Liberal

Dunay: Stewart changed late night television impact with ‘The Daily Show’

It’s certainly hard to believe his age, let alone his legacy. But, nearly 16 years ago, Jon Stewart took over a show that wasn’t even close to what it is today.

When Stewart replaced Craig Kilborn as the host of “The Daily Show,” he began to do his job exactly as it was described. Stewart would crack jokes and give commentary on current events. Certainly he got quite the laugh, but not many truly thought about what he said and what it meant.

In the years since, Stewart has become a beacon of late night television and someone who comforted us about something we love but don’t fully understand — our own democracy.

In first airing of “The Daily Show” after 9/11, Stewart opened his show in a most unexpected fashion. He spoke from the heart with genuine care and honesty.

In that particular episode, at that moment in time, Stewart seemingly realized something incredible: his job as a satirist was not as constricted as he thought. Over time, Stewart began to believe that he was in a position of privilege, where he had the ability to teach and make the country laugh within 30 minutes.



Stewart’s views are very obviously liberal, and by that it’s easy to point out how he changed liberal media to be more encompassing, more likable. Sure, his opinions lean to the left and his favorite subject to make fun of will always be Fox News. But he understood that he was not a politician; he was a satirist hired to make fun of politics — and he rarely left anyone out.

Whether it was George Bush after Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama after Obamacare or Bill O’Reilly after, well, nearly everything, Stewart never failed to give an endearing perspective on our political landscape. Stewart understood that the show could take off to great heights with honesty. He held nothing back; he spoke directly into the eye of the American people — on the right and left — he made us cry, he made us laugh and he made us want to hate politics. Most importantly, he inspired a generation.

We have new heroes to look to for news on TV. The soothing nightly voices of Diane Sawyer and Tom Brokaw have been replaced by the sarcastic cracks of Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and many more — all thanks to Stewart and “The Daily Show” team.

It’s easy to go on about the legend that is Jon Stewart, but something specific stands out to me.

When word got out last year that more 18–25 year-olds got their news from Colbert and Stewart than CNN and Fox, I wasn’t surprised — because I fell into that category. I was surprised when I began to realize how much more genuine Stewart and Colbert are than the anchors who suffer from credibility issues.

“That we need a satirist to speak truth to power in the guise of fake news is why we can’t have nice things and are losing those we once had,” read a tweet after Stewart announced his impending departure from “The Daily Show.”

I’m sure that Stewart did not wake up on Sept. 12, 2001 and decide he could change America. However, I am sure that Stewart went on air on Sept. 12 and every day after that, and comforted us in times of confusion with his heart and his humor.

He owes us nothing anymore. Stewart changed TV and news in general, and with that, I have no words to thank him.

Eric Dunay is a freshman in the School of Architecture. His column appears weekly. He can be contacted at [email protected].





Top Stories