Late Night: Jon Stewart says Jews should ‘step it up’ on Passover
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| The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Faith/Off - Easter vs. Passover | ||||
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Jewish people of the world, it’s time to step it up. That’s the message Jon Stewart delivered to his fellow tribe members Monday on ‘The Daily Show’ in a humorous rant about Passover’s public relations battle with Easter.
‘As the father of mixed-faith children who are exposed to both Christian and Jewish holidays, I can’t help but feel that we Jews are getting our [tuchuses] kicked out here,’ he began.
Stewart argued that, having “already conceded defeat in the Christmas versus Hanukkah kerfuffle,” it was time for Jews to think about rebranding one of their most cherished holidays. The key to victory, he claimed, is winning over the kiddies, and Passover could really use some help with this demographic.
Stewart summarized the Easter ‘holiday sales pitch’ this way: ‘OK, kids. Easter weekend is an observation of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, so, buh-bam! A basket with candy!’
The Passover meal is a much harder sell to most kids, Stewart argued, because Jews commemorate the emancipation of the ancient Israelites by eating food fit for, well, a slave. ‘Hey, 5-year-olds! Basket filled with candy and jellybeans, or horseradish still in root form? Would you like the treats a magical bunny brought you, or the bone from a dead baby lamb?’
Stewart urged his fellow Jews to ‘take it up a notch’ when it comes to youth marketing. After all, it’s not like the story of Passover is totally uncool. ‘Moses parting the Red Sea? How have we not turned that into an amusement park?’ he wondered.
Most critically, Passover could really use a make-believe character to rival the Easter Bunny. To that end, Stewart proposed ‘Passover Pete, the guitar-playing, pizza-eating lion.’
Having already declared war on Christmas, Stewart appears to have moved on to another Christian holiday. The Easter Bunny better watch his back.
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— Meredith Blake