David Javerbaum
Encyclopedia
David Javerbaum is an American comedy writer and former executive producer
of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He was hired as a staff writer there in 1999, promoted to head writer in 2002 and attained EP status at the end of 2006. He has won 11 Emmy Award
s, two Grammy Awards, two Peabody Award
s and Television Critics Association Award
s for both Best Comedy and Best News Show. He was also one of the three principal authors of the show's textbook parody America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, which sold 2.6 million copies and won the 2005 Thurber Prize for American Humor
. He became a consulting producer at the start of 2009 and spent the next 18 months spearheading the writing of that book's sequel, Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race, which was released in September 2010; he won his second Grammy Award for producing the audiobook. He left the show in July 2010.
He is the author of The Last Testament: A Memoir by God, which was released on November 1, 2011 and is affiliated with the Twitter account @TheTweetOfGod. It is his second book as sole author; the first was the pregnancy satire What to Expect When You're Expected: A Fetus's Guide to the First Three Trimesters, which was released in October 2009.
Javerbaum is an alumnus of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program at New York University
's Tisch School of the Arts
. He graduated from Harvard University where he wrote for the humor magazine The Harvard Lampoon
and served as lyricist and co-bookwriter for two productions of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals
. Later, he spent three years contributing headlines to The Onion
, and is credited as one of the writers for Our Dumb Century
. He wrote for The Late Show with David Letterman from 1998-9. He wrote three episodes for the 2011 relaunch of Beavis and Butthead, including "Crying (Beavis and Butthead)".
He is also a musical-theater lyricist and librettist who is co-songwriter (along with Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne
) of the adaptation of John Waters' Cry-Baby
which opened on Broadway on April 24, 2008 and was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for Best Original Score. He and Schlesinger also collaborated on eight original Christmas songs for Stephen Colbert's 2008 television special, A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!
, for which he won a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. He was the lyricist and co-bookwriter of Suburb, which was nominated for Outer Critics' Circle and Drama League awards for Best Off-Broadway Musical in 2001. He won the $100,000 Ed Kleban Award for Outstanding Lyrics in 2005.
He was the head writer of the first-ever Comedy Awards, an annual awards show for achievement in comedy that aired in April 2011. In 2011, Javerbaum also wrote the lyrics to the opening numbers to both the 65th Tony Awards
, "Broadway: It's Not Just for Gays Anymore, and the 63rd Emmy Awards, "TV Is a Vast Wonderland."
He was a finalist on Jeopardy!
s 1988 Teen Tournament
and its 1998 Teen Reunion Tournament. Jon Stewart also called him as his phone-a-friend when Jon was on Celebrity Millionaire.
Javerbaum grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey
, where he attended Columbia High School
.
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He was hired as a staff writer there in 1999, promoted to head writer in 2002 and attained EP status at the end of 2006. He has won 11 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s, two Grammy Awards, two Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
s and Television Critics Association Award
Television Critics Association
The Television Critics Association is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming...
s for both Best Comedy and Best News Show. He was also one of the three principal authors of the show's textbook parody America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, which sold 2.6 million copies and won the 2005 Thurber Prize for American Humor
Thurber Prize for American Humor
The Thurber Prize for American Humor, named after American humorist James Thurber, recognizes outstanding contributions in humor writing. The prize is given out by the Thurber House. It was first awarded irregularly, but since 2004 has been bestowed annually....
. He became a consulting producer at the start of 2009 and spent the next 18 months spearheading the writing of that book's sequel, Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race, which was released in September 2010; he won his second Grammy Award for producing the audiobook. He left the show in July 2010.
He is the author of The Last Testament: A Memoir by God, which was released on November 1, 2011 and is affiliated with the Twitter account @TheTweetOfGod. It is his second book as sole author; the first was the pregnancy satire What to Expect When You're Expected: A Fetus's Guide to the First Three Trimesters, which was released in October 2009.
Javerbaum is an alumnus of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
. He graduated from Harvard University where he wrote for the humor magazine The Harvard Lampoon
Harvard Lampoon
The Harvard Lampoon is an undergraduate humor publication founded in 1876 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.-Overview:Published since 1876, The Harvard Lampoon is the world's longest continually published humor magazine. It is also the second longest-running English-language humor...
and served as lyricist and co-bookwriter for two productions of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals
Hasty Pudding Theatricals
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, known informally simply as The Pudding, is a theatrical student society at Harvard University, known for its burlesque musicals and for its status as the oldest collegiate theatrical organization in the United States...
. Later, he spent three years contributing headlines to The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
, and is credited as one of the writers for Our Dumb Century
Our Dumb Century
Our Dumb Century: The Onion Presents 100 Years of Headlines from America's Finest News Source is a satirical humor book written by the staff of The Onion and published by Three Rivers Press in 1999. The chief editor of the book was Scott Dikkers, with specific sections edited by Robert D. Siegel,...
. He wrote for The Late Show with David Letterman from 1998-9. He wrote three episodes for the 2011 relaunch of Beavis and Butthead, including "Crying (Beavis and Butthead)".
He is also a musical-theater lyricist and librettist who is co-songwriter (along with Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
) of the adaptation of John Waters' Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby is a 1990 American teen musical film written and directed by John Waters. It stars Johnny Depp as 1950s teen rebel "Cry-Baby" Wade Walker, and also features an expansive ensemble cast that includes Amy Locane, Iggy Pop, Traci Lords, Ricki Lake, Kim McGuire, David Nelson, Susan Tyrrell, and...
which opened on Broadway on April 24, 2008 and was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for Best Original Score. He and Schlesinger also collaborated on eight original Christmas songs for Stephen Colbert's 2008 television special, A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! is a Grammy Award-winning Christmas special that debuted on Comedy Central on November 23, 2008....
, for which he won a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. He was the lyricist and co-bookwriter of Suburb, which was nominated for Outer Critics' Circle and Drama League awards for Best Off-Broadway Musical in 2001. He won the $100,000 Ed Kleban Award for Outstanding Lyrics in 2005.
He was the head writer of the first-ever Comedy Awards, an annual awards show for achievement in comedy that aired in April 2011. In 2011, Javerbaum also wrote the lyrics to the opening numbers to both the 65th Tony Awards
65th Tony Awards
The 65th Annual Tony Awards was held on June 12, 2011 to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2010–2011 season. They were held at the Beacon Theatre, ending a fourteen-year tradition of holding the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall. The Awards ceremony was broadcast live on CBS...
, "Broadway: It's Not Just for Gays Anymore, and the 63rd Emmy Awards, "TV Is a Vast Wonderland."
He was a finalist on Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
s 1988 Teen Tournament
Jeopardy! Teen Tournament
The Jeopardy! Teen Tournament is one of the traditional tournaments held each season on the TV quiz show Jeopardy! Contestants in this tournament are primarily high school students, and between the ages of thirteen and seventeen...
and its 1998 Teen Reunion Tournament. Jon Stewart also called him as his phone-a-friend when Jon was on Celebrity Millionaire.
Javerbaum grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey
Maplewood, New Jersey
Maplewood is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 23,867.-History:...
, where he attended Columbia High School
Columbia High School (New Jersey)
Columbia High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school located at 17 Parker Avenue in Maplewood, New Jersey, which serves students in grades nine through twelve within the South Orange-Maplewood School District, which includes Maplewood and South Orange Townships...
.