Latest news with #DailyShow
CBS News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Meet the NYC dad who won a Pedro Pascal look-alike contest and won a year of burritos
When George Gountas' wife couldn't bear to watch Pedro Pascal's character die on "Game of Thrones" because he looked too much like her husband, she had no idea it would one day pay off in free burritos. The New York City father and "Daily Show" lighting designer proved his uncanny resemblance to the beloved actor was worth cold, hard cash and Mexican food when he won a Father's Day Pedro Pascal look-alike contest over the weekend, beating more than 20 competitors for $50 and a year's worth of burritos. Gountas said he initially learned about the contest through a group text from Tyler, a stage manager at "The Daily Show," but didn't immediately commit to participating. His wife ultimately convinced him to enter just two days before the event. A New York dad entered a Pedro Pascal look-alike contest at his wife's urging and walked away a winner Photo by Toyafor Disney "I showed her two days before, she was like, 'You're going to do this,'" Gountas said. He received styling help from a neighbor who works as a stylist and showed up to the contest without pre-registering. "I showed up, walked on. They're like, 'You're going to win,'" he said. The father of two daughters said he plans to maintain his Pascal-inspired look for now, despite some family resistance. "My older daughter is kind of over it. 'When are you going to shave that mustache?'" he said. "But for now it's working." Gountas, who describes himself as a private person without social media presence, said he's enjoying the attention and hopes Pascal himself might visit "The Daily Show" someday so his wife can meet the actor. The lighting designer used his $50 prize money to treat his family to ice cream in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jon Stewart slams Trump over Israel-Iran war: ‘What the f–k are we doing?'
Jon Stewart blasted President Trump for his handling of the Israel-Iran war — telling his Comedy Central audience on Monday that the 'dealmaker-in-chief' was at fault for being on the verge of striking a deal with the Islamic Republic before things went 'bomby.' 'What the f–k are we doing?' Stewart, host of the network's 'Daily Show,' said during Monday night's monologue. 'What happened with Iran? Weren't we about to make a nuclear deal? Wasn't our dealmaker-in-chief making a deal to keep Iran from enriching uranium? Actually, didn't we have a deal before our dealmaker-in-chief so wisely pulled us from that deal? Why did this have to go bomby on Iran now?' Stewart said. 4 'Daily Show' host Jon Stewart criticized President Trump's handling of the Israel-Iran crisis. The Daily Show / YouTube 4 'What the f–k are we doing?' Stewart, host of the network's 'Daily Show,' said during Monday night's monologue. The Daily Show / YouTube He followed up by showing a 2012 clip of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that Iran was only months away from acquiring a nuclear weapon. 'Iran is months away from having a nuclear bomb, says Netanyahu… in 2012,' Stewart said, rolling his eyes. 'Netanyahu talks about Iran getting nukes the way I talk about the Knicks winning a title.' As tensions flare between Tehran and Jerusalem, Stewart suggested that US involvement — whether direct or indirect — could have severe repercussions. 'Of course, a hot war between Israel and Iran could threaten the United States. It's best if we stay out of it,' he said, before airing a clip of Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisting that the US was 'not involved' in the bombing campaign. 'Phew. We're not involved. That's good,' Stewart deadpanned, before immediately cutting to a news report confirming that Trump had been 'informed beforehand' of the Israeli strikes. 'Good neighbor policy. I mean, we were informed, they let us know. Still not being involved, really,' he quipped, visibly irritated. The segment escalated as Stewart played footage of Trump economic advisor Larry Kudlow claiming that the former president gave Israel a 'green light' to strike Iranian targets. Stewart mocked the distinction: 'We were told, we approved, it's still Israel's game.' But the moment that brought the room to stunned laughter came when Stewart played a final report revealing that Israel used American equipment in the opening stages of its assault on Iran. 4 Trump, speaking to the press after leaving the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Monday, signaled that Israel had no plans to scale back its military campaign. REUTERS 'What the f–k are we doing?!' Stewart shouted. Trump said Tuesday that he wants a 'real end' to the nuclear standoff with Iran and suggested he may dispatch high-ranking US officials to engage with the Islamic Republic, even as Israeli airstrikes on Iran entered their fifth consecutive day. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz invoked the fate of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, saying Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could meet a similar end. 'I warn the Iranian dictator against continuing to commit war crimes and fire missiles at Israeli citizens,' Katz told senior Israeli military commanders. Not long after his remarks, Iranian state media reported that an explosion had occurred in Tehran. Trump, speaking to the press after leaving the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Monday, signaled that Israel had no plans to scale back its military campaign. 'You're going to find out over the next two days. You're going to find out. Nobody's slowed up so far,' he said. As tensions escalated, Trump mentioned that US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance could be sent to engage in talks with Iranian officials. 4 The Iran State Radio and Television building in Tehran on fire after an Israeli strike on Monday. BERNO/SIPA/Shutterstock Despite the growing military conflict, the White House has maintained that Trump is still pushing for a nuclear deal with Iran. Trump left the G7 gathering earlier than planned, but insisted his early exit was unrelated to efforts toward brokering a deal between Iran and Israel, contrary to claims from French President Emmanuel Macron that the US had initiated a ceasefire proposal. Trump posted on Truth Social late Monday, stating that something 'much bigger' was underway. Inside Iran, the fallout from Israel's strikes appears to be reshaping Khamenei's power structure. Several of his closest military and intelligence advisers have reportedly been killed, according to five individuals familiar with the matter. One of those sources, who regularly participates in meetings with Khamenei, warned that the possibility of a strategic misstep is now 'extremely dangerous' for Iran's internal stability and defense posture.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Jon Stewart rips Trump involvement in Israel-Iran conflict: ‘Weren't we about to make a nuclear deal?'
