It's easy to forget that The Daily Show (Comedy Central, 11ET) - which has stacked up countless awards, including five Emmys and two prestigious Peabody awards - started out as a far less ambitious parody of local newscasts and the countless Dateline-20/20 newsmagazines that served as a network timeslot-filler before the advent of Skating With Celebrity reality shows. With Craig Kilborn at the helm, the show concentrated on celebrity gossip and shied away from more piercing commentary, like an offshoot of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. The beginning years of the show produced future stars like Steve Carell; ex-virgin and current star of The Office, Mo Rocca, frequent CNN correspondent during the 2004 Presidential campaign; and main-stay Steven Colbert, who now occupies the time slot following The Daily Show (see sidebar).
Since Jon Stewart became the host in 1999, The Daily Show has become the biggest cash cow for cable network Comedy Central since South Park and, perhaps more importantly, a critical darling among television critics and - gasp! - real journalists.
Stewart's influence on the world outside the fake newsroom he occupies four times a week cannot be denied. For example, in a particularly heated exchange between him and host Tucker Carlson during his appearance on CNN's Crossfire in 2005, Stewart called Carlson a "dick" and blurted plainly that Crossfire was "hurting America" by replacing actual critical debate with partisan bickering.
"To do a debate would be great," Stewart said on Crossfire. "But that's like saying pro wrestling is a show about athletic competition."
To live out the dream of news junkies everywhere of calling Tucker Carlson a dick on live television - he also chastised Carlson for sporting a bowtie at the age of 35 - is one thing. But a few months later, the incoming CEO of CNN, Jonathan Klein, announced that he was actually canceling Crossfire, stating that he "wholeheartedly agrees" with Stewart's "overall premise."
An Associated Press article circulated through the web days following Jon Stewart-Billy O'Reilly interview touting a study by Nielsen Media Research that showed viewers of Jon Stewart's show are more likely to have completed four years of college than people who watch The O'Reilly Factor.
To add to that, a survey of more than 19,000 adults conducted by the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Center concluded that, "viewers of late-night comedy programs, especially The Daily Show With Jon Stewart on Comedy Central, are more likely to know the issue positions and backgrounds of presidential candidates than people who do not watch late-night comedy."
Is fake news triumphing over real journalism? When asked in interviews about the credibility the show has accumulated over the years - Sen. John Edwards even used the show to announce his candidacy for presidency in 2004 - Stewart just laughs it off.
"If we have influence, it is peripheral," said Stewart during the O'Reilly interview. "And I don't imagine that people who watch the show are watching it to make up their minds in terms of who they think would best prosecute the war on terror. I think they watch to see who would maybe have the best jokes on the war on terror."
But what about the Annenberg statistic? Are we producing a generation of media consumers who gobble up political satire that, no matter how pointed the commentary may be, cannot replace objective research and investigative journalism? Yes, comedy has always worked as a way to comment on current events in a away that can appeal to people's emotions. But when the laughs replace the serious analysis and news gathering, there clearly is a problem somewhere, whether it be the absence of a strong media, or perhaps the deification of a show that they themselves admit manipulate clips and sacrifice meaning for humor. The producers and creators understand it as jokes, but do the legions of Daily Show fanatics?
Furthermore, it's becoming harder for Stewart to hide behind his "I'm just a comedian" stance when he himself is starting to realize his influence and willing to confront politicians head on. During the Crossfire interview, when Carlson antagonized Stewart for his softball questioning of John Kerry, a candidate Stewart admitted voting for, he could only respond that the show preceding his is "puppets making crank phone calls," and that it's disappointing that "that the news organizations look to Comedy Central for their cues on integrity."
However, recent interviews with guests and powerful and popular - and have stances on issues that Stewart clearly disagrees with - as Bernard Goldberg and John McCain revealed a more serious, almost aggressive journalist drilling the interview for definitive answers to tough questions. McCain, probably the most popular politician in America right now, was immediately confronted for his continuing support for the Iraq War. Stewart reprimanded Goldberg, who wrote 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America: And Al Franken is #37, for aiming at liberal entertainers like Barbara Streisand and Tim Robbins and less at those in government who have actual power to change policy. Intelligent, informed commentary? Yes. Funny? Not exactly.
So, with Stewart clearly at the top of his game, and a show with mounting respectability - according to a New Yorker feature, Conan O' Brien is peeved that Stewart gets all the acclaim despite O'Brian's larger audience - it will be interesting to see if he maintains the delicate balance of biting political humor and equal opportunity jabs without falling into self-serious partisan trappings. Ultimately, though, with all the talk of "spokesperson for our generation," as long as he makes us laugh, and as long as there are people in power who can make politics seem absurd - whether it be a Republican or Democrat - we probably don't have to worry.
Jon Stewart is set to host the Acadamy Awards, to be held March 5, 2006. Expect sarcastic Hollywood bashing and a jab at Our Favorite President.
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