Jon Stewart shaped cultural attitudes of a generation

Jon Stewart, who helped shape the political and cultural attitudes of a generation with some of the brainiest satire that television has ever seen, announced Tuesday that he will step down from his perch at Comedy Centrals The Daily Show later this year.

Its been an absolute privilege, said Stewart, who struggled with his emotions at times as he made the announcement at the end of his show Tuesday night. Its been the honor of my professional life.

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Hinting at the reason he is leaving, Stewart told the studio audience and the television audience beyond: This show doesnt deserve an even slightly restless host, and neither do you. An audience member cried out: We love you, Jon!

Whenever Stewart departs the show he has hosted since 1999, it will leave a major vacuum. What Walter Cronkite was to an earlier generation an utterly trusted voice Stewart has been to millennials. The key difference, of course, was that Stewart was schooled not in journalism but in comedy, and he was a purveyor, as he often reminded us, of fake news.

Yet the reality is that Stewarts devastatingly witty mock newscast-with-commentary often seemed closer to the truth than the news delivered with straight faces by sonorous network anchors. His stock rose as the medias credibility sank.

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Jon Stewart to depart The Daily Show later this year

Stewart told an audience at the taping of his show today that he would leave, and Comedy Centrals president confirmed it.

Indeed, in one of those you-cant-make-this-stuff-up coincidences, NBC News announced Tuesday night that anchor Brian Williams has been suspended by the network for six months without pay, after he admitted that his story about being in a helicopter that came under enemy fire in Iraq was false. (In keeping with his neither-fear-nor-favor approach, Stewart had lampooned Williams, who performed winningly during guest stints on The Daily Show, during Monday nights show. Commenting on the media feeding frenzy over Williams, Stewart remarked sardonically: Finally someone is being held to account for misleading America about the Iraq war.)

Stewarts genius and for once that overused word is appropriate lay in the way he turned The Daily Show into must-see-TV by presiding over an ongoing counter-narrative to the official pronouncements of Washington policy makers and to the medias coverage of those pronouncements.

As The Daily Show won nearly two dozen Emmy Awards along the way, Stewart helped raise televisions collective IQ not just with his own razor-sharp satire of elected officials and media figures, but also by playing a direct role in boosting the careers of onetime Daily Show regulars such as Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, and Larry Wilmore, all of whom got their own impact-making shows.

Stewart regularly rejected suggestions that he wielded enormous influence, claiming he was just a comedian, but those assertions were never persuasive.

A decade ago, a survey by the Pew Research Center found that more than one-fifth of 18- to 29-year-olds got their presidential campaign news from The Daily Show and Saturday Night Live.

I can attest to that phenomenon firsthand. For the past dozen years, Ive taught at a local university, and in the first class of each semester I ask my students what their primary news sources are. Invariably, several of them reply: Jon Stewart.

During the presidency of George W. Bush, especially during the Iraq war, Stewart emerged as a one-man opposition party, far more vigorous than the Democrats in Congress. At the end of 2004, Entertainment Weekly bypassed the usual movie stars and rock singers to name him Entertainer of the Year. When CNN pulled the plug on its long-running political debate show Crossfire, a top CNN executive said that he agreed wholeheartedly with Stewarts scathing criticism of the show.

While he was a guest on Crossfire, Stewart had told the hosts that their partisan shoutfests were hurting America. It was just one of several memorable Stewart takedowns.

The extent of his influence was underscored when Dan Rather stepped down as anchor of the CBS Evening News and the head of CBS told television critics that he was contemplating a multianchor format that could include a role for Stewart.

For the better part of the last two decades, I have had the incredible honor and privilege of working with Jon Stewart, Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless said in a statement Tuesday night. His comedic brilliance is second to none. Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera. Through his unique voice and vision, The Daily Show has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come.

Stewarts announcement of his upcoming departure comes just two months after Colbert wrapped up The Colbert Report. (Colbert will take over David Lettermans late-night show on CBS later this year, but he will abandon his persona as an arch-conservative blowhard.) They were a one-two punch for the ages. Airing back to back, Stewart and Colbert made us laugh and think about the news, and about the people who deliver it.

Don Aucoin can be reached at aucoin@globe.com.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFpEOswQXquuVVmjpN2pCqQK2VTaQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=9RnbVMK7AcPs8wG5roHAAw&url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/02/11/jon-stewart-stepping-down-after-shaping-cultural-attitudes-generation/m4NdlXWtJCBuRMqqalprpN/story.html

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Who was Kayla Mueller?

