In the early 2000s, Jon Stewart perfected the art of ironic satire, playfully critiquing politicians, political institutions, the press and the public. What’s his role now?
South African comedian Trevor Noah at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on September 12, 2022.
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The comic offers important ways of criticising those in power. Trevor Noah is superb at it.
President Joe Biden applauds Brielle Robinson, daughter of the late Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson, after signing the PACT Act on Aug. 10, 2022.
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What has happened to political TV satire? It used to be sharp but this election it missed it mark.
Jon Stewart (R) with former NYPD bomb squad detective, Louis Alvarez (L) as they are sworn in before a House Judiciary Committee hearing, June 2019.
EPA-EFE/JIM LO SCALZO
Stewart’s final message to viewers – “the best defense against bullshit is vigilance. If you smell something, say something” – were true to his unique brand of political satire.
On January 11 1999, when Jon Stewart took over as host of The Daily Show from Craig Kilborn, no one could have predicted that, 16 years later, Stewart would become an icon of satire. Under Kilborn, the…
Jon Stewart’s tenure at The Daily Show may ultimately be remembered more for how he skewered the mainstream media than for the laughs he generated.
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Jon Stewart’s Tuesday night announcement that he’ll be leaving the Daily Show garnered an audible cry of disbelief from his live studio audience. Stewart himself was visibly emotional: “What is this fluid…
Stephen Colbert created an extraordinary character: a right-wing, bloviating pundit who was both outrageous and adorable.
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If you were following politics over the last few election cycles, you were most likely getting some of your information from satire. In fact, research has shown that in today’s political climate, satire…
Comedian Stephen Colbert at the 2010 Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.
Reuters
John Oliver’s new program Last Week Tonight is the most recent addition to the parody news genre. Like its predecessors, the show frequently mocks American politics; for example, an attention-grabbing…