I am a faithful fan of this must see television program. It is a comedy program but their political coverage is so much more informative and analytical than our traditional news media. Jon Stewart and his team of correspondents such as John Olver, Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, bitingly and sarcastically take apart the ridiculousness of what takes place not only in Washington D.C but everywhere in the United States where political and economic mayhem exists. They never have to look too hard to find something outlandish to skewer which is what makes this show a must see television show.
The sister show to Jon Stewart’s show is of course the Colbert Report, led by the irreverent Stephen Colbert. His secret weapon is obviously his far right, conservative persona, and what makes it so funny is that some of his guests are oblivious to the fact that they are being interviewed by a persona. It becomes glaringly clear very quickly and makes those interviews that much more hilarious and special.
I am ashamed to say that right now our Supreme Court is deciding if section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is still relevant in this day and age. I am ashamed because just two weeks ago, Mississippi just ratified the 13th amendment, they were only 150 some odd years late in formerly abolishing slavery in their state and a slew of states are establishing restrictive voter i.d’s and procedures making it much harder for minorities and poorer people to vote. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and their respective staffs make it their mission through the backdrop of comedy and political satire to highlight how damaging and destructive these current issues are to our democracy.
I know that these two gentlemen consider themselves to be comedians first and activists second, but it doesn’t stop a growing segment of our population from wishing for them to consider doing more. I’m very happy with what they do right now, I just ask for them to never quit or retire. That’s not asking too much, right?
If it weren’t for these two shows, I am sure that many younger people would not be as well informed, because even I who read about politics on a daily basis, rely on these two shows to get other points of view and to weigh what I have read against their barometer of common sense. Comedy requires intelligence and I think that is part of why these shows have merit aside from being solely entertainment.