In this May 30, 2013, photo, Kayla Mueller is shown after speaking to a group in Prescott, Ariz. A statement that appeared on a militant website commonly used by the Islamic State group claimed that Mueller was killed in a Jordanian airstrike on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, on the outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the militant group's main stronghold. The IS statement could not be independently verified. (AP Photo/The Daily Courier, Jo. L. Keener ) Related Coverage

(MEDIA GENERAL) I find G*d in the suffering eyes reflected in mine, if that is how you are revealed to me, this is how I will forever seek you. This is what Kayla Mueller said kept her going, according to her family. The quote was part of a statement released Tuesday by Sen. John McCains (R-Ariz.) office following the confirmation of Muellers death.

On Tuesday, the family of the 26-year-old aid worker confirmed her death. Mueller had been taken hostage by ISIS in August 2013 while leaving a hospital in Syria.

Mueller ended up in Syria after spending years after college working with volunteer and aid organizations throughout her local community and across the globe.

The common thread of Kaylas life has been her quiet leadership and strong desire to serve others, her family previously said in a statement.

We in Prescott had been inspired by Kayla Muellers humanitarian dedication for many years, The Daily Courier (www.dcourier.com) wrote in an editorial on the aid worker published just three days ago.

The newspaper went on to recount an incredible life-changing moment Mueller helped make happen.

We remember how in 2013 she helped reunite a missing 6-year-old boy with his family after their refugee camp in Turkey was bombed, The Daily Courier wrote.

From Prescott, Arizona, Mueller showed signs early on that she was headed toward a life of service. The Daily Courier reports she was recognized in high school with the Presidential Volunteer Award for working with AmeriCorps, Big Brothers Big Sisters and other volunteer groups.

After graduating from Northern Arizona University with a political science degree, Mueller worked in India, Tel Aviv, Israel and Palestine, according to her hometown paper.

In Arizona, she later worked for an HIV/AIDS clinic and volunteered at a womens shelter. Then, she went to France to learn French so that she could go work in Africa, The Daily Courier went on to report.

In December 2012, Mueller traveled to the Turkish-Syrian border to work for Support to Life and Danish Refugee Council aid groups to help Syrian Refugees. Less than one year later, she was taken hostage while leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Syria.

Kayla had been working along the Turkish-Syrian border for months helping the thousands of innocent men, women and children whose lives were torn apart by the humanitarian catastrophe created by Bashar Assad and the Syrian civil war, Sen. McCain said in a statement.

One of the groups she worked with, Support to Life, describes itself as a humanitarian organization created to meet the basic needs and rights of communities affected by disasters.

Another, The Danish Refugee Council, provides support for conflict-affected people such as refugees. They work in 30 countries throughout the world advocating for people in conflict-affected countries and areas of the world.

Muellers parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, said in a statement, Kayla was a compassionate and devoted humanitarian. She dedicated the whole of her young life to helping those in need of freedom, justice, and peace.

Kayla devoted her young life to helping people in need around the world, to healing the sick and bringing light to some of the darkest and most desperate places on Earth, McCain said in a statement Tuesday. Kaylas remarkable legacy of service will never be forgotten, even by so many who never had the honor of meeting her.

Source: http://kxan.com/2015/02/10/who-was-kayla-mueller/

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How did Beck beat out Beyonce?

Story highlights

• Beck upsets Beyonce to claim the Grammy for best album of the year
• His "Morning Phase" was respected but not a commercial smash
• On social media, younger people were even wondering: Who is Beck?

In Sunday night's biggest surprise, Beck's downbeat "Morning Phase" nabbed the Grammy for album of the year -- eclipsing darling-of-the-moment Sam Smith, who collected four Grammys, and pop queen Beyonce, whose latest, self-titled album was a critical and commercial smash.

The announcement, by presenter Prince, seemed to stun the audience and even Beck himself. Kanye West briefly crashed the stage in what appeared to be mock protest but then said Beck "should've given his award to Beyonce." Beck later said he expected Beyonce to win.

On social media, some younger people were even wondering aloud: Um, who is Beck?

Here's why the scruffy singer-songwriter's upset win was so surprising -- and why it wasn't:

Beck's record didn't make a big splash

Released in February 2014, "Morning Phase" got strong reviews but quickly sank off the charts. None of its singles got mainstream radio play. Billboard ranked it as the 60th top-selling album of the year -- behind Mary J. Blige's Christmas album.

