Marc Maron Reveals the Root of His Longstanding Feud with Jon Stewart
Comedian Marc Maron has recently shed light on his complicated relationship with fellow comedian and former The Daily Show host, Jon Stewart. The story behind their professional rivalry is more nuanced than you might think!
In a candid "What I’ve Learned" interview with Esquire editor-in-chief Michael Sebastian, Maron discussed the history of the feud, which traces back to the 1990s when both were aspiring comics navigating the comedy scene. It turns out, the origins are surprisingly relatable.
“I identify it as a petty, kind of, fully fueled by insecurity,” Maron confessed. When pressed about whose insecurity was the driving force, Maron admitted, “Mine. Jon never did anything to me, I was just jealous.” Honesty is the best policy, right?
He elaborated, “When I was coming up, he was this smart, cute, Jewish guy, who was good at... some people have foresight and are disciplined careerists, and they know how to understand their talent, harness it, and then figure out how to capitalize on it with their skill set on their terms.” It seems Maron admired Stewart's ability to navigate the industry effectively.
Maron acknowledged he “never had any control over my talent, I never knew its limitations or what it was, I was just all-in and just demanding a place in the world of comedy.” This highlights the different approaches each comedian took to their careers.
Maron has previously acknowledged that the rivalry was fueled by their competition for being "the king of politics, satire, whatever," a title he believes Stewart rightfully earned. The competitive spirit in comedy can be fierce!
He explained to Esquire that it felt like Stewart was “everywhere” early in his career. Maron even took over Stewart's role as host of Comedy Central’s Short Attention Span Theater before its cancellation. Maron described how all-consuming his jealousy became.
“I couldn’t get through a week without him being on the cover of a magazine,” Maron said, adding that he would “just s--t on him, to his face.” Talk about awkward encounters!
Sebastian also inquired whether Maron ever attempted to have Stewart as a guest on his popular WTF podcast. Maron shared that he did try to book Stewart early on, hoping to mend fences.
“I tried to get him on early on... I’m kind of apologizing, I’m kind of making up with people and you and I have had this thing for a while, and he says, ‘There’s no love here,’” Maron revealed.
“Basically, he said, ‘I might be willing to have coffee or something, but yeah, I’m not doing that with you.’ And then he said, ‘I’m sure what you’re doing is very creative, and good luck with it.’ And it’s just the stinging condescension of that, it didn’t help anything. And now he’s doing a podcast, so, full circle!” Maron added. It seems the path to reconciliation hasn't been easy.
While Maron has often discussed the rivalry, even calling Stewart his “nemesis,” Stewart has remained more reserved. Wyatt Cenac, a former Daily Show correspondent who attempted to mediate a truce, believes Stewart still harbors some negative feelings towards Maron. The dynamics of their relationship remain complex and fascinating.
“If Marc had gotten The Daily Show, Jon would be a guy with a podcast that turned into this thing… I feel like the reason the beef exists is because they’re so similar,” Cenac theorized. Perhaps their shared ambition and talent contributed to the tension between them.
This peek into the world of **comedian feuds** offers a reminder that even those who make us laugh are human, with their own insecurities and rivalries. Hopefully, **Marc Maron** and **Jon Stewart** can one day find common ground and maybe even share a laugh about it all.