Jon Stewart is tearing into President Trump, mocking him as the country's failed 'dealmaker in chief' amid the growing conflict between Israel and Iran. 'What happened with Iran? Weren't we about to make a nuclear deal?' the 'Daily Show' host said during his monologue on Monday's show. 'Wasn't our dealmaker in chief making a deal to keep Iran from enriching uranium? Actually, didn't we have a deal before our dealmaker in chief so wisely pulled us from that deal?' Stewart said. Stewart's remarks came after Israel launched deadly air strikes against Iran on Thursday that it said targeted Tehran's nuclear facilities and military sites. Iran, which had been engaging in nuclear talks with the U.S. to replace the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that Trump withdrew from during his first term, pulled out of negotiations that were scheduled for last Sunday following Israel's attack. 'Why did this have to go so bomb-y on Iran now?' Stewart asked the Comedy Central show's audience, before playing a clip of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying, 'At current enrichment rates, [Iran] will have finished the medium enrichment and move on to the final stage.' 'Iran is months away from having a nuclear bomb,' Stewart said with a look of feigned horror, before adding, 'says Netanyahu in … 2012.' The 62-year-old comedian then cued up another clip of Netanyahu, with Israel's leader saying that Iran was 'weeks away from having the fissile material for an entire arsenal of nuclear bombs.' 'Holy s—, that's why: Iran's only weeks away from having an entire arsenal of nuclear bombs says Netanyahu … in 2015,' Stewart exclaimed. 'Netanyahu talks about Iran getting nukes the way I talk about the Knicks winning a title,' Stewart said of New York's NBA team. 'This is the year. The Knicks are one piece away … weeks away from winning a title,' Stewart said, mimicking Netanyahu. 'But they never win a f—ing title,' Stewart quipped through clenched teeth.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jon Stewart Calls Out Normalization Of Violence In The U.S., Says Our Sole Concern Is 'Whose Side The Perp Belongs To'
In a lengthy episode for The Daily Show, Jon Stewart waded through the sheer slog of violence over the weekend, including Israel's strike against Iran and the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers. 'But let me just say this to start off: F—! Just to start off,' the host began. 'This weekend — terrible! Again. I'm so sorry.' More from Deadline Jury Finds MyPillow's Mike Lindell Liable For Defaming Dominion Voting Systems Executive Donald Trump Takes A Dig At Tucker Carlson After Former Fox News Host Criticizes POTUS' Iran Policy And His Old Employer For War "Propaganda" Terry Moran Defends His Trump-Stephen Miller Social Media Post That Led To ABC News Exit: "It Was Something That Was In My Heart And Mind" Addressing the wildly differing responses by ultra-right-wing pundits against U.S. involvement in the Middle East and pro the 'invasion' of Los Angeles in the wake of (largely mild) anti-ICE protests, Stewart noted, 'The only problem with their posture — that I see with it — is their reluctance to commit the American military to fighting drawn-out and often pointless wars doesn't seem to extend to America.' He added, 'The MAGA mindset appears to be: We didn't vote for foreign wars, we voted for civil war.' 'They are looking for any pretense to sic their robot dogs on Democrats, and the strategy that they're using is to inflate the threat that this country now faces, to so rile up their base as to make the left in this country — represented by over 75 million votes in the past presidential election — as a legitimate military target for the United States of America. It's a strategy that's been used before to gin up military conflict,' Steward continued. The show then played clips of the likes of George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice and John McCain using militarized language to justify the Iraq War, which a majority of Americans now view as a mistake, and their eerie similarity to those currently advocating for the 'liberation' of L.A. 'We must invade Los Angeles. We cannot have the world's most dangerous people, eating the world's most delicious tacos,' he said in faux-seriousness. In the middle of the segment, Stewart proceeded to 'break form' by taking an intermission. He pulled out a lunchbox, unveiling the standard fare of a sandwich and bag of chips — and six miniature bottles of alcohol, one of which he hastily chugged and spit back out. After two seconds of mini stretches, the host packed up his half-eaten lunch and got back down to brass tacks. While making a point about the disproportionate response by the GOP against crimes by undocumented immigrants versus homegrown gun violence, Stewart took a minute to list out the recent mass shootings that have left their indelible mark on U.S. history. 