TDS Time Machine | Iran: Behind the Veil w/ Jason Jones

Summary

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The Daily Show: Ears Edition

TDS Time Machine | Iran: Behind the Veil w/ Jason Jones

Date: March 1, 2026
Host: Jon Stewart
Guests: Jason Jones, Maziar Bahari, Ibrahim Yazdi’s son

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Episode Overview

In this special “Time Machine” episode, Jon Stewart and The Daily Show News Team revisit Jason Jones’s assignment to Iran just before a period of political upheaval and government crackdown. The episode uses The Daily Show’s trademark satirical lens to explore U.S.-Iran misunderstandings, Western stereotypes, and personal stories of Iranians—from reformist politicians to everyday youth—while providing context on the risks faced by those pursuing change within Iran. The episode features Jason's comedic field reports, a reflective studio interview with Newsweek journalist and former Iranian prisoner Maziar Bahari, and a candid conversation with the son of arrested reformist leader Ibrahim Yazdi.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Sending a Correspondent Into Turmoil

• [00:27] Jon Stewart introduces Jason Jones’s assignment in Iran, sending him “completely unaware” into a nation on the brink of crisis—a decision he immediately pokes fun at:
  Jon Stewart: “We didn’t know there was going to be a dictatorial and somewhat violent crackdown on its people. … That was stupid. Obviously.”
• The premise establishes the show’s mix of real political danger and comedic self-awareness.

2. Western Misconceptions and Stereotypes

• [01:01-03:15] Jason Jones’s voiceover frames Iran as a mystery and a “powder keg,” exaggerating Western fears for comedic effect.
• Jason interviews journalist Maziar Bahari (alias “Pistachio”), who immediately points to “misunderstanding” as the biggest barrier between Americans and Iranians:

  Maziar Bahari [02:42]: “In one word, misunderstanding. The two sides, they don’t understand each other. They don’t know the values of the other side.”

• Jason satirically fails to grasp these nuances, lampooning Western ignorance.
• When prompted, Bahari flips the narrative:

  Maziar Bahari [03:22]: “It’s not evil. Iranians and Americans, they have much more in common than they have difference.”

3. Addressing the “Evil” Label and Common Ground

• Bahari points out that Al Qaeda is seen as Iran’s enemy too, emphasizing U.S.-Iran shared foes:

  Maziar Bahari [03:35]: “Al Qaeda is also the number one enemy of Iran. According to Al Qaeda members, any Shia, any Iranian has to be killed. …”

4. Everyday Iranians: Challenging the Narrative

• [04:35] Jason visits a private Iranian home, attempting to provoke anti-American sentiment. The guests instead express warmth and insist, “We don’t hate America” and “We don’t hate Jews.”
• Jason’s failed attempts to surface hate expose the gap between state propaganda, Western assumptions, and the Iranian people’s lived reality.

5. Interviews with Reformers and Political Victims

• [08:06-12:08] Jason interviews major Iranian figures, including:
  • Ibrahim Yazdi (elderly leader of the freedom movement)
    • Yazdi criticizes both American policy and hardliner Iranian tactics, highlighting mutual antagonism:

      Ibrahim Yazdi [09:04]: “I am opposing American deeds in Iran. I’m opposing American policy towards Iran. … The former President Bush called Iran the axis of evil.”

    • Jason twists this, accusing Yazdi of being “part of an axis”—a caricature of American rhetoric.

      Ibrahim Yazdi [09:28]: “You are looking at your own picture in the mirror.”

  • Maziar Bahari (detained journalist):
    • He advocates for ending hostile slogans on both sides:

      Bahari [09:59]: “People should stop saying death to America… both sides are idiots, basically.”

  • Mohammad Ali Abtahi (cleric, reformist):
    • Reveals he is pro-women’s rights, supports dialogue—not nuclear weapons—contradicting Western/Israeli fears:

      Abtahi [11:44]: “No, in Iran or in any country.”

    • Jason lampoons these “reasonable” positions as threatening to Western caricatures.

6. The Aftermath: Real-World Risks and Repression

• [12:38-14:35] Interview with Yazdi’s son, following the arrest of his father from his hospital bed:
  • Yazdi’s son describes the crackdown on reformists and demonstrators, expressing grave concerns for prisoner welfare:

    Yazdi’s Son [13:37]: “In 1999, when a similar uprising happened, people… were held for decades simply because they showed up in a video of a demonstration.”

  • Suggests ordinary people—not governments—write to Iranian embassies, highlighting the power of global public opinion over official sanctions.

7. Modern Culture: Iran’s Youth and Global Connectivity

• [17:58-24:29] Jason explores Iranian youth culture:
  • Finds young Iranians wearing Western brands (Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana, Adidas) and engaging in global pop culture.
  • Attempts a mock football game and visits an underground rapper, illustrating generational cosmopolitanism despite official censorship.

    Jason Jones [23:10]: “With 70% of its population under 30, more than anything, it’s a country of young people.”

