stewart just ridiculed him it wouldn't be a very effective argument.

i agree with this. also, though o'reilly certainly seems to be in belligerent a-hole mode a disproportionate amount of the time, he can also occasionally be humorous and reasonable. i THINK maybe that's the side jon appreciates.

Who is your favorite guest to have on the show?

Are Jon and the correspondents as crazy behind the scenes as they appear on the show?

1 - anybody who brings me something nice. or woody allen because he's woody allen. 2 - they are EXACTLY the same once you get past the fact that none of them ever wear pants.

The speed with which you come up with the retorts to the Fox News cycle is impressive. How many people are involved with assembling those epic Jon Stewart smack downs? How much time does he have to prepare delivering it to us?

first of all, thank you. yo are too kind and should probably back off a little bit on the kindness. secondly, the daily show has a large staff of very impressive, funny and dedicated people who help jon be "epic", but most of that epicness comes from jon himself. sorry. "mr. stewart." (almost lost my job there.) as for the time we have, please refer to the name of the show.

More and more young people get their knowledge of the news and current events from comedians like you and Jon Stewart. How do you think this impacts (and will impact longer-term) culture around news and politics for future generations?

Is it a good thing to rely primarily on comedy for news about the world?

1 - my dearest toby, i think that if people rely on TDS for their actual news the future will be here soon and will be similar to that will smith movie where he has a dog and fights his way through manhattan. 2 - no. but it's probably not terrible either. as long as you are aware of a few more details about the world.

How in the world do you guys find so many relevant clips for the Daily Show? Some of them are from years ago! What's the process for that?

great question -- here's my response

Who, in your opinion, is/was the funniest "correspondent" in real life? Any interesting/funny/memorable stories about him/her?

funniest correspondent / interesting stories.... here's my response

Politically-- do Democrats or Republicans have more of a sense of humor and of the two which personalities have had the most extreme reactions to your humor? Have you found one person where you hit a nerve with that you can keep going for them?

1 - hard to say but usually the one's we're not making fun of seem to have a better sense of humor than the ones we're making fun of. the only reaction we're looking for is laughter. 2 - we're not out to bury people. we just do what strikes us as worthy of our focus and wastes the least amount of potable water. very important.

If you had to pick your favourite comedian to work with, who would it be, and why?

Also, do you sometimes think, "I'm making money being funny, this is awesome?"

1 - a guy i know named sam because he has a nice car and drives me everywhere. also, woody allen because he's woody allen. 2 - welcome to my world, buddy! first, middle and last thoughts of my day.

You ever do stand up in Boston?

i've never done stand up in boston but i will if you want me to... and if you own a comedy club... and if it comes with a meal.

anyone else think this guy isn't funny?

which guy? hey, wait a minute!!

Would you rather fight 100 Jon Stewart-sized horses, or one horse-sized Jon Stewart?

having done both i can assure you that a horse-sized jon stewart is not to be trifled with.

Do you use reddit often for research purposes?

listen, d-mmm-b. i know a plant when i see one. you're not going to sucker me into your game. the fact that reddit is my sole source for research purposes is none of your business!

Do you write the questions for guests on the Daily Show?

there are always a couple of writers assigned to spend at least a little time writing up a few questions but it's usually more of a guideline if anything. and more work is put into some guests (scholars and authors) than others (actors and such). jon is genuinely well-informed about all his guests which i believe makes him an amazing interviewer.

How many picks for the moment of zen do you get on an average day?

as you might imagine we have an almost endless supply of "moments of zen" to choose from so we usually go with whatever we find most jarring though it is also sometimes influenced by whether or not it goes along with the content of that day's show.

Any advice for someone who wants to start doing stand up comedy?

just start doing it. find open mics and places that have free shows that you can just go watch and then talk to the comics afterwards. immerse yourself in the world that you want to become a part of. learn from the comics that make you laugh as well as the ones you think are not funny. to quote a popular footwear manufacturer - just do it.

For the interviews, how much of the book/ movie in question has Jon read? Is there someone whose job it is to read the book and give Jon some interesting questions to ask? And do they have a rehearsal interview before, or is it done cold?

Do writers get to meet the guests? If so, who has been your favorite to meet?

jon is very prepared for ALL the interviews. we help a little, but i honestly don't know how he does it. interviews aren't rehearsed. we're discouraged from asking to meet the guests because it would just get out of hand, but i asked to meet joe montana (many years ago) and jerry rice (when he did dancing with the stars) because i grew up in the bay area in the 80's and was a HUGE fan. GO NINERS!!!