'Violence should never be accepted, it should never be tolerated — but that's for their issue,' he said. 'In the wake of Sandy Hook, and Uvalde, and Parkland, and El Paso, and Lewiston, and Aurora, and Buffalo, and Boulder, and Binghamton, and Highland Park, and Monterey Park, and San Bernardino, and San Jose, and San Francisco, and the Pulse nightclub, and the Colorado Springs nightclub, and the Little Rock nightclub, and the Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks, and the Ned Peppers Bar in Dayton, and the Waffle House in Nashville, and Virginia Tech, and UVA, and MSU, and UCSB, and FSU, and NIU, and SMC, and the Sutherland Springs Church, and the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, and the Living Church of God, and the Tree of Life Synagogue, and the Allen Mall, and the Westroads Mall, and Fort Hood, and Lockheed Martin, and — what are we f—ing doing? What are we doing? By the way, that is a wildly incomplete list. We kept it to the last 25 years, and it's still not everything.' He concluded, 'Why is it when a foreigner, or someone that shouldn't be here, kills one of us, we're gonna put $150 billion into border security, we're gonna militarize our cities, we're gonna spend trillions to bomb and destabilize foreign countries overseas, we're gonna ban people from random countries from ever f—ing visiting here, we're gonna take our shoes off at the airport forever — but when we do it to ourselves, nothing? Is it that the only acceptable deaths are those that are made in America? Our only response now is to tally-up the psycho scoreboard on whose side the perp belongs to?' Watch the full episode below: Best of Deadline 'Bachelor in Paradise' Cast Announcement: See Who Is Headed To The Beach For Season 10 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
CNN
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
‘The Daily Show' staffer crowned winner in Pedro Pascal lookalike contest
In this time of division, a group of New Yorkers found themselves agreeing with each other about one thing this past weekend: Two Pedro Pascals are better than one. On Sunday, Brooklyn eatery Son del North hosted a Pedro Pascal lookalike contest, ultimately crowning George Gountas, a lighting designer for 'The Daily Show,' the winner. Gountas, who according to IMDb has worked for the television program since 2017 and is a two-time Emmy nominee, won in a victorious moment featured on the restaurant's Instagram page. Gountas, whose resemblance to the 'Last of Us' star is certainly uncanny, is a father of two from Brooklyn, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He was awarded a $50 cash prize and 1 year of free burritos from the restaurant. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter published Monday, Gountas said his coworkers at the 'Daily Show' and his wife encouraged him to participate in the contest after seeing a flyer. 'One of the stage managers, Tyler, found the advertisement for the contest and was like, 'Yo, George, go win some free burritos.' I showed it to my wife and she's like, 'Yeah, you're going to this,'' he told the publication. 'My neighbor is a stylist and art director and she was like, 'I've got shoes for you, I've got pants for you.' It was a whole thing.' Gountas said his wife and kids accompanied him to the contest for support and that he was overwhelmed by how many people showed up, calling it an 'unbelievable' scene. His 'Daily Show' co-workers, he added, were also thrilled about his big win. 'Everyone's super supportive,' he said. 'It's been pretty insane.' Celebrity look-alike contests have become a growing trend after a Timothee Chalamet doppelgänger was crowned in New York City, an event that the 'A Complete Unknown' star showed up to. Since then, contests for actors like Jeremy Allen White and Paul Mescal, among others, have popped up in cities across the world, making a splash on social media. Some winners have walked away with more than bragging rights. The winner of the Chalamet contest was invited to appear in a 'Saturday Night Live' promo for the episode that Chalamet was hosting in January. Others have nabbed deals with brands like Away and Torchys. Pascal, who is active on social media, had not weighed in on the contest as of Monday afternoon. But maybe the Internet's 'daddy' had Father's Day off.'