  • Jason raps with the Iranian musician, subverting both Western and Iranian expectations of “real” rap.

8. Satirical Exchange: Ignorance Olympics

• [18:49-22:25] Jason and Iranians challenge each other’s knowledge of leaders, geography, and culture, each getting things wrong in a playful “ignorance face-off” that underlines the universality of misinformation.

9. Maziar Bahari: Reflection After Imprisonment

• [30:19-37:50] Studio interview with Jon Stewart:

  • Bahari recounts his 118-day imprisonment, how his appearance on The Daily Show skit was used as evidence against him, and the absurd fixation of his interrogators:

    Bahari [31:43]: “I thought… maybe they put me in prison for two or three days, maybe a week, and just let me go. But charging me with espionage because of an interview with Jason… was beyond my wider [imagination].”

  • Discusses the “stupidity of evil”—how the regime’s psychological tactics are sophisticated but ultimately self-undermining.

    Bahari [32:08]: “Evil is stupid. … Whenever you take anything to extremes, you see the humor in it, and you see the stupidity in it.”

  • Highlights how many Iranian repressors were once themselves victims, now perpetuating the very system they suffered under:

    Bahari [35:42]: “It is the tortured who’ve become torturers.”

  • Jon Stewart draws out the broader lesson of resilience, hope, and the inherent fallibility of authoritarian structures:

    Bahari [37:36]: “They will fall… maybe not next year, or in two years, or 10 years. But looking at Iran’s 3,000 year history, 10 or 50 years is not much.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On misunderstanding:

  “In one word, misunderstanding. The two sides, they don’t understand each other.”
  — Maziar Bahari [02:42]

• On common enemies:

  “Al Qaeda is also the number one enemy of Iran.”
  — Maziar Bahari [03:35]

• On regime perception:

  “You are looking at your own picture in the mirror.”
  — Ibrahim Yazdi [09:28]

• On mutual slogans:

  “Both sides are idiots, basically.”
  — Maziar Bahari [09:59]

• On the stupidity of evil:

  “We hear so much about the banality of evil, but so little about the stupidity of evil.”
  — Jon Stewart [32:01]

• On resilience:

  “You know, my interrogator…became my muse. … I just laughed.”
  — Maziar Bahari [32:54]

• On youth and hope:

  “With 70% of its population under 30, more than anything, it’s a country of young people.”
  — Jason Jones [23:10]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:27] — Jon Stewart introduces the Iran segment
• [01:01-03:15] — Jason’s arrival, hashing out stereotypes
• [03:22-04:35] — Bahari: Iranians don’t hate Americans/Jews
• [08:06-12:08] — Interviews with Yazdi, Bahari, and Abtahi
• [12:38-14:56] — Yazdi’s son on the risks facing protesters and leaders
• [17:58-24:29] — Youth culture, “ignorance” quiz, sports, rap
• [30:19-37:50] — Studio interview with Maziar Bahari post-imprisonment

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Episode Tone & Style

• Tone: Irreverent, satirical, but frequently poignant and empathetic when addressing the personal consequences of political repression.
• Highlights real stories while mocking both Western ignorance and the absurdities of authoritarianism.

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For New Listeners

This episode is a fast-moving, punchy look at cultural misunderstanding, human connection, and state repression between Iran and America. Through Jason Jones’s wry “reporting,” real interviews, and Jon Stewart’s insightful hosting, it’s both hilarious and sobering—offering laughs, but also deep respect for the courage of those facing oppression within Iran.

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Further Reading and Action

• Bahari’s articles in Newsweek — for personal accounts and deeper analysis
• Advocated Action — Yazdi’s son encourages individuals (not governments) to signal global attention by writing Iranian embassies directly

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Transcript

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

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[Jason Jones]

You're listening to Comedy Central.

[Jon Stewart]

Last week, we sent our own senior foreign correspondent Jason Jones to Iran. Really? We did that? That was stupid. Obviously. We didn't know there was going to be a dictatorial and somewhat violent crackdown on its people. Now, Mr. Jones did get out of Iran before the election, from what we've been told, but we believe the reports he will be filing starting tonight present an interesting snapshot of a nation unaware of the destiny which awaits it. Tonight, the first of Jason Jones Reports.

[Jason Jones]

The Islamic Republic of Iran, a nation in upheaval, a powder keg waiting to explode. But as we empathize with these courageous souls who are risking their lives to take a stand for democracy in the face of oppression, let us not forget these people are evil. But just what is it that makes them so evil? I hadn't signed up for Twitter, so the only way to find out was to go and see for myself. As I touched down at Khomeini airport on my 36th birthday, I was completely alone. No American embassy, no alcohol, not even exposed ankles to leer at. I have a wife and children. Please don't hurt me. Even leaving the hotel presented potential risk. Red wire, blue wire.

[Jon Stewart]

Good.

