The Fan

Cassie seems to have something of a crush on Jon Stewart. When she hears the Daily Show theme music start to play at the opening of the 7:00 re-broadcast, if she hasn't yet finished her supper, she will insist that her high chair be moved into the living room so that she can watch. She gets a bit impatient when anyone else is on screen, though she is now grudgingly accepting, as Pete has explained to her that those other people are Jon Stewart's friends. (Admittedly a bit of a stretch, especially when Ari Fleischer or somebody is on, but it just seemed easier to put it that way.)

A while back, she noticed that not everybody uses his full name. "Mama?" she said. "Some people don't call him Jon Stewart. Some people just call him Jon!" She's mentioned it several times since then. I think it makes her feel kind of exhilarated and in-the-know.

This past Tuesday night, Pete and I were discussing something, somewhat ignoring the television, though Cassie remained transfixed. Then it was time for a commercial (Cassie does not approve of the Daily Show having commercials, incidentally), and the esteemed Mr. Stewart did the obligatory into-commercial sign-out. It's not boilerplate patter to Cassie, though, it's all fresh and new. "He will be right back!" she exulted. "He said he will be right back!" [commercial, commercial, commercial, commercial...] "He's right back!!"

It's a grand, grand world when you're three years old and in love.