The Internet Can't Handle Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart is an incisive comedian who loves to question authority, no matter who's in charge. He prides himself on being an equal opportunity bullshit detector, the first person in any room to quietly suggest that perhaps the emperor isn't wearing any clothes. These skills served him well during the Bush years when administration officials went to great lengths to deceive the public about their efforts and intentions in the war on terror. But that same inquisitive spirit and subtle eyebrow raise that made Stewart such an astute critic of post-9/11 politics might not benefit the comedian in today’s very different comedic landscape where righteous indignation is in and skepticism and satire are out. Consider it a consequence of the Trump administration, but when a sizable portion of the population refuses to accept the results of a perfectly fair and free election, there just isn’t much room for the rest of us to question things. [View in Browser]( [Alternate text] [SHOP]( EXCLUSIVE [SUBSCRIBE]( [Whither Jon Stewart?]( [Whither Jon Stewart?]( Jon Stewart is an incisive comedian who loves to question authority, no matter who's in charge. He prides himself on being an equal opportunity bullshit detector, the first person in any room to quietly suggest that perhaps the emperor isn't wearing any clothes. These skills served him well during the Bush years when administration officials went to great lengths to deceive the public about their efforts and intentions in the war on terror. But that same inquisitive spirit and subtle eyebrow raise that made Stewart such an astute critic of post-9/11 politics might not benefit the comedian in today’s very different comedic landscape where righteous indignation is in and skepticism and satire are out. Consider it a consequence of the Trump administration, but when a sizable portion of the population refuses to accept the results of a perfectly fair and free election, there just isn’t much room for the rest of us to question things. [Read More]( [The 35 Best Sweatpants to Wear Indoors, Outdoors, and Everywhere in Between]( [The 35 Best Sweatpants to Wear Indoors, Outdoors, and Everywhere in Between]( Stay cozy and stylish all day, every day. [Read More]( [The Camel Coat Is Still the Swankiest Outerwear Style]( [The Camel Coat Is Still the Swankiest Outerwear Style]( And we have a whole caravan of the season's best. [Read More]( [Elevated Stupidity: The January 6 Edition]( [Elevated Stupidity: The January 6 Edition]( Last summer in the pages of Esquire, I held forth on a cancer that’s eating away at our culture: the gussying-up of bad ideas with elegant language and debate-team flair that I call Elevated Stupidity. Zazz your point up with big words, references to Greek mythology, and the condescending tone of the person who shouldn’t have to be saying all this, and you can dazzle people out of noticing that your point is: “Maybe your grandma should die of Covid,” or “What if people could only vote if they can prove that they’ll agree with me,” or “Trans people don’t exist.” It’s an embarrassing trend, but as long as there are charlatans with platforms and people who would rather read a flowery defense of what they already believe than a simple fact that challenges it, it’s a trend we’re stuck with. Obviously, the first anniversary of the insurrection at the Capitol was going to bring a more highly transmissible variant of Elevated Stupidity. [Read More]( [Florida Men Love Golf Cart Parades and, Allegedly, Voting More Than Once]( [Florida Men Love Golf Cart Parades and, Allegedly, Voting More Than Once]( They're all registered Republicans. [Read More]( [Amazon's Home Workout Equipment Is On Major Sale]( [Amazon's Home Workout Equipment Is On Major Sale]( Skip that pricey monthly membership and DIY your home set up. [Read More]( [Peter Bogdanovich on the Long, Slow Decline of a Teenage Star]( [Peter Bogdanovich on the Long, Slow Decline of a Teenage Star]( Sal Mineo was a young sensation in 'Rebel Without a Cause' but his career proved to be rocky and his death, downright tragic. The late director recalled his friend in a 1978 essay for Esquire. [Read More]( [Win a 3-Night Trip for Two to the Buccaneer Beach & Golf Resort in St. Croix ($4,000 Value)!]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( esquire.com ©2022 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019