[Jason Jones]

But I assured my producer, Tim Greenberg, that as long as he was with me, there was nothing to fear. First up, I made contact with my translator, Mahmoud. We headed to a coffee shop off Azadi Square for a clandestine meeting with Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari. I was told he'd go by the codename Pistachio and I would recognize him by, oh, I didn't see you there. I asked him the question on every Westerner's mind, why was his country so terrifying?

[Maziar Bahari]

In one word, misunderstanding. The two sides, they don't understand each other. They don't know the values of the other side. They don't know how to talk to the other side. And actually, I've written about that for Newsweek magazine several times.

[Jason Jones]

Yeah, I didn't understand a word of that. Mahmoud, can you translate this for me, please? Yes. He's saying that he has written about this problem that you have in Music magazine and you can read about it.

[Maziar Bahari]

Okay.

[Jason Jones]

What did he say?

[Maziar Bahari]

He said that. I said I've written about it for Newsweek magazine several times.

[Jason Jones]

I'm gonna need someone who speaks English. The one thing I could understand was that this entire country is evil.

[Maziar Bahari]

The first thing to know about Iran Is that it's not evil. Iranians and Americans, they have much more in common than they have difference.

[Jason Jones]

What do I have in common with you?

[Maziar Bahari]

Who is number one enemy of the United States?

[Jason Jones]

Al Qaeda.

[Maziar Bahari]

Al Qaeda is also the number one enemy of Iran. According to Al Qaeda members, any Shia, any Iranian has to be killed. And if you kill an Iranian, you would go to heaven. And you will have 72 virgins.

[Jason Jones]

Enough of his Western educated Newsweek doublespeak. The real seething anger was on the streets.

[Maziar Bahari]

American people are nice people.

[Jason Jones]

Yeah, I like America.

[Maziar Bahari]

The people are really friendly.

[Jason Jones]

Very good, very good people.

[Maziar Bahari]

I like the people.

[Jason Jones]

I have friends in America. A less well trained eye might not see through their deceptions. So when did you start hating Americans?

[Maziar Bahari]

To hating Americans. What do you mean hate it?

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Never.

[Maziar Bahari]

No, no, we never hate them.

[Jason Jones]

We're just trying to do a thing here where we say Iranians like hate Americans. Can you just do that for me?

[Maziar Bahari]

You would like me to hate?

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

To.

[Jason Jones]

Yeah. Could you?

[Maziar Bahari]

To hate?

[Jason Jones]

Yeah. Please. No. Why?

[Maziar Bahari]

Why not? I'm not hate of Americans. I'm not hate.

[Jason Jones]

No, no, no. Apparently they didn't feel free to express their hatred for us in public. So Mahmoud secured an invitation to a private Iranian home. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hi.

[Maziar Bahari]

Hi. How are you?

[Jason Jones]

I'm well, thank you. Oh, you have a beautiful cave.

[Maziar Bahari]

Thank you.

[Jason Jones]

If I could just earn their trust, I could finally pierce this clannish society and expose their true feelings. Our meeting began with traditional small talk. It was clear that I was going to have to break the ice. So what did one Jewish bird say to the other Jewish bird?

[Jon Stewart]

Cheep cheep.

[Jason Jones]

Right. Because they're cheap, you know, and they look like birds with their big noses. Wow. That joke went right over their heads.

[Maziar Bahari]

We don't hate Jews. We don't hate anybody. Actually, we don't hate America.

[Jason Jones]

As the night wore on, it became painfully obvious. Engagement with these people was futile. The gap was too wide. Conflict was inevitable.

[Maziar Bahari]

This is your birthday cake.

[Jason Jones]

You're like my perfect family. Thank you. If it weren't for that guy, the look on his face told me one thing. I wasn't getting my carton of cigarettes back. From his daughter. It looked like I was in for a very long week.

[Jon Stewart]

Jason Jones. We'll be right back.

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[Jon Stewart]

Obviously the situation in Iran is fluid and very dangerous and much more fluid and dangerous than we thought it was going to be when we sent Jason Jones there. So while he had gone to Iran in pursuit of a comedy piece, he met some people who were in pursuit there of much more.

[Jason Jones]

Iran scares us, but who scares Iran?

[Jon Stewart]

The elderly leader of the freedom movement,

[Maziar Bahari]

Ibrahim Yazdi, was arrested from his sickbed yesterday.

[Jon Stewart]

Amongst those arrested, Mohammed Abtay, a leading

[Jason Jones]

reformist and former vice president. Newsweek magazine's Mazia Bahari was detained without charge Sunday morning. Luckily, just two weeks ago, I was able to sit down with the Axis of Evils. Axis of Evil. First up, Ibrahim Yazdi. One glimpse of his fearsome visage and his trained attack. Lovebirds told me all I needed to know. I'd have to play this one carefully.

[Maziar Bahari]

My name? Abraham Yazdi.

[Jason Jones]

I'm just gonna call you Colonel Sanders.

[Maziar Bahari]

I don't have any sandwich.

[Jason Jones]

You'd make a lot of money with the sandwich shop.

