Jon Stewart is an exceptionally gracious host. He and his writers spotlight the incongruities, hypocrisy, blatant lies and "isms" within the GOP as much as the Democratic Party and across all the news programs, both left-leaning and those that are right-wing.
I watch his program almost every night and most times at the very least, I chuckle. But mostly, watching his show I feel vindicated. I feel a big "yeah!" when he skewers the traditional media talking heads and shows politicians doing what some tend to do so well - provide their own slant on the truth.
This article that appeared in the Huffington Post about allegations of sexism at "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" is a good start for a conversation for the Daily Show producers to have.
The truth is, the Daily Show targets young white men, rarely has women guests and its "correspondents" are in the vast majority white men. Just look at the commercials if you are in doubt.
To be clear, pointing out these facts is not a suggestion to get rid of the brilliant John Oliver or give the equally brilliant Samantha Bee more airtime. (From posts that are circulating regarding the issue of sexism at The Daily Show, most of the chit chatters appear to be 12 and very defensive - "the NFL is sexist," noted one most helpfully).
The Daily Show doesn't need to change a thing - it's extremely funny as is. Yet, the sexism charge applies. The women at the show issued a public letter in response to the original article, and they signed that the show is a great place to work; they are respected, bla bla bla.
But if you look at the picture of the women, most are white, most are young and apparently most have nothing to do with the comedy and sketches that we see. In their defense letter, the women do not point out whether any of the women hold management, producer, director or any other top level positions on the show.
Maybe just as unfortunate, The Daily Show, funny as it is, is a oxygen sucker. It takes the air out of the Civil Rights Movement, pro-choice movement and other progressive causes.
It does this inadvertently.
Just as with Bill Maher and "Realtime," and "The Colbert Report," the two other comedy shows with a political agenda, Jon Stewart gathers the storm people feel, shakes and rattles it, and delivers stunning comedic bits that provoke laughter -- but little, if any, action.
Comedy, it turns out, has replaced marching in DC.
This isn't the fault of any of comedians. They are doing their jobs, and exceptionally well.
It's not them; it's us.
But between the sexism on all the programs, where women's voices are rarely heard, and the racism, where the voices of people of color are rarely spotlighted, these darlings of progressives are not that much different than the right-wingers.
The difference is, the jokes are intentional on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report and Realtime with Bill Maher.
Otherwise, everything is as it ever was for most women, and most people of color. We are outside looking in.