Were you the funny guy when u went to school. so it was like everyone told u "ur going to be a famious comedian" ?

no. i was severely beaten as child while the authorities constantly looked the other way. thanks for bringing it up.

Hey JR! Big fan of The Daily Show and Writers' Bloc. I plan on applying for an internship at the Daily Show soon, and I was wondering if you had any tips or advice regarding what you guys look for in applicants. Thanks!

don't be crazy. we tend not to hire crazy people in any capacity. also, don't eat a sandwich during the interview. that's never a good idea. outside of that, i don't know - assuming you're interested in a career in TV production/writing, make that clear and be sure it shows on your resume.

Can you describe the writing process for the show? Does John lead the charge or is it more fluid? When do you start planning the next show? What kind of deadlines do you deal with? (Sorry for the rapid fire questions)

here's a little more about the writing process for the daily show

what were some of the jokes you wrote for The Simpsons? where do you get your inspiration?

1 - i never wrote for the simpsons. stop getting your information from wikipedia. 2 - easy. every thursday, vilma from accounting comes in with my check. that usually does the trick. also woody allen because he's woody allen.

What are your feelings on the Emmy writing category being televised only every second year now? (Related: where do you keep your Emmys?)

it's a bit of a drag because i really enjoyed the free trips to LA, but it is what it is and at this point i can't say i really mind that much myself though i'm sure it's far more disappointing for the newer writers who haven't had the opportunity to go out as often.
i keep my emmys in a man-sized emmy-shaped safe.

How often, if at all, do you write a script/skit/line and then test out with others to see if it is funny? Also, what was the most recent joke you wrote that went over everyone's head?

we are all constantly working off each other at the show and we all enjoy doing that and respect each others opinions. there are few if any jokes that anyone on staff can tell that "go over everyone else's head" but we all tell plenty of jokes that are immediately recognized as "not suitable for air". that's just part of the creative process.

Whats the best stuff that never aired or an idea of yours that got scrapped that you would like to share?

we only really cover 1 or 2 stories a day so ideas get cut ALL the time simply because there's no time for them. it's just a matter of making choices. most recently, i really wanted to cover the recent developments in redistricting and the awarding of electoral votes but other stories trumped it. but that doesn't mean we won't address this issue later. and by that time i will, of course, have become a noted expert on the subject.

what is the best little-known fact about Jon that you can tell us?

he wears almost the exact same "outfit" to work everyday - khakis, a gray t-shirt over a white long sleeve waffle shirt, and extremely well-worn doc martin boots.

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it's not like there's a set amount. in other words my answer isn't "296 pages". we all just consume what we're capable of consuming in a given amount of time... which is just one of the things working at the daily show has in common with competing in a hot dog eating contest.

Does it bother you when people just assume that Jon writes all of his own jokes? Thanks for the AMA!

no. but i also don't know how many people actually believe that. and i would assume that anybody who does believe that also probably wonders where the sun goes every night.

How do you cut ideas? Who makes the decision that a joke sucks? How much writing does Jon do?

I get asked these questions a lot, here's my response

recorded this response earlier which should help answer some of these questions

What does your desk look like?

How many cups of coffee on average do you go through, trying to finish your work for any given show?

How do you deal with writer's block?

Buffalo wings or pizza?

And, just as a favour to me, please tell me to stop lagging behind and buy Final Draft (scriptwriting programme) already. I know everyone uses it (particularly in writing for television - the field I'm hoping to move into) but ughhh spending money fucking sucks.

1 - it has four legs and a top. why do you ask? 2 - i don't drink coffee. mainly because i'm too busy snorting aspirin. 3 - ummmm... let's see.... i, uhh.... hmmmm... 4 - buffalo wing pizza! come on, man! haen't you ever been to dominos!? 5 - i never told you that.

Any advice for young, aspiring comedy writers? Do standup? Improv? Write and shop specs? ??

all of those are good things to do. and honestly, this is exacly what my podcast is about. listen to it and feel free to let me know if you agree. writersblocpodcast.com

Have you always wanted to be in political satire or did that just become the world you worked in?

very good question. i'd say it was more the latter. i myself was never really particularly a "wonk" but that doesn't mean that i didn't know what was going on around me. my focus was simply comedy and being funny and the show gave me an opportunity to do that while also being relevant which has been a joy.

TIL, you can ask JR Havlan anything, he just may choose to ignore it.

dear "whatupteach". this doesn't seem fair at all considering this is not actually a question. unless you meant to write "he just may choose to ignore it?" in which case the answer is "yes. that's a choice i could make." thanks for asking?