[Maziar Bahari]

I'm satisfied with what I have.

[Jason Jones]

But there are some things this leader of Iran's freedom movement is not so satisfied with.

[Maziar Bahari]

I am opposing American deeds in Iran. I'm opposing American policy towards Iran. I think that the American religions actually help the hardliner in Iran. The former President Bush called Iran the axis of evil.

[Jason Jones]

Why did he call you the axis of evil though?

[Maziar Bahari]

Ask him.

[Jason Jones]

Well, I know why you're evil.

[Maziar Bahari]

How can you prove that we are evil?

[Jason Jones]

You're part of an axis.

[Maziar Bahari]

We are not. We don't have anything to do with the Saddam Hussein war with North Korea. You are looking at your own picture in the mirror.

[Jason Jones]

Well, that's what I'd like to look at.

[Maziar Bahari]

Both of us, we need to cooperate. Why you don't look at that angle.

[Jason Jones]

And it's just that kind of intolerance that led the government to drag him from his hospital bed and throw him in prison. But he was nothing compared to Iranian born Newsweek contributor Maziar Bahari and his message of Ra. Radical reasonableness.

[Maziar Bahari]

I think people should stop saying death to America and Iran. You know, you say, death to America. The other part says that acts of evil, so. And both sides are idiots, basically.

[Jason Jones]

Wait, did he just call us all idiots? No wonder they arrested him from his mother's home without charging him. It was clear I'd been too soft in engaging with Iran with my final subject, Muhammad Ali Abtahi. I would not show weakness.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Hello.

[Jason Jones]

How are you?

[Maziar Bahari]

Welcome, Tiran.

[Jason Jones]

Thank you. You know what? I'm not gonna do this. I can't sit down here without any preconditions, okay? So unless you agree to my preconditions, I am not sitting down to interview you. You tell him that, Then you can sit down. Oh, you. You accept it? Yeah, I. I didn't. I didn't think you were going to do that. Preconditions. Preconditions. Preconditions. All right, I want to sit in this chair.

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

Yes.

[Maziar Bahari]

Is this for you?

[Jason Jones]

Yeah, it will. Yes, it is for me. Next, want to take home this book?

[Maziar Bahari]

Which book?

[Jason Jones]

This one. Dictionary of Religious Terms. Yes.

[Maziar Bahari]

This is gift to you.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Yeah.

[Jason Jones]

I will take it as a gift. Okay. Just going easier than I thought. But things went quickly downhill as he threw one bombshell after another. I have an institute about dialogue between religions, and I have written a lot about women's rights. You are pro women's rights, Hatzman. I mean, certainly nuclear weapons.

[Maziar Bahari]

No.

[Jason Jones]

You don't support a nuclear bomb in Iran?

[Maziar Bahari]

No, in Iran or in any country.

[Jason Jones]

You sound like a threat to me. Which one is a threat? You are a threat. You are a threat to every caricature of an Islamic cleric I have ever seen. In the conservative newspapers, they say the same thing. But I'm not scary, as you can see from what I write in my weblog every day. You've got a blog?

[Jon Stewart]

Yes.

[Jason Jones]

Oh, God. Can someone get me a real cleric in here, please? Perhaps we'll all sleep a little easier tonight knowing these men are off the street and not making spooky predictions about the future. If I say anything juvenile or even slightly offensive, I would like not to be arrested. I would also like a promise that they don't arrest me.

[Jon Stewart]

Jason Jones, Uh, now, right now

[Jason Jones]

with

[Jon Stewart]

me tonight, to have the son of Ibrahim Yazdi, who we just saw in the piece, seems to be a very lovely man, and yet was arrested. When was he arrested?

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

Last week, right after the election.

[Jon Stewart]

And they took him from his hospital in Iran, right?

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

In Tehran.

[Jon Stewart]

Do you have any updates for us that you can?

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

Yeah, I spoke with him this morning after he got ill, when he was in prison, they took him back to the hospital and he had an emergency procedure and he's recovering now, in the hospital now.

[Jon Stewart]

So he's in the hospital now. What measures is the Iranian government taking now to prevent his escape? Because clearly this man is a threat. And I don't know.

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

I don't know.

[Jon Stewart]

How is he? Is he feeling optimistic? Is he feeling pessimistic?

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

He's usually a very optimistic person, but this morning he was really down in his mind.

[Jon Stewart]

What does he think? What's got him feeling that way now?

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

It's the hundreds of people that have been rounded up. And historically they've not been treated well. So in 1999, when similar uprising happened, people that were caught on video or tapes, they were held for decades simply because they showed up in a video of a demonstration. So we're all very, very concerned for the people who are in this demonstrations who have been arrested, rounded up, both reform leaders and people who just picked up in the streets.

[Jon Stewart]

Why are they picking them up?

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

That's a good question. They're afraid of them. That's a good question. I think that's a question we should ask the Iranian government.

[Jon Stewart]

What can anybody do? Anything here? What can anybody do?

