Jon Stewart

                It’s only been a few weeks since Jon Stewart finished his position at The Daily Show, but I already miss him.  The funny thing is, I didn’t even watch his show all that often.  Mostly I tuned in when there was a news item I wanted to know more about.  I always knew that Mr. Stewart and his team would dig into the issue further than anybody else.  Yes, it was wrapped up in humor, but the heart of the matter would be there as well.

                I was first introduced to Jon Stewart and The Daily Stewart years ago by a Republican friend of mine.  Yes, I said Republican.  The reason I emphasize this is because while many want to paint Mr. Stewart as only leaning towards the liberal side of things, he was someone everyone could turn to.  It did not matter which aisle someone was in (and there are a lot in politics), Mr. Stewart had something to say to make them think.  Even if a viewer or a guest completely disagreed with what Mr. Stewart was saying, his words were enough to give people pause.  He did not hesitate to take on anybody.  If Mr. Stewart felt someone, or a group of someones, was doing something they shouldn’t, or was just plain stupid, he brought it out into the open.  He let the world know what was really going on, whether they liked it or not.        

                Primarily Mr. Stewart covered politics.  In conjunction, he also took on news channels.  Mr. Stewart took both of these groups to task for what they were doing.  He revealed facts that politicians and news channels fought very hard to hide, skew, and conveniently forget.  What made Mr. Stewart even more of a thorn in these people’s sides is he would show the evidence to back up what he was saying.  Mr. Stewart always went after the truth, not what the politicians and news channels wanted the truth to be.

                As interesting as the political segments were, that was not the entirety of Mr. Stewart’s show.  He also hosted guests from a variety of different avenues including actors, comedians, authors, and yes, politicians.  It seemed pretty much everyone was welcome on his stage.  No matter who was in front of him, Mr. Stewart seemed to have a great time talking to them, even when he did not, by any means, agree with what they had to say. 

               Even though Mr. Stewart has left The Daily Show, I’m pretty sure it is not the last we have seen of him. At least I certainly hope it isn’t. His is a voice that needs to be heard. Whether it’s about politics, supporting the 9/11 Firefighters, or encouraging people to shop at their local independent bookstores, Mr. Stewart does not hesitate to say what is on his mind. In a time where we mostly get slanted truths and blatant lies, that type of honestly is something we desperately need right now. It is also why I would love to sit down and have a conversation with Mr. Stewart. No humor or cameras needed.