There was a time, just over a decade ago, that left-wing comedian Jon Stewart was a rockstar. He had built a reputation as America's straight-talking, no bull commentator, willing to speak truth to power. From his perch on Comedy Central's Daily Show, Stewart used snark and sarcasm to deliver the news to millions of Americans. That isn't exaggeration – there were millions of Americans who claimed that they got their news (that is, their understanding of national and world events) from his comedy show.
What's more, Stewart had an immunity to scandal and criticism that other far left commentators occupying traditional news desks did not have. Whenever Stewart was caught irresponsibly exaggerating, misrepresenting reality, twisting facts, editing video, or even flagrantly lying, he had the perfect defense. "Guys, I'm just a comedian," was the ready-made excuse that had the added bonus of condescending to his critics: "Why are you getting so worked up about a comedy show?"
He had it all.
After dutifully carrying President Barack Obama's water for nearly two full terms, Stewart had grown exhausted, and decided to go out on top. On more than one occasion since that time, it appears he has regretted that decision, if not leaving the Daily Show itself, at least falling from the pinnacle of his popularity.
Sporadically he has interjected himself into the public dialogue by appearing on late night comedy shows, or by releasing his own video commentaries through social media – like when he warned everyone the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade would likely lead to government organ harvesting. Precisely the kind of grounded, evenhanded analysis he's always been known to churn out.
Remember also that it wasn't that long ago Stewart made the regrettable error of entering into a public debate with Senator Ted Cruz over a bill designed to provide care for veterans. After Cruz calmly explained the mistakes and misunderstandings Stewart was promoting, the comedian went to his favorite bag of tricks: mockery, petty insults, and juvenile name-calling. All that seemed missing from Stewart's tantrum was a tattoo plastered across his trademark forehead begging everyone, "PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"
It's also worth noting that the Cruz kerfuffle was conveniently timed to coincide with the launch of Stewart's new Apple TV+ show, "The Problem with Jon Stewart." Unfortunately, the controversy hasn't seemed to do much to help the program's sagging ratings. But any expectation that Stewart would handle the failure with dignity went out the window the moment this aired:
Where to begin?
- The self-flagellation about his "reductive jokes" that is little more than a prostrating appeal to the new thought masters of the moment to not cancel him?
- The desperate appeal to make himself relevant by affirming and championing the latest "current thing?"
- The absurd pretension that adjectives used to describe types of women (eg., tomboy, girly girl) or types of men (eg., alpha male, beta male) is the logical equivalent of asserting some heretofore unknown gender like androgyne, two-spirit, gender outlaw, and omnigender?
- The intellectually offensive parallel to equate the medical treatment of pediatric cancer with the pseudoscience experimentation of juvenile genital mutilation and chemical castration?
It was an ethical and philosophical train wreck, a late-night struggle session that, even with canned laughter pumped into the awkwardness, was cringeworthy and difficult to watch.
I understand that outside of the sector of millennials who grew up adoring his antics, Stewart has largely been known as a political hack – Rachel Maddow with jokes. But this is different. This is Stewart desperately seeking to reinvent himself by shamefully joining the side of medical experiments being performed on confused children. This is Stewart choosing fealty to a radical ideology because of what he hopes it will do for his own wallet over the safety of young people.
This isn't about adults having the freedom to mutilate their own genitals and torment their own endocrine system – a position that is controversial enough given that dysphoria is something to confront and counsel, not acquiesce to and affirm.
No, what Stewart has done, for the sake of reviving a fading career, is throw his support behind a crusade that lets adults choose to irrevocably mangle and disfigure children, putting little girls on a path to this:
May God have mercy on the people doing this to kids, and the shameless charlatans like Jon Stewart who selfishly empower them to do so.