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

I think we can let the Iranian people, the Iranian government, know that the world is watching them. Maybe send letters and ask the question of the Iranian embassies around the world. Say, you know, what's happening? Why are you doing this? We don't understand what we're seeing on tv. Please explain to us why you feel it necessary to do this.

[Jon Stewart]

What about the idea that America being a very easy scapegoat for them and the idea that if we do anything, we're seen as meddling and would cause the demonstrators more harm than good?

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

That's true. That's why I think if people did it themselves, it would be effective rather than government.

[Jon Stewart]

But from the people, I think so,

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

yeah, it would be more effective.

[Jon Stewart]

Well, will you please keep in touch and let us know how things go for your father? And we can't tell you how much we appreciate you coming in and how much we appreciated your father speaking to us over there. And just what a lovely man that everybody who met him thought he was. And he can't wait till he gets back out.

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

Thank you.

[Jon Stewart]

It's great to see you. Thank you so much. We'll be right back.

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Cafe Quality Brews without a Barista that's the Ninjalux Cafe. Yup, no skills needed. Rich espresso balanced drip coffee, rapid cold brew. All made by you because Barista Assist Technology handles the details. Grinding, weighing, brewing so you don't have to finish with silky microfoam made with dairy or plant based milk. Hot or cold, hands free. Still no skills needed. From first timer to full blown coffee fan, you can brew it all. Brew it all with the Ninjalux Cafe. No skills needed. Cafe quality coffee without the guesswork make espresso, drip coffee, cold brew and more with the Ninjalux Cafe. Listeners of this show get $60 off the Ninjalux Cafe Premiere series with the Code Stewart exclusive on SharkNinja.com while supplies last. That's $60 off the Ninja Lux Cafe premiere series with Code Stewart exclusively on SharkNinja.com while supplies last.

[Jon Stewart]

When Jason Jones went to Iran, he had no idea what he would find because he thought we were sending him to France. It was. It was quite a prank, but the biggest surprise turned out to be the people. Here's part three of Jason Jones Report behind the Veil.

[Jason Jones]

I had come to Iran to learn what this country we've been cut off from for decades was all about. I immersed myself in their customs, their food, their drink. What kind of country has a drinking hose beside the toilet? Stupid. And their language?

[Maziar Bahari]

Yeah, I don't speak Arabic. We speak Persian in Iran.

[Jason Jones]

I studied Arabic for 10 months. But after 30 years with no diplomatic relations, was their knowledge of us frozen in time? Who's the president of The United States?

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

No.

[Jason Jones]

Mr. Obama. Who's our current President of the United States?

[Maziar Bahari]

Mr. Obama. Obama.

[Jason Jones]

Please. Two can play at that game. It was time for Jihad Walking Imam Square versus Times Square. Tell me, who is the current President

[Jon Stewart]

of Iran, Azerbaijan, or something like that?

[Jason Jones]

Say it again. Jamel Z. Okay, but can they do any better? Mr. Bush. Before him, Killington.

[Maziar Bahari]

Yeah, Killington. And before killing Ton. His father.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Yeah.

[Maziar Bahari]

The father of Mr. Bush.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Yeah.

[Jason Jones]

Before that, Bush.

[Maziar Bahari]

Before that, BURUSH it was Mr. Reagan. Mr. Reagan.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Yeah.

[Jason Jones]

Before him, Carteret.

[Maziar Bahari]

Mr. Carter.

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

Yeah.

[Jason Jones]

Well, it's not Sadat, so I don't want to sound ignorant. Yeah. Washington.

[Maziar Bahari]

Lincoln. Kennedy.

[Jason Jones]

It's a hard name to say. Who's the speaker of the house?

[Maziar Bahari]

Mrs. Pelosi.

[Jason Jones]

Okay, but who's the minority whip?

[Maziar Bahari]

I don't know.

[Jason Jones]

Yeah. This guy doesn't know who the minority whip is.

[Maziar Bahari]

I remember Mr. Ford. Also I remember Mr. Ford. And before Ford, the Watergate happened.

[Jason Jones]

What was his name?

[Maziar Bahari]

His name? It was Nixon. Yeah.

[Jason Jones]

Nixon.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Jason Jones]

All right, how about a little geography? What's the name of a country in the Middle east that starts with I and is not Iraq a country? Middle East? I don't know. Los Angeles.

[Maziar Bahari]

New York.

[Jason Jones]

Name a city in Iran. Quran. No, that's their holy book. Oh. San Jose, Berkeley and Syracuse. I, R, A. I don't know. I R, A N. India. Iran. Doesn't ring a bell. The country of Iran. I never heard of it.

[Advertiser/Promo Voice]

Washington.

[Jason Jones]

What district is it in? District of Columbia.

[Jon Stewart]

Fine.

[Jason Jones]

But these were DG eating, liberal urban elites. I needed to find some real Iranians. So I headed out into the countryside. Deep, deep into the countryside. Goat herder. It's go time.

[Maziar Bahari]

Detroit.

