logo

The Internet Bids Farewell to Jon Stewart After 16 Years

image
Created: 06 August, 2015
Updated: 16 October, 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 Existence Banner

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

US Supreme Court
Should Gifts to Supreme Court Justices Raise Concerns?
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas came under intense scrutiny last year for failing to disclose lavish gifts from real estate mogul Harlan Crow. Among the questions raised by ProPublica’s reporting on the Justice and the billionaire was whether Thomas had violated disclosure requirements....
24 July, 2024
-
6 min read
Student
How to Unite America: Offering Our Youth a Common Experience
America is more divided today than it has been at any time in the last fifty years. The divisions in public life run so deep that they can often seem insurmountable....
24 July, 2024
-
5 min read
Congress
Can A Special Forces Veteran Win as an Independent in North Carolina?
In his latest podcast, former presidential candidate and Forward Party Co-Founder Andrew Yang sat down with Shelane Etchison, a Special Forces veteran running for Congress in North Carolina....
22 July, 2024
-
1 min read