The Daily Show: Ears Edition

TDS Time Machine | Winter

Date: December 26, 2025
Host: Jon Stewart & The Daily Show News Team

Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, hosted by Jon Stewart and featuring the classic news team, takes a comedic time machine trip through memorable winter moments and headlines. Covering a bevy of extreme weather events across America—real and exaggerated—the crew delivers their signature blend of satire and news commentary. Highlights include on-the-ground (and in-the-snowbank) reporting, spoofs on winter survival and politics, and a playful look at how Americans cope with the wintry season, from snowstorm panic to the loss of snow days for kids.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Winter Storms Across America

[01:18–06:13]

• Jon Stewart opens by riffing on a massive winter storm sweeping from D.C. to Boston, noting how some areas were spared while others were “better covered up.”

• Stephen Colbert acts as the on-the-scene meteorologist in (supposedly blizzard-blanketed) Maine, gradually spiraling into absurdity as he claims to have crashed his car, locked himself out, and ultimately resorts to cannibalizing the sound guy within just 20 minutes.

  • Satire unfolds as the team throws out increasingly ridiculous responses to the “storm,” culminating in Colbert's faux-dramatic “freezing to death” monologue.

  "Yeah, but we'd already cut him open and tried to crawl inside for warmth, so I figured as long as the meat was exposed, you know, none's the wiser."
  — Stephen Colbert on eating the sound guy ([05:10])

  "No, Stephen, that means you're freezing to death. Don't lie down. You gotta keep moving."
  — Jon Stewart ([05:56])

2. The Endangered Yellowstone Snowmobile

[07:10–10:53]

• Stacey Grenrock Woods delivers a satirical report about the “endangered” snowmobile in Yellowstone National Park, parodying wildlife documentaries and environmental activism.

• The crew jokes about government interventions, environmental policies, and the improbable “birth of snowmobile pups.”

  • Jon Stewart (as a park ranger/fan) and others play along with mock concern for these “magnificent creatures.”

  “Years ago, the snowmobile roamed free in Yellowstone Park. The natives called them Yamaha and used every part of them out of respect...”
  — Stacey Grenrock Woods ([07:37])

  "If you looked out on a trail and saw no snowmobiles, what would go through your mind?"
  — Stacey Grenrock Woods
  "What a waste. What a waste."
  — Jon Stewart ([09:20-09:30])

3. First Big Snowfall and Political Fallout

[10:57–12:23]

• Discussion of winter in the Northeast, highlighting snow-induced travel chaos, canceled flights, and political reactions by NYC Mayor Bloomberg (for using the storm for family sledding) and others.
• Segue to coverage of the psychological impacts of winter.

4. Seasonal Affective Disorder and the “Holiday Blues”

[12:23–16:05]

• Ed Helms delivers a parody piece on dealing with winter depression, from clinical symptoms to mockable home remedies.

• Satirical “budget treatments” are discussed, including using a strobe light as a sun lamp, writing a threatening letter for “free psychiatric treatment,” DIY electroshock, and the ultimate solution: “Just act Jewish.”

  “It's a type of depression that starts in late fall, continues through the long winter, all the way to early spring…”
  — John Oliver ([12:37])

  “The Jews are a traditionally mopey people and their expectations around the holidays are low. You'll never be disappointed being a Jew.”
  — John Oliver ([15:49])

5. Atlanta’s Two-Inch “Snowpocalypse”

[17:08–23:40]

• Satirical panic in Atlanta after a mere 2 inches of snow brings the city to a halt: stranded children, abandoned cars, and zombie apocalypse analogies.

  • Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert lampoon the city’s unpreparedness, official excuses, and media overkill.
  • Asif Monvi gets lost in a wall of on-air newsboxes and delivers a hilarious riff on the “size” of the snowfall.

  “Is that what happens when the south is confronted by something not specifically mentioned in Revelations?”
  — Jon Stewart ([17:44])

  “Well, what do you mean, just two inches, John? I can tell you from personal experience that 2 inches is a lot more impressive than it sounds. Okay. People talk about other cities having 12, 13 inches... Trust me, there are plenty of cities out there who fight two inches way too much to handle.”
  — Asif Monvi ([22:19])

  "Are you trying to tell us you have a 2 inch penis?"
  — Jon Stewart ([23:21])

6. NYC’s Snow Removal Showdown (De Blasio Era)

[24:04–27:01]

• The show covers de Blasio’s performance during a major NYC snowfall, comparing it to predecessor Bloomberg and highlighting class-based snow removal grievances.

• Field reporters (Samantha Bee in Times Square, Jessica Williams in Brooklyn, Asif Monvi on the Upper East Side) offer “local” perspectives—some genuinely snowy, some absurdly tropical or snowbound, leading to jokes about Brooklyn’s weather advantage and plows piling snow onto the wealthy.

• Hyperbolic “urban survival” scenes play out (“Somali warlords battling polar bears on Park Avenue”) as the rich struggle with too much snow.

  “It seems that De Blasio's plows are actively bringing snow in... It is hell bent on making the city unlivable for the rich.”
  — Asif Monvi ([26:16])

7. Nationwide Winter Mayhem & Modern Snow Day Losses

[28:10–31:29]

• Review of wide-reaching winter storms: Texas power blackouts, drivers sliding on ice, and the American grid’s fragility.

• Commentary on climate change upending traditional expectations—Minnesota should buy a sunhat, New Yorkers need anti-scorpion spray (joking about the host’s lost pet).

• Grievance of the week: New York City ends snow days for kids, switching to Zoom classes. Host and crew reflect on lost rites of passage, using biting humor.

  “By 2026, this is basically gonna be Florida with better bagels. That’s all it’s gonna be.”
  — Josh Whalen ([30:53])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cannibal Humour:

  “I managed to capture and eat the sound guy.” — Stephen Colbert ([05:07])

• Storm Reality vs. Hysteria:

  “Three feet, ten feet, two inches of snow hit the area. Really? Two inches of snow?” — Jon Stewart ([17:40])

• Snowmobile as Endangered Species Satire:

  “The natives called them Yamaha and used every part of them out of respect for the snowmobile.” — Stacey Grenrock Woods ([07:37])

• Atlanta’s Unpreparedness:

  “The Weather Channel is located in Atlanta. It’s right there…”
  — Jon Stewart ([20:23])

• Sexual Innuendo in Weather Coverage:

  “It’s not the size of the snowfall that matters, okay? It is the duration of the condensation, if you get my snow drift.” — Asif Monvi ([23:11])

Timestamps: Important Segments

• 01:18 — Opening monologue, first snowstorm jokes
• 03:11–05:19 — Colbert’s blizzard misadventures
• 07:31–10:53 — Yellowstone snowmobile mockumentary
• 12:23–16:05 — Fighting the “holiday blues”
• 17:08–23:40 — Atlanta’s “snowpocalypse,” reporting chaos
• 24:04–27:01 — NYC’s snowy boroughs & class satire
• 28:10–31:29 — Texas storm fallout; end of snow days for NY kids

Tone and Style

• Consistently irreverent and quick-witted, blending real news with deadpan hyperbole.
• Frequent use of recurring comedic devices: on-scene “reporting,” absurd escalation, character banter.
• Lampooning both governmental dysfunction and media overreaction.

For New Listeners

If you missed this episode, you’re in for classic Daily Show winter-time satire. From faux-survival reporting in snowdrifts to the cultural loss of snow days and American ineptitude around a few inches of snow, the show is fast-paced, packed with memorable punchlines, and sharp social observation. Winter never felt so ridiculous—or funny.