The most powerful part of Jon Stewart's first show was his words on activism

Don't miss this key point from the comedian

Jon Stewart is the Taylor Swift of comedy—given he angers some on the right but brings joy to millions more.

Okay, I get that some of my fellow progressives viewed his jokes about President Biden and Donald “out on bail” Trump’s mental gaffes as dangerously “both siding” the issue. In defense of Stewart, if you think he’s a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, you have no idea what he or political comedians are about. Stewart has always been about comedically raising political and societal issues that often challenges people’s views--not toeing the party line.

In fact, Trump world cannot be happy with Stewart showing clips of Trump repeatedly stating under oath at past depositions “I can’t remember” and spewing nonsensical comments at recent rallies such as bizarrely mispronouncing Pennsylvania and claiming Democrats want to change the name of the state. That last comment by Trump prompted Stewart to joke, "Biden's lost a step, but Trump regularly says things at rallies that would warrant a wellness check." 

And overall, Stewart comically  tackled everything from reminding people of Trump’s criminal charges to Israel’s brutal military response in Gaza to the corporate media’s obsession with having reporters stand in diners to talk to “real Americans.”  

But it was Stewart’s sincere remarks near the end of his monologue that deserve far more attention and applause. That is when the award winning comedian shared what he had come to learn in his time away from The Daily Show desk. Stewart began by telling the audience, “I’ve learned one thing over these last nine years, and I was glib at best and probably dismissive at worst about this,” he then somberly added, “The work of making this world resemble one that you would prefer to live in is a lunch pail [expletive] job, day in and day out, where thousands of committed, anonymous, smart and dedicated people bang on closed doors and pick up those that are fallen and grind away on issues until they get a positive result, and even then, have to stay on to make sure that result holds.”

He added, “The good news is, I’m not saying you don’t have to worry about who wins the election. I’m saying you have to worry about every day before it and every day after, forever.” Stewart—being the comedian he is—concluded his rant with a joke, “Although, on the plus side, I am told that at some point, the sun will run out of hydrogen.” 

There are two vitally important takeaways from Stewart’s words. First, that if you truly want to make “this world resemble one that you would prefer to live in,” activism must be more than simply voting. And perhaps even more importantly was his plea that you “stay on to make sure that result holds,” because as we are seeing firsthand in recent years: Progress is not permanent.

No doubt Stewart’s remarks are informed by his own advocacy on policy issues. Stewart very publicly championed funding to assist 9/11 first responders beginning back in 2010 when he was hosting The Daily Show. At the time, Congress did extend funding for ten years but by 2019 Stewart saw Congress dragging their feet to authorize additional financial resources. That is why in 2019, Stewart travelled to Capitol Hill where he shamed members of Congress to their face for their inaction. Finally, in July 2020, Congress agreed to permanently reauthorize the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.

In 2022, Stewart again found himself on Capitol Hill and in the media advocating for legislation, this time for military veterans who were in desperate need of medical care after contracting medical ailments from exposure to burn pits during their service. At the time, Stewart slammed GOP Senators who were holding up the proposed legislation that had been championed by President Biden. 

After the legislation finally passed, Stewart received a standing ovation at the bill signing where Biden told the comedian, “What you have done, Jon, matters, and you know it does. You should know it really, really matters.” The President added, “You refused to let anybody forget, you refused to let them forget, and we owe you big man, we owe you big.”

And as Stewart correctly flagged, you must “stay on to make sure that result holds” because as we have seen in recent years, progress can be reversed.  The most obvious example is with reproductive freedom. Since 1973 with the US Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, women across our nation were guaranteed that very right. But the forces who opposed self-determination for women worked tirelessly to reverse that.  Come 2022, that constitutional right was ended by a GOP controlled Supreme Court, empowering Republicans to pass laws in numerous states that force millions of women to carry a fetus to term against their will.

Same goes for voting rights. Black voters had more voting rights protection in August 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was signed then today. Why?  In 2013, the GOP controlled US Supreme Court gutted a key provision of that law that required pre-approval of changes to voting laws in states with a history of voter discrimination. Since then, GOP controlled states enacted laws designed to suppress the votes of Black Americans.

People can debate if Stewart’s comedic material in his first show back was too “fair and balanced.” But what people can’t debate are Stewart’s words about activism. Stewart’s own track record is a testament to that.

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