What Is a ‘Jon Stewart Packet’ and Why Is It Blowing Up Twitter?
Twitter is buzzing about former Daily Show host Jon Stewart and packets and the intersection thereof, which has many people wondering: Just what is a “Jon Stewart packet” and why should we care?
The latter is a matter of taste, but the former is knowable. Stewart is producing a new series for AppleTV+, and is hiring writers! To that end, a solicitation for “packet submissions” was sent out this week calling on comedy writers to follow a very specific set of instructions to be considered for a slot:
1. Submit one page of TOPICAL, non-evergreen monologue jokes, on February 15th, by 9pm PST. The jokes should be about whatever is currently in the news on February 15th. The amount of jokes is flexible, but they must fit on ONE page. The style of the monologue jokes is up to you, write what you would want to see on TV.
2. In addition to the topical jokes, please include 1-2 sentences on one bill or law in America that you would change, create, or do away with. These sentences also need to fit on that single sheet.
3. Create your submission using google docs. Then submit a link to your packet — with editing access open. Do not send a word doc or a pdf, only submit your google docs link. Please use Arial font, size 11.
Et cetera. The 6th bullet was “Do not taunt Jon Stewart packet submission instructions.”*
And so, an insider comedy Twitter trend was born, with comedy writers of varying skill levels riffing on the phenomenon, and other Twitter users trying to digest the trend.
@jonstewart Here’s my packet. Let me know if you need anything else. pic.twitter.com/WrgwYiEWmT
— Sue Smith (@suesmith666) February 16, 2021
I formally demand that someone forward me the Jon Stewart packet instructions. I am feeling so left out even though I have transcended to the blessed plane of network multicam situation comedy which pays better except the residuals aren’t as good. I miss the futility of packets!
— Gurim Branum (@guybranum) February 15, 2021
hey @jonstewart I formally submit the below tweet as my writing packet. ‘Hot Pocket’ is a good alt if you feel ‘burrito’ is culturally insensitive, though I think ‘burrito’ gets a bigger laugh. DM me. https://t.co/4XtJZkGZUS
— Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) February 16, 2021
Would it either make my life better or make the Jon Stewart packet jokes funny if I knew what a Jon Stewart packet is?
— King Kaufman (@king_kaufman) February 16, 2021
*chisels through ice*
Hey, what Jon Stewart packet?
— Brandi, Not A Cat ? (@ItsTheBrandi) February 15, 2021
If you’re in line, STAY IN LINE, they have to let you submit a Jon Stewart packet
— Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein) February 16, 2021
Misread it, then was really glad the trend *wasn’t* about Jon Stewart’s Package.
— Pat Rothfuss (@PatrickRothfuss) February 16, 2021
I’ve read it it and my only take is that a man wrote the Jon Stewart packet instructions.
— carla ciccone (@cciccone) February 16, 2021
BREAKING: AstraZeneca abandons COVID-19 vaccine research to work on their Jon Stewart packet.
— Gennefer WEAR A MASK Gross (@Gennefer) February 15, 2021
I am completely unsurprised the Jon Stewart packet is trending because a) all applicants are on here, usually giving it away and b) saying you’re applying is a fun flex that you can promptly undo by complaining that you won’t get hired, and brag-whining is very comedy writer.
— Quinn Cummings (@quinncy) February 16, 2021
This is gonna be in my Jon Stewart packet, for sure.
— Dave Schilling (@dave_schilling) February 16, 2021
Jon Stewart can have my packet when he pries it out of my cold dead hands.
— Martha Kelly (@MarthaKelly3) February 16, 2021
I put a Jon Stewart packet joke in my Jon Stewart packet because that’s news, baby! (Also nothing happening is funny because the world is a tragedy)
— Morgan (@totallymorgan) February 16, 2021
I look forward to a couple weeks from now, when Jon Stewart announces his 40,000 person writing staff.
— todd levin (@toddlevin) February 16, 2021
BREAKING: A group of guys with AR-15’s have gathered outside of Jon Stewart’s office trying to prevent the counting of the packets.
MEANWHILE: A different but similar group is gathered elsewhere demanding that all the packets be counted. #jonstewart #packets
— Matt Knudsen ?? (@mattknudsen) February 16, 2021
jon stewart packet is what i call my pussy just kidding i don’t know what everyone is talking about and frankly i don’t want to
— Sophia Benoit (@1followernodad) February 16, 2021
If half the people doing the Jon Stewart packet watch the show it’ll be a hit.
— Mason Steinberg (@AlUCanEatShrimp) February 16, 2021
I heard the Jon Stewart packet is just him sliding a can of beans and a can opener across the table to you and watching.
— Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) February 16, 2021
What time does Jon Stewart put the cast list up on the bulletin board outside of the gym??
— Chelsea Davison (@chelsea_davison) February 16, 2021
Hate it when I leave my Jon Stewart packet in my other purse.
— Lauren O’Neil (@laurenoneil) February 16, 2021
It was a thing to apply to a Jon Stewart thing and no one sent it to me because no one loves me
— Jessica Ellis (@baddestmamajama) February 16, 2021
I played drums in the Jon Stewart Packet for 4 years. Best time of my life.
— Andy Juett (@andyjuett) February 16, 2021
Jon Stewart already picked his writers. You all just wasted 2 weeks.
— aaron berg- light skinned charlamagne (@aaronbergcomedy) February 16, 2021
Stewart himself eventually joined in on the fun.
Has anyone seen my me packet?
— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) February 15, 2021
Packet up packet in let us begin did I get hired?
— Razzball (@Razzball) February 16, 2021
this is funny to like 200 people but to those 200 people this is hilarious.
— Felonious Munk ?? (@Felonious_munk) February 16, 2021
Somewhere, the next Lenny Bruce weeps, having just realized he used Helvetica size 12.
