Jon Stewart’s ‘Daily Show’ Departure Sparks Social Media Storm

Mario Lopez, Nate Silver, Craig Ferguson and Jay Duplass were among the masses to weigh in on the announcement

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It’s official. Jon Stewart is leaving “The Daily Show” later this year after 16 years as host of the iconic Comedy Central program.

His announcement during Tuesday’s taping — one that guest David Axelrod later tweeted was an “emotional night” — was totally unexpected, spreading throughout social media like wildfire. According to Twitter Data, there were over 130,000 tweets related to the news within the first hour and a half.

Since taking over the program from previous host Craig Kilborn in 1999, Stewart has built an unlikely institution, not only entertaining — but, for better or worse — informing millions of Americans and managing to hilariously hold those in power accountable in ways his more serious journalistic counterparts couldn’t.

So fans — including the celebrity set — have been taking his departure understandably hard.

CNN news man Anderson Cooper was as stunned as the rest of us:

 

Actor Wil Wheaton evidently blames the news on Earth-616:

https://twitter.com/wilw/status/565317795668570114

 

“Extra” host Mario Lopez wasn’t having it:

 

Craig Ferguson, former host of CBS’s “The Late Late Show,” also chimed in:

 

NY1 News anchor Pat Kiernan wanted to know what everyone is asking:

 

Famed statistician Nate Silver had some insights into to Stewart’s possible future:

 

And New York Post columnist Bart Hubbuch said everything with one picture:

https://twitter.com/BartHubbuch/status/565302556424151040

 

But it was the fans who took it the hardest:

https://twitter.com/crackerjackpsu/status/565301875353079808

Perhaps actor and director Jay Duplass summed it up it best:

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