[Jason Jones]

Detroit. Detroit. Okay, so who isn't a Red Wings fan?

[Jon Stewart]

Utica.

[Jason Jones]

How the. Have you heard of Utica? You're pathetic.

[Jon Stewart]

America.

[Jason Jones]

What is a city in Iran?

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Tehran.

[Jason Jones]

Yes. Not so fast. Iran. What is America's Independence Day? Independent day.

[Maziar Bahari]

It is 4th of July.

[Jason Jones]

Of what year?

[Maziar Bahari]

In 1776.

[Jason Jones]

No. Current president of Iran. Ahmadine John. Oh, here we go. Can you name the three branches of the American government?

[Maziar Bahari]

Government? Yeah. Legislative, Judiciary.

[Jason Jones]

Yes. And the bureaucracy.

[Maziar Bahari]

What's the name of.

[Jason Jones]

Wrong. Executive.

[Maziar Bahari]

Executive.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Executive.

[Maziar Bahari]

Executive.

[Jason Jones]

You don't know nothing about the states. Name the supreme leader.

[Advertiser/Promo Voice]

Khamenei.

[Jason Jones]

Suck it, Iran. Ah. Victory was sweet. But I realized these people deserve not scorn, but pity. After all, they are completely cut off from the Western world. I work for a TV show called the Daily Show.

[Maziar Bahari]

The Daily Show.

[Advertiser/Promo Voice]

Jon Stewart.

[Maziar Bahari]

Hello, John.

[Jon Stewart]

I'm a fan.

[Jason Jones]

How are you?

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jason Jones]

Give My regards to John. You watch the Daily Show?

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

I do.

[Jason Jones]

I'm the decider. Yeah.

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

You know

[Jon Stewart]

Jason Jones.

[Jason Jones]

We'll be right back.

[Maziar Bahari]

Tonight,

[Jon Stewart]

Jason Jones completes his journey behind the veil. His searing portrait of one fake reporter's trip to the very real Iran at what was both the best and worst time possible. Enjoy.

[Jason Jones]

As I had witnessed, Iran is many things. But with 70% of its population under 30, more than anything, it's a country of young people. But who are they and what are they into? What would you call these pantaloons? It's a Diesel.

[Maziar Bahari]

The brand Diesel.

[Jason Jones]

Yeah, Diesel.

[Maziar Bahari]

Yeah.

[Jason Jones]

And your. Your top?

[Maziar Bahari]

Dolce and Gabbana.

[Jason Jones]

Dolce and Gabbana.

[Maziar Bahari]

It's from Italy.

[Jason Jones]

And what about your footwear? It's Adidas. Adidas? Yeah. That's a native brand.

[Maziar Bahari]

Yeah, It's a limited edition.

[Jason Jones]

They shared with me their games. Now, second wins in the States. Second's the best. And I shared ours. Hey, this isn't football, okay?

[Jon Stewart]

Move.

[Jason Jones]

This is football. Yeah, football. All they needed was a little East Texas style encouragement. Chubby, I want you on a 20 yard break. I want you on a 30 yard fly route. I want you on an 80 yard post.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Okay?

[Jason Jones]

On three. Break. One, two, three.

[Jon Stewart]

Break.

[Jason Jones]

Okay, that's all right. Blue 45.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Blah.

[Jason Jones]

No. Okay, that's not gonna work. Okay, Hot. Hot means give me the ball. Blue. Butterbab. Blue. Does blue sound like Mutt? Blue. Watch the safety, watch the safety. Blue. Butterbot.

[Jon Stewart]

Blue.

[Jason Jones]

Blue. Blue.

[Jon Stewart]

Hut.

[Jason Jones]

Hut. Yes. Go. All you guys, go. Go long. I got a lot of arm strength. Go. Yes. Oh, no. Oh, you guys really aren't taking this seriously enough. Okay, I know it's called the pigskin, okay? But it's not against your religion to catch it. Second down, it looked like they were getting the hang of it, sort of. Despite their government's best efforts, the youth here are connected to the world with Facebook, Twitter and. Yo, D, drop that beat. Hip hop, that's underground rapper Hish Kost. His music may be banned by the government, but he still has everything an American rapper has. The studio, the posse and the. Is that a Pekingese? Okay, maybe this guy could use a little help. Okay, that was good. I've got some notes. My lyrics are influenced by our Iranian heritage. Rap has poetry and Persian poetry is very strong. What do you rap about? Social issues, street issues, moral issues. Okay, but specifically, like guns, hoes, bitches, you know, the rap here is very different. It's about something real. And we feel we shouldn't have bad influence on people. You Got a lot to learn about rap, pal, but check this, yo, drop the bass J squared on the mic turn the headphones up here we go, here we go, here we go. I'm an old school Persian up to 80 version bitch slapping all this fraud and subversion sucking movers want to catch an aspersion? Go on mother don't need the incursion I'm the world's greatest rapper in English and Farsi I got more rhymes than Tabooli got parsley I spin like a pip I've lived like a thug, a higher than aversions to weave me a rug Now I'm rolling down the streets of East Tehran Stopping by the moss to get my israelmon Then apart from a hoop until my head gets hazy Even I'm a dentist that thinks that I'm crazy. I'm an old school Persian updated version Bitch slapping all this fraud and subversion enriched like uranium that's why I'm Iranian, you never find my missiles cuz they're all subterranean. I'm assuming you're laughing means you like it?

