Close Encounters of the Jon Kind
 Standup Shows

Name: Keelah R.
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, Barton Hall
Encounter date: Friday, March 4, 2005
Added: May 10, 2005

I go to Cornell University, and Jon came here on March 4th to do two shows for our school. I saw them both because I am about as die-hard a fan as one can possibly be, and after the second show, he did a Q&A with the audience. He was golden the whole time -- he talked to one girl's friend on the phone in front of everyone, and signed ticket stubs & copies of America: The Book. I was the last question of the night, and my question was, "Can I have a hug?" And his answer was, "Yes!"

So I raced up to the stage, and he hugged me twice. I bounced up and down like an idiot from pure happiness, and he bounced up and down with me. I do remember from the blur that he had pale stubble on his chin, was just as short as he always says he is, and was very soft and cuddly and warm. He'd been running around onstage for like four hours from the two shows, so I guess exerting the energy kept him warm. He was wearing a long-sleeved greenish shirt beneath a short-sleeved bluish one. His knees were bent, because I'm even shorter than he is (I'm like 5'3"). He was wearing khaki pants.

I went up to the stage and stood there for a second just looking at him and he had his arms open, and I bounced a little, and he bounced, and I just sort of bounced into the hug and I hooked my chin on his shoulder. There was no arm-rubbing, and I didn't smell anything at all. I am stuffed-up most of the time, so my sense of smell isn't good -- a person has to smell really strongly of something before I pick up on it, usually, and he didn't. So anyway, after the first hug, he noticed my shirt. Cornell is in a town called Ithaca, and Ithaca is full of gorges. So the town motto is "Ithaca is Gorges," and it's all over bumper stickers and T-shirts here. So I had a shirt made that said "Jon Stewart is Gorges" and wore it to the show. So after the first hug, he noticed it when we broke apart, and he yanked the ends of the shirt down to straighten it out so he could read it. Then he looked at me, and it was direct eye contact, and I thought I would pass out. He looked kind of tired but he was smiling in that way he has where only the ends of his mouth are up and his lips are closed. Bemused -- that's the word for his expression. And he just looked so adorable and was still so close to me that I went ahead and hugged him again. Then I said something inane about how much I love him and how I watch his show every day, but he was already moving away from me, and I think at one point he bounced away, and I finally managed to get myself off stage, where my friend was waiting to hold me up before I practically fainted into a chair. Like literally, my knees just gave way. That's never happened to me before.

Oh, and according to my friend, he did in fact rub my back on the first hug. Apparently, I was just too blissed-out to notice! And apparently, while I was running up to the stage in the dorkiest way possible, he beckoned with both his hands and had his legs spread out in a crouched "come and get it" kind of position, like you would do if someone was about to attack you. A wise move on his part!

As to the duration, I can only say not long enough!!! It was really, truly one of the greatest moments of my life.

Compiled by Melly.
Added May 10, 2005.