The Daily Show: Nothing “Fake” About it

By JOE FARLEY

Jon Stewart announced on February 10^th that he would be leaving the Daily Show after 16 years at the anchor desk. The announcement that the leading figure in “fake news” was retiring was felt deeply by the younger generation, including Ramapo Students. Junior Mike Loganchuck, 22, said, “It sucks because I feel he’s more trustworthy.” “Fake news” refers to Stewart’s comedy first approach to current events.

Sadly, with the integrity of many TV journalists being virtually zero, it’s hard to find somebody to trust with the news, observers say. In reality, other than the comedy, which should be obvious to most viewers, there was nothing “fake” about the information Stewart passed on to viewers. “I bet he’s taking over for Brian Williams,” Loganchuck said mockingly.

Stewart’s snarky style always had a way of angering those on the right, who never quite got that Stewart is a comedian first, not a journalist. And he can get away with that because he isn’t a trained journalist, but a standup comic who spent the late ’80’s and early ’90’s working the clubs and bars, paying his dues. Comedy and especially satire aim to take institutions down a notch, while conservatives, by ideology, seek to uphold them.

Satire often signals a greater understanding, because in order to deconstruct something and find humor in it you must first know the facts. A 2007 PEW Study showed that Daily Show/Colbert Report viewers scored the highest in knowledge of national and international affairs. Clearly, there is more to the formula than snarky jokes.

Pundits on other networks, often alleged journalists, showed weaknesses over the years when attacking Stewart. February 16^th, on the O’Reilly Factor, Bill called the praise for Stewart, “Overblown.” And he went on to call it proof of an, “overwhelming liberal bias in the national media.” He’s missing the point, and the reason why those of his type come off mean instead of funny is because comedy is an art form. And according to The Atlantic, there are three times as many liberals than there are conservatives enrolled in the creative arts.

Peter Todd, 25, a graduate student at Columbia University who is going for an MFA in creative producing said, “Stewart has less of a reason to lie. He wants laughs first, and he wouldn’t tell you he’s playing it down the middle, unlike other anchors.” Stewart puts the cards on the table and knows his audience isn’t children. “Comedy and creativity usually come from open minds, and its probably the reason comedy leans left,” Todd said.

Stewart will be missed for the way he helped a generation learn and laugh, often at the same time. He often posed important questions, while never claiming to have the answers. He didn’t play it down the middle, which can often lead to false equivalencies. He helped launch the careers of great comics like Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Ed Helms, John Oliver, Jason Jones, and Wyatt Cenac.

He helped many unwind from their days, while simultaneously entertaining and informing, and showed how it was sometimes okay to laugh at just how absurd our world is.