[Advertiser/Promo Voice]

Yes.

[Jason Jones]

Though if you want to analyze it professionally, the meter was not correct. Get out of here. You don't know nothing about rap. And with that, my time in Iran was up. What began in fear had ended in understanding. I had immersed myself in their culture, sampled their delicacies.

[Maziar Bahari]

Gel before shave.

[Jason Jones]

Gel before shave. I'll try some. But as I watch what's happening there now, I know that somewhere in that sea of faces are the same people I had met. People who were gracious enough to take me into their homes and schools and coffee shops. People who indulge my asinine questions. People I hope will be safe and not be harmed or arrested for the simple act of wearing green and wanting a voice.

[Jon Stewart]

Jason Jones and Tim Greenberg. Nice job, guys. This is Jason Jones. Intrepid producer Tim Greenberg spent 10 days in Iran and came back with amazing work and amazing pictures that revealed a certain part of Iran that I think many of us hadn't seen before. Congratulations. Great job. Thanks. What's next? What's the next assignment? North Korea.

[Jason Jones]

We're going to Argentina.

[Jon Stewart]

All right.

[Ibrahim Yazdi's Son]

Yes.

[Jon Stewart]

I knew it was one or the other. We'll be right back.

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[Jason Jones]

My day kicks off with a refreshing Celsius energy drink. Then straight to the gym, pre K pickup back home to meal prep. Time for my fire station shift. One more Celsius. Gotta keep the lights on when the three alarm hits. I'm ready. Celsius live fit. Go grab a cold refreshing Celsius at your local retailer or locate [e-mail].

[Jon Stewart]

Welcome back. My guest tonight, a reporter for Newsweek magazine who spent 118 days in an Iranian prison. He was released in October. Please welcome to the program Maziar Bahari.

[Maziar Bahari]

Sir.

[Jon Stewart]

How's it going?

[Maziar Bahari]

It's going fine.

[Jon Stewart]

Very nice. You were imprisoned in Iran.

[Jason Jones]

Yes.

[Maziar Bahari]

Because of you.

[Jon Stewart]

Because.

[Maziar Bahari]

No, I'm just kidding. No.

[Jon Stewart]

Well, we had sent Jason Jones over there and you agreed to be interviewed with him. And Jason wore a keffiyeh and dark sunglasses and pretended to be a spy. As it turns out, your interrogators didn't

[Maziar Bahari]

have a sense of humor. So they didn't understand. Yeah, well, I don't know if the sketch was not funny or they didn't have a sense of humor, but I wasn't compelled. I was the victim. Anyway. I don't care.

[Jon Stewart]

I was the victim here was the crazy part. So we obviously we didn't know that all this tumult was going to happen after the election. So we call or we got in contact with you before we ran the piece to say, is this okay to run? Are you going to be okay? And you answered. Let me see if I have a quote there it's fine. Yes, I have no problem. Especially the part where I call Ahmadinejad a moron.

[Maziar Bahari]

Yes.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Yes.

[Jon Stewart]

I would like to communicate with the rest of the world as much as possible. Looking back, do you wish you'd answered differently?

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Yes.

[Jason Jones]

Yeah.

[Maziar Bahari]

No, but, you know, I thought that maybe they canceled my press card, or maybe they put me in prison for two or three days, maybe a week, and just let me go. But charging me with espionage because of an interview with Jason, you know, it was beyond my wider.

[Jon Stewart]

It is. You know, we hear so much about the banality of evil, but so little about the stupidity of evil.

[Maziar Bahari]

Evil is stupid. You know, I'm sure that, you know. You know, whenever you take anything to the extremes, you see the humor in it, and you see the stupidity in it. And I think what the Iranian government did and what my interrogator as the representative of the Iranian government was doing to me was stupid and funny at the same time. It was not funny while I was in the interrogation room, blindfolded in a dark room and being beaten. You know, that was not funny. But when I was going back to my cell, I had to laugh. I mean, that was my defense mechanism.

[Jon Stewart]

You know, Alicia, comedy is imprisonment plus time.

[Maziar Bahari]

Exactly. Yeah. And, you know, my interrogator, for some reason, after a while, he became my muse. And I never told him, but he gave me ideas. You know, he was so exaggerated in whatever he did that, you know, he just gave me ideas, and I just. I just laughed.

[Jon Stewart]

Well, his obsessions, you know, you write about, it's all so Dostoevsky or this crazy existentialist nightmare that you enter into. But he was obsessed with the idea that you had been to New Jersey.

