Jon Stewart to Receive 2022 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

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Jon Stewart has been named as the 23rd recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. This year’s ceremony, the first since 2019 due to the pandemic, will be held on April 24 at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington, D.C.

Stewart’s characteristic dry wit was evident in the statement he released commenting on the award. “I am truly honored to receive this award,” he began. “I have long admired and been influenced by the work of Mark Twain, or, as he was known by his given name, Samuel Leibowitz.”

“For more than three decades, Jon Stewart has brightened our lives and challenged our minds as he delivers current events and social satire with his trademark wit and wisdom,” Kennedy Center president Deborah F. Rutter said in a statement. “For me, tuning in to his television programs over the years has always been equal parts entertainment and truth.”

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recognizes individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to 19th-century novelist and essayist Samuel Clemens, best known as Mark Twain.

Stewart, 59, has long been considered one of America’s top social and comedic voices. Over the course of his 16-year run as host and executive producer of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, he redefined political satire in American culture.

Stewart has won 22 Primetime Emmy Awards, five Peabody Awards and two Grammys, among other honors. Stewart has twice hosted both the Grammy Awards (2001, 2002) and the Oscars (2006, 2008).

Stewart is also a dedicated social activist. His efforts played a key role in the passing of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Bill, which benefited thousands of first responders and their families. Stewart also works on behalf of America’s wounded veterans through initiatives led by organizations such as the Wounded Warrior Project and Team Rubicon.

Previous recipients of the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize are Richard Pryor (1998), Jonathan Winters (1999), Carl Reiner (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), Lorne Michaels (2004), Steve Martin (2005), Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009; rescinded in 2018), Tina Fey (2010), Will Ferrell (2011), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), Carol Burnett (2013), Jay Leno (2014), Eddie Murphy (2015), Bill Murray (2016), David Letterman (2017), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018), and Dave Chappelle (2019).

The 23rd Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is produced under the direction of the creative team from Done + Dusted, the Kennedy Center’s producing partner for the Mark Twain Prize since 2018.

The event was created by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and John Schreiber.

Performance tickets to the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor performance will go on sale to Kennedy Center Members on Feb. 9 at 12 p.m., and to the general public on Feb. 11 at 12 p.m. Performance tickets will be available at the Kennedy Center Box Office, online at kennedy-center.org, and via phone through Instant Charge, (800) 444-1324.

Mark Twain Prize for American Humor sponsorship packages are available now. Sponsorship packages can be reserved online or through the Development Office by emailing mtp@kennedy-center.org.

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Priest Who Allowed Sabrina Carpenter ‘Feather’ Video Shoot at Church Relieved of Duties

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The priest who okay’d the filming of a controversial Sabrina Carpenter music video at his Williamsburg, Brooklyn church has been relieved of his duties. According to the Associated Press, Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello was stripped of his position on Monday (Nov. 18) after church officials said an investigation revealed other evidence of mismanagement.

Bishop Robert Brennan said in a statement issued by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn that Gigantiello was relieved of “any pastoral oversight or governance role” after an investigation found that Gigantiello made unauthorized financial transfers to a former top aide in embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, which is being investigated on charges of corruption.

The investigation was sparked following outrage over the bloody video for Carpenter’s “Feather” shot at Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish in Williamsburg, in which the singer facilitates the deaths of a number of obnoxious men who are attempting to hit on her. The final scene, filmed at the church, found Carpenter dancing around the sacred space at the men’s funerals while wearing a short black dress and veil and posing with religious items on the altar, including a coffin with a sign that reads, “RIP B–ch.”

Gigantiello was relieved of his administrative duties last November after the video’s release, with Brennan saying at the time that the parish did not “follow diocesan policy regarding the filming on church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script.”

Following Gigantiello’s sanction, Carpenter told Variety that her team got “approval in advance,” and besides, “Jesus was a carpenter.” Her comments came after Gigantiello posted an apology on the Church’s Facebook page, in which he said he approved the filming of the video and did not find anything negative about Carpenter online, green-lighting the shoot in an effort to “further strengthen the bonds between the young creative artists who make up a large part of this community.”

He also said that he reviewed the video’s funeral scene plan and noted that the actual final scene shot was “not what was initially presented to me.”

In his statement announcing Gigantiello’s sanction, Brennan said, “I am saddened to share that investigations conducted by Alvarez & Marsal and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP have uncovered evidence of serious violations of Diocesan policies and protocols at Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Annunciation Parish. In order to safeguard the public trust, and to protect church funds, I have appointed Bishop Witold Mroziewski as administrator of the Parish.”

Though Mroziewski will now have “complete authority over the parish, Gigantiello will still be allowed to say Mass with Mroziewski’s approval. In addition, Brennan dropped Gigantiello from his fundraising duties as vicar of development for the diocese as a broader review uncovered other instances of administrative impropriety, including an ongoing investigation into Gigantiello’s use of a church credit card for “substantial” personal expenses.

During a Madison Square Garden show in September, Carpenter appeared to make light of the “Feather” dust-up, just days after Adams became the first New York Mayor to be indicted while in office. “Damn, what now?” she asked the crowd. “Should we talk about how I got the Mayor indicted?”

Watch the “Feather” video below.

 

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