While critics praised the record's melancholy beauty, some saw it as a sequel of sorts to his 2002 album "Sea Change" and not a groundbreaking artistic statement.

But all the Grammy love -- "Morning Phase" also won best rock album -- has sparked renewed interest in an artist many may have forgotten. According to Spotify, streams of Beck's music have increased 388% since the Grammys.

He hasn't been a commercial force for two decades

"I'm a loser, baby, so why don't you kill me ..."

Remember that song? No? "Loser" came out in 1994, when Beyonce was 12 years old and Sam Smith was still in diapers. The song hit the top 10 in the U.S. and was followed in 1996 by a popular album, "Odelay," and such modest hits such as "Where It's At."

Grammys 2015: Highs and lows

Critics and alternative-music fans have long admired Beck's talents -- he can play almost any musical instrument -- and his innovative blends of folk, rock, blues, hip-hop and psychedelia. But his cultural relevance seemed to be fading by the late '90s.

"The most complete album of the bunch is 'Morning Phase,' " wrote Bay Area music critic Jim Harrington in making his Grammy predictions before the ceremony, "yet it feels 10 to 15 years too late to hand this trophy to Beck."

Beyonce is a global icon in her prime

The most-nominated woman in Grammy history, Beyonce is much more than a photogenic pop icon with strong pipes and a famous husband. She makes great music.

Released without warning in December 2013, "Beyonce" was a bold, personal statement about love, s*x and the challenges of a monogamous relationship. It was the No. 2 top-selling record of the year and drew widespread critical acclaim for its dark, intimate themes and accompanying videos. On Metacritic, it has a higher aggregrate rating than Beck's record.

The Grammys often reward strong album sales, and most prognosticators thought Queen B was overdue to claim her first album-of-the-year prize. A win by Smith in this category would not have been a surprise, either.

But ... the Grammys have a history of surprises

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, who vote on the Grammys, are an unpredictable bunch.

The academy declines to release a breakdown of its 13,000 voter-eligible members by age, race or gender. But like the group that votes on the Oscars, the Recording Academy is seen by some critics as being old and out of touch with edgier contemporary music, especially when it comes to rap and hip hop.

Grammys 2015: The winners list

In 2005, they snubbed Kanye West's "College Dropout" and Green Day's "American Idiot" and handed album of the year to "Genius Loves Company," a collection of duets between blues legend Ray Charles and other singers. It was a sentimental choice; Charles had died the previous year.

Three years later, they overlooked Kanye again, awarding the top-album prize to aging jazz-pop pioneer Herbie Hancock over West's "Graduation" and Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black."

So in that context, a Grammy for Beck, 44, over Beyonce, 33, and Smith, 22, isn't a total shock.

Why Beck won

So how did Beck win? As Vox's Kelsey McKinney has noted, it's probably because his competition split the vote.

A fan of pop, soul and R&B could have voted for Beyonce or Smith or Pharrell or even Ed Sheeran.

But Beck's was the only rock record (it's more folk-rock, really) in the category, giving him a potential edge among the academy's bloc of voters who grew up on, say, Bob Dylan.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/09/entertainment/beck-grammys-feat/

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Rihanna's Pink Puffy Grammys Dress: Internet Creates Hilarious Memes

getty/twitter

Ms. Loofah Rihanna walked on to the Grammys red carpet wearing the most talked about dress of the night a HUGE poofy pink ball gown! Leave it up to the internet to create the most hilarious memes of her dress check out our favs!

Rihanna, 26, made quite the statement on The Grammys red carpet on Feb. 8. The pop-star waltzed in super late wearing the most outrageous pink gown! Some loved her look and some really hated it butone things for sure itsresemblance to a shower loofah was uncanny!

Rihannas Dress At The Grammys The Best Of The Best Memes

An umbrella, Nicki Minajs hair and Ms. Pac-Man the internet had a ball creating the funniestmemes of Rihannas dress! We totallydid notexpect to see her rock this ultra girlyGiambattista Valli gown, which made the jokes even funnier!

HollywoodLifers, which meme is your fav? Let us know in the comments below!

Shira Benozilio

Source: http://hollywoodlife.com/2015/02/09/rihanna-dress-grammys-memes-funny-loofah-pink-gown-pics/

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GRAMMYs 2015: Ledisi, John Legend Respond to Beyonce's 'Selma' Controversy

Ledisi is addressing fan uproar over Beyonce performing her song from Selma, the spiritual Precious Lord, Take My Hand.