[Maziar Bahari]

Yes. Yeah.

[Jason Jones]

But this is. This is true.

[Maziar Bahari]

Yeah.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Yeah.

[Maziar Bahari]

You know, to him, New Jersey sounded like the most American place that you could be. And he thought that New Jersey is paradise on earth. And, you know, he thought. He thought that New Jersey is a place where people drink all the time, they have sex all the time, and where there are no Jews,

[Jon Stewart]

Apparently, the exception to the rule. I didn't get to do any of that stuff.

[Maziar Bahari]

I never told him about you.

[Jon Stewart]

It's funny and tragic and horrible because this is a man invested with a great deal of power. He is a. In the Revolutionary Guard in Iran.

[Maziar Bahari]

He was a Revolutionary Guard, and he was in charge of my life. You know, I had to be very respectful of him. I had to be very differential. You know, I always had to call him sir. And whenever I was. Whenever I wanted to answer back, I was Always saying that, you know, I beg to differ, but you're stupid. You know, I never said that, but, you know, I always had to respect. And he had a lot of power. I mean, he. And, you know, one thing that was very smart was that I was not confronting the system. I was not confronting the government. They made him in charge of my life. So it was as if that he had a personal grudge against me. Not that, you know, I was tried or I was imprisoned by the Iranian government. They made it more personal. He came to arrest me. He was my interrogator. And on the last day, just the night before I left Iran, he told me that we can arrest you wherever you are. We can always bring you back in a bag. So he wanted to pretend that he was in charge of me.

[Jon Stewart]

But that also points to. As ludicrous and ridiculous as some of their evidence against you clearly is, their methodology is very sophisticated. And it's clear they've learned a lot of lessons from the Shah and from their oppression of the Iranian people. And it speaks to so many different layers.

[Maziar Bahari]

You see many people in charge of the Iranian government now, they were in prison at the Shah's time, during the Shah's time, and they were tortured in the Shah's time. So it is the tortured who've become torturers. And they know how to inflict torture. They know how effective psychological torture can be. One thing, I mean, one day it was interesting because he told me that I worked a lot in Iraq, and he knew that. And he told me that, you know, we treat our prisoners more humanely than the Americans. They treat their prisoners. We don't do things that the Americans do in Abu Ghraib, like making human pies or putting leashes on prisoners. And I never told them, but I was thinking that, yes, the Americans are doing those horrendous things because they don't know what they're doing. So they have to do those stupid but horrendous things. But you guys, you know exactly what you're doing. You know how to inflict psychological torture on people. You know how to use people's vulnerabilities.

[Jon Stewart]

There's a sophistication to their thuggery in a way that they don't have. The big lesson here is the Revolutionary Guard are now really in control of Iran. They are. They are the ones.

[Maziar Bahari]

Yeah, they are. Well, we cannot say that they are in charge of everything, but they're taking over all the strategic positions, including the nuclear program.

[Jon Stewart]

And are they now Pakistan? Are they a military dictatorship? Now, or is it?

[Maziar Bahari]

No, it's Iran can never become a military dictatorship. And that's what they cannot. They haven't learned from history. You see, they are trying to have a military dictatorship in Iran, but they will fail. And they are basically undermining their own authority in the long run, what they're doing. And you know, they are dangerous for the country, they're dangerous for the region, for the world, but also they're dangerous for themselves.

[Jon Stewart]

And they will fall.

[Maziar Bahari]

They will fall eventually. I don't know. I'm not saying that they will fall next year or in two years or 10 years. But when you're looking at Iran's 3,000 history, 10 years or 50 years even is not much.

[Jon Stewart]

Well, it's an incredible story and I urge everyone to read what you wrote about it in Newsweek. And we actually have an idea for another bit. So I was just wondering if you.

[Jason Jones]

I didn't think so.

[Jon Stewart]

It's really wonderful to see you safe and sound and back with your family. Great to see you and it's great to see it.

[Jason Jones]

Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount. Plus, this has been a Comedy Central podcast. Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts

[Maziar Bahari]

in time for this class.

[Jason Jones]

I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order.

[Maziar Bahari]

1-800-contacts.

[Jason Jones]

USAA knows Dynamic Duos can save the

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

day like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance.

[Advertiser/Promo Voice]

With usaa, you can bundle your auto and home and and save up to 10%.

[Jason Jones]

Tap the banner to learn more and get a'@usaa.com bundle restrictions apply. LifeLock, how can I help? The IRS said I filed my return, but I haven't. One in four tax paying Americans has paid the price of identity fraud. What do I do? My refund though. I'm freaking out. Don't worry, I can fix this. Lifelock fixes identity theft guaranteed and gets your money back with up to $3 million in coverage.

[Maziar Bahari]

I'm so relieved. No problem.

[Jason Jones]

I'll be with you every step of the way. One in four was a fraud. Paying American not anymore. Save up to 40% your first year.

[Jon Stewart]

Visit lifelock.com podcast terms apply.