I Miss Jon Stewart
“The bias of the mainstream media is toward sensationalism, conflict, and laziness.”
“If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values: they’re hobbies.”
“I am a tiny, neurotic man, standing in the back of the room throwing tomatoes at the chalk board. And that’s really it.”
There is a smoldering void on television where Jon Stewart used to be. Go ahead and dismiss The Daily Show because it was snarky or because it was satire or because it was just “a comedy show on a comedy network”, but who was realer in the news realm? They’d be the first to tell you they were only comedians, not journalists, but what made the show unique and engrossing were the inherent values behind the comedy that all journalists should strive for: transparency, moderation, and compassion. The Daily Show wasn’t there to break the news, it was there to poke fun of the people who deserved to be made fun of — bumbling politicians, the disingenuous media, and we the people for buying and participating in their bullshit — and let the period of reflection following our fading laughter provide the commentary.
Journalism plays an important role in civilized society. Journalism must bring people the facts. They are the watchdogs who keep the powerful accountable and I wish there were more of them today who embrace the weight and responsibility of this role. This wasn’t Jon Stewart’s job. His job was to entertain us, to make us laugh. He captivated us with his humor but it was his integrity that earned him the right to drop the act every now and then and get serious. To tell us we deserve better than what the people in power — the politicians who shape our laws, the business leaders who shape our economy, and the media who share our opinions — are giving us. That’s how a comedian elevates himself to a hero.