When word spread that Beyonce would take the GRAMMY stage instead of Ledisi, fans felt the 42-year-old R&B singer wasn't getting her due. "No one is saying Beyonce shouldn't perform at #GRAMMYs. What we're saying is it should be Ledisi performing the song for #Selma perf," one tweet reads. "Ledisi sung it in the Selma film, so they should have asked her. Beyonce doesn't have the chops for that one. She'll over do it," another angry tweeter chimed in.

PICS: The Stars' Best Looks at the GRAMMYs 2015!

Ledisi, who plays gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, responded to the controversy on the GRAMMY red carpet Sunday and admitted that she had no clue why Beyonce was performing it over her.

What I will say and what Im excited about is that I had the pleasure of playing an iconic figure in Selma, and the song, Take My Hand, Precious Lord, its been going on forever starting with the queen Mahalia [Jackson], the queen of soul Aretha Franklin, Ledisi told ETs Kevin Frazier on the carpet.

FULL LIST: See the Complete GRAMMYs 2015 Winners!

Then, I was able to portray and sing my version of the song, and now we have Beyonce. Her generation will now know the song, so Im a part of history, she continued.

Meanwhile John Legend, who joins Common later this evening to perform their Oscar-nominated song Glory, revealed to ET that Beyonce approached them about singing Precious Lord, Take My Hand.

We were actually approached by Beyonce. She wanted to do an intro to our performance and introduce us," Legend told Kevin. "You dont really say no to Beyonce if she asks to perform with you."

Interestingly, Beyonce and Ledisi are both nominated in the same GRAMMY category Best R&B Performance for Drunk in Love and Like This, respectively. Beyonce ended up winning the award.

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Source: http://www.etonline.com/awards/grammys/159381_ledisi_john_legend_respond_to_beyonce_selma_controversy/

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GRAMMYs 2015: Ledisi, John Legend Respond to Beyonce's 'Selma' Controversy

Ledisi is addressing fan uproar over Beyonce performing her song from Selma, the spiritual Precious Lord, Take My Hand.

When word spread that Beyonce would take the GRAMMY stage instead of Ledisi, fans felt the 42-year-old R&B singer wasn't getting her due. "No one is saying Beyonce shouldn't perform at #GRAMMYs. What we're saying is it should be Ledisi performing the song for #Selma perf," one tweet reads. "Ledisi sung it in the Selma film, so they should have asked her. Beyonce doesn't have the chops for that one. She'll over do it," another angry tweeter chimed in.

PICS: The Stars' Best Looks at the GRAMMYs 2015!

Ledisi, who plays gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, responded to the controversy on the GRAMMY red carpet Sunday and admitted that she had no clue why Beyonce was performing it over her.

What I will say and what Im excited about is that I had the pleasure of playing an iconic figure in Selma, and the song, Take My Hand, Precious Lord, its been going on forever starting with the queen Mahalia [Jackson], the queen of soul Aretha Franklin, Ledisi told ETs Kevin Frazier on the carpet.

FULL LIST: See the Complete GRAMMYs 2015 Winners!

Then, I was able to portray and sing my version of the song, and now we have Beyonce. Her generation will now know the song, so Im a part of history, she continued.

Meanwhile John Legend, who joins Common later this evening to perform their Oscar-nominated song Glory, revealed to ET that Beyonce approached them about singing Precious Lord, Take My Hand.

We were actually approached by Beyonce. She wanted to do an intro to our performance and introduce us," Legend told Kevin. "You dont really say no to Beyonce if she asks to perform with you."

Interestingly, Beyonce and Ledisi are both nominated in the same GRAMMY category Best R&B Performance for Drunk in Love and Like This, respectively. Beyonce ended up winning the award.

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Source: http://www.etonline.com/awards/grammys/159381_ledisi_john_legend_respond_to_beyonce_selma_controversy/

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Kickass Cupcakes stales, files bankruptcy

Another local cupcake company crumbled this week, filing for bankruptcy after closing its Somerville store in August.

Kickass Cupcakes filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a proceeding used to liquidate a companys assets to pay off its debts. The company owes its creditors $263,000, according to court documents filed late Tuesday.

Kickass opened in Davis Square in 2007 and had moved to a new location on Highland Avenue in May before shutting down. It also had expanded to a food truck and was involved in several food truck throwdowns.

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Source: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2015/01/kickass_cupcakes_stales_files_bankruptcy

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