Jon Stewart Says Comedians’ Greatest Threat is Authoritarians: We Are the ‘Bellwether’ for a Free Society

Jon Stewart argued for comedy’s importance to a healthy culture as he warned that authoritarian leaders remain the greatest threat to comedians.

The former Daily Show host was honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on Sunday night with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. After roasts from Dave Chapelle, Jimmy Kimmel and his old Daily Show colleagues in attendance, Stewart gave a speech while accepting the award, and warned about what comedy’s place in society says about the world at large.

Stewart referenced Will Smith’s infamous slap of Chris Rock at the Oscars as he argued that audience sensitivity is still less of a threat to comedy than authoritarianism.

“It’s not the fragility of audiences. It’s not the woke police that are going to be an existential threat to comedy,” Stewart said. “It’s not the ‘Fresh Prince.’ It’s the crown prince. It’s not the fragility of audiences. It’s the fragility of leaders.”

Stewart went on to describe the role of comedy by saying it “doesn’t change the world, but it’s the bellwether. We’re the banana in the coal mine.”

“When a society is under threat, comedians are the ones who get sent away first,” he continued. “It’s just a reminder to people that democracy is under threat. Authoritarians are the threat to comedy, to music, to thought, to poetry.”

Stewart’s speech made several references to Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef, a collaborator of his who was forced to flee Egypt after he was targeted by the government over his political satire. The Associated Press reports that Stewart held up Youssef as “an example of the true threat to comedy.”

Watch above, via Reuters.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!