In light of Jon Stewart leaving the Daily Show, Key and Peele going off the air, Amy Schumer's movie Trainwreck becoming a summer hit and Tig Notaro's HBO special airing on August 22, it seems appropriate to talk about why these comics have become so significant. It is not only these comics who are relevant and not only these who are making it big, but these comics are all good examples of what makes comedy a surprisingly important form of entertainment.

For years, Jon Stewart, the long-time host of the Daily Show on Comedy Central, has been making audiences laugh while delivering the nightly fake news. At the same time that he has been lightening up the usual frightening, dark experience that is watching the big news networks, Jon Stewart has been doing something so much more crucial: making us think.

Jon Stewart has been turning a critical, refreshing and public eye on all politicians and mainstream news networks. Whether or not you agree with his politics, Jon Stewart was so influential because at the same time that he was making us laugh he was making us think. Using comedy as a medium he was helping us to look through the haze and see the truth behind all the constant information we're fed these days.

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have been significant for the same reason: they use comedy to make their audience think. They turn social norms on their heads in sketches like "Twilight Gangsters," "Manly Tears," portraying men that would usually be pegged hard-core gangsters as more sensitive. They poke fun at pop culture trends from steampunk (in "Steampunk") and dub step (in "Dubstep"). They comment on issues from race, in sketches such as "White Zombies," to gay stereotyping in "Gay Wedding Advice." They use comedy to portray issues that many people are uncomfortable talking about. Portraying these issues through comedy sketches also gives people who have never experienced issues with social stereotypes a view of what it is like for those that do.

Amy Schumer, who many people have been calling the "'it' girl of the summer" due to the popularity of her new movie "Trainwreck," is another comedian who has been using her humor to bring more serious issues to light. In sketches such as "A Very Realistic Military Game," "Last F--kable Day" and many others, she points out the double standards and issues women face day-to-day. She brings up women's issues in ways that no one else does. Like Key and Peele, she gives those who have not dealt with these issues a small taste of the experience.

Tig Notaro, who has a new HBO special called "Boyish Girl Interrupted" airing on HBO on August 22nd, could probably go down in history as the person to share the most pain on a stand-up stage. During a performance she confessed to the audience that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and somehow continued to make the audience laugh. Since then, she has remained open about her experiences, especially during her performances, all while making audiences laugh. She was able to show people that an illness doesn't have to be devastating, it doesn't have to take away the humor or the laughter in life. She helped show people how to laugh through the pain.

Tig Notaro is able to approach her troubles with humor, as all the comedians highlighted above have done. They are able to share painful and difficult experiences, experiences that are often widespread throughout society, using comedy as a medium. They are able to shed a light on issues that others are uncomfortable talking about, all in a way that makes people laugh. Comedians such as these are significant to society because they teach people not only how to laugh through the pain, but to also think through it.