At 11 p.m. on August 6, my dad called me downstairs just in time for the final episode of "The Daily Show." For him, and the rest of his generation, this was the end of an era. We watched the first block and my dad laughed nostalgically at the cameos of each past correspondent, from Olivia Munn to Steve Carell, and finally Steven Colbert. "You are infuriatingly good at your job," Colbert said to Stewart, evoking tears that were held back both by the host and my dad sitting on the couch.
Colbert really couldn't have said it any better. From just the few episodes I watched and clips I clicked on from my News Feed, John Stewart was exactly what our society needed. Why would he quit a gig that gave him 30 minutes of prime time, four times a week, where he could talk about the most pressing issues with the most influential people? He sat at a table with 9/11 first responders, Dr. Jane Goodall, and Malala Yousafzai. President Obama called him "a gift to the country" after joking with him about "senioritis," talking to him like he would talk to a friend. "After 16 years with you at home, we were getting tired of it too," my dad joked (I think).
It made sense. Someone with as much talent as he has would be crazy to sit at the same desk doing the same show for very much longer. I get it. But watching his final "Jon Voyage" on Comedy Central really made me wish that I was watching his first episode, and our generation of Millennials would be the ones choking up in 16 years at the end of an era. I wished Jon Stewart was a young 30-something who just landed his own satirical news show. Why? Because we're the ones who need him.
Millennials are called a lot of things, but some the things I hear most frequently is that we are cynical and ironic. We are disconnected and therefore disinterested in the world around us. What the older generation doesn't understand is that we are actually so passionate about making the world a better place for us and for the future, we use that sarcastic cynicism as a safety blanket to conceal just how much we care.
In a perfect world, that's where Stewart comes into the mix. He has perfected the blend of satirical dark humor and overwhelming passion that incites action. While we laugh at the failures of those in power in our government, we also learn that what is happening is wrong, and it needs to be changed. Without actually turning on the news and giving our full attention to current events, we could turn on "The Daily Show" and laugh. We could laugh, and without thinking about it, we could learn. We could learn about the racial injustices, gender discrimination, big bank corruption, and international turmoil. We could learn about the media's irresponsibility, and how it has neglected the important questions in favor of shareable sound bytes. We could learn about the ability the wealthiest have to literally buy an election result of their favor. We could learn about all of these problems plaguing our society and then we could be inspired to do something about them.
But we would just be watching a late night TV show. We would just be laughing along with Jon Stewart and his correspondents. It's the perfect show for Millennials who are allegedly uncomfortable with the idea of showing that they care.
Generation X was able to grow up watching, laughing and learning through "The Daily Show" while they made up the working and voting age class. Just as we are beginning to take their places, Jon Stewart takes his final bow. But rather than dwelling on my envy, I remain hopeful that someone, somewhere will attempt to master this perfect blend Stewart honed for 16 years. Jon Voyage, "The Daily Show," the Millennials will miss you.
