The Internet Bids Farewell to Jon Stewart After 16 Years

image
Created: 06 Aug, 2015
Updated: 16 Oct, 2022
2 min read

On Thursday, August 6th, 2015, Jon Stewart will end his 16 year and five month reign as television's most influential political satirist as the host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."  With less than 24 hours before his last show, viewers' reactions online have been both heartfelt and dismissive.

https://twitter.com/Devon4Real/status/629064624768421888

https://twitter.com/GrahamJohnstone/status/624898516708655104

But not everyone is sad to see Stewart go.

https://twitter.com/DrPeterdoran33/status/625035954181513216

https://twitter.com/clintonfein/status/625167610183692288

Stewart first appeared on The Daily Show in 1999 with guest star Michael J. Fox. Fox later told the NY Times, "I knew he was a smart, funny guy. But, I had no idea the weight that he'd carry going down the line." In Stewart's first show, he begins discussing Clinton's impeachment trial in a segment detailed "The Final Blow."

 

 

IVP Donate

Throughout the years, Stewart continued to weave the public through the mainstream media's partisan coverage of numerous political, economic, and social disasters that occurred during his 16-year tenure. Stewart developed clever segment titles such as "Indecision 2000," to label the 858 hours of coverage the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court decision took. Many people will continue to refer to the Iraq war and the continuing conflicts east of Iraq as "Mess O'Potamia" and "Mess O'Slightly-to-the-Left-O'Potamia."

Specifically referring to the partisan political machine and the rise of hyper-partisanship, Stewart stated "watching these channels all day is incredibly depressing,” he said. “I live in a constant state of depression." He would later label his coverage of U.S. elections as "Democalypse 2012, 2014, and 2016."

Stewart stated that Obama criticized him for making millennials too cynical of politics, but that might be what the next generation needs. We should be cynical of the current atmosphere of partisan politics, but that does not mean we do not want to change it.  As Stewart put it, “I'm actually skeptically idealistic.”

Stewart explained his reason for leaving is because he knows it is time for someone else. He continued, "This show doesn't deserve an even slightly restless host, and neither do you," Stewart explained in February when he announced his departure. Hopefully, Stewart's successor, Trevor Noah, can fill the void when he takes the reins on September 28 as the host of the 'Daily Show with Trevor Noah.'

Photo Credit: Salon

Latest articles

red and blue ballot boxes
Will Pennsylvania's 1.4 Million Independent Voters Be Next to Gain Equal Voting Rights?
Election reformers are celebrating the adoption of primary elections in New Mexico that are open to the state's substantial independent voter population. But there is an even larger group of independents that could soon be granted access to these critical taxpayer-funded elections in Pennsylvania....
10 Apr, 2025
-
2 min read
Ballot handed to poll worker.
NM Lawmakers: Open Primaries Bill Is About Boosting Voter Participation
KOAT 7 in New Mexico featured an investigative report on the impact of open primaries now that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed SB 16 into law, a bill that opens the state's primaries to more than 330,000 independent voters....
09 Apr, 2025
-
2 min read
Judge about to slower gavel.
Believe It or Not, There Is Still a 2024 Election That Hasn't Been Called
It may be hard to believe, but as of April 2025, there is still one election in the US from the last election cycle that has not been called: the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election between incumbent Democrat Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin....
09 Apr, 2025
-
3 min read