As of August 6, Jon Stewart has signed off from “The Daily Show,” a fake news show dedicated to lampooning the way people learn about current events. For 16 years, Jon Stewart has been a critical voice in media and politics, ready to provide fact checks to unsuspecting cable news networks and sharp political observations that could poke holes in even the murkiest logic produced by radical politicians.
From the outset, “The Daily Show” was just another satire looking to entertain viewers, though there is much to say about Jon Stewart’s impact on the political landscape. The 2000s were a rough decade for a multitude of reasons, with events like 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the financial crisis in 2008. News networks like Fox News and CNN would report on stories and make mistakes or provide a skewed interpretation to viewers. Jon Stewart would be one of the first on-air journalists to point out these flaws and, in turn, correct them. Stewart would also be responsible for getting “Crossfire,” a political debate show dedicated to reinforcing bipartisan arguing, canceled after appearing as a guest on the show only to point out its craziness to viewers.
Jon Stewart also had the ability to combine objective journalism and biting comedy into the same show. Media satirists like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert were there to help everyone laugh and even learn new things about international affairs. There was nothing more reassuring than seeing Jon Stewart behind the news desk after some crisis and to have him make insightful jokes about terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda or reckless banks on Wall Street. These moments would tear down the terrifying reality of different situations and remind everyone to step back and laugh at it all.
A particularly profound moment came in the aftermath of 9/11, where a few days after the tragedy Jon Stewart took the desk. Starting with a little bit of hesitation he immediately addressed the event and acknowledged the general terror felt within the audience. Including himself in that mix, he knew that the best way to persevere was to return to work and entertain viewers hoping for a release from the tragedy. His opening monologue questioned the point of news and satire with all of the recent tragedy and halfway through his monologue he began to break down. But then, after fighting back tears, he tore apart the nature of fear while making jokes about Al Qaeda. The audience began to laugh too, detaching themselves for just a few minutes. Jon Stewart reminded the audience of the United States’ resilience, as he noted that though he could no longer see the World Trade Center from his apartment, the Statue of Liberty was now in full view from his window.
Though “The Daily Show” will continue to run with current correspondent Trevor Noah in the host's chair, there is no doubt that Jon Stewart’s presence will be sorely missed in the news landscape.
