Comedian Jon Stewart became a trending topic on Twitter over the weekend after speaking out against the media’s failure to de-escalate political issues and instead, place a spotlight on conflict.
On Sunday, Stewart appeared on the CNN program “State of the Union” to promote his Apple TV+ series “The Problem with Jon Stewart” and discuss the role the press plays in covering politics and society.
At one point, Stewart reflected on how stories such as the gender-neutral law in California and singer Demi Lovato, who recently came out as non-binary and asked to be referred to by they/them pronouns, received a slew of coverage despite not being a vital component to running the state.
“I think the media does a terrible job at de-escalation. And de-escalation is the antidote to all of this nonsense,” he said.
Stewart added, “I don’t mean civility, and I don’t mean nonpartisanship, I mean focusing on things that are more urgent and elemental in people’s lives, and really hammering away at those things. Rather than the purely emotional fault lines that occur in society.”
Stewart’s name began trending on Twitter following his interview, with users praising his honest opinion.
“I love Jon Stewart so much and wish that there were more voices like his in the public square of American discourse. He adds value to every discussion he enters. We need more logic and less emotion. More unity and less division. More de-escalation and less combustion,” one post read.
Another user revealed they may not feel the same way as Stewart, they admitted they were happy to see the comedian share his opinion.
“I wish I shared his optimism. But I sure am glad that Stewart is back in public discourse. His is an invaluable voice we desperately need in this country. You were missed @jonstewart,” read the tweet.
During his time on the CNN program, Stewart continued to call out the press for giving more coverage to minor incidents rather than bigger stories with more substance. “But that’s our journalism, right?” Stewart added.
“Isn’t that—how many times have you seen stories about the battle over masks, the Karen yelling in the store and the people throwing them out and all that? How many stories have we seen about the efficacy of masks or the why or the actual—there are some. But the overwhelming majority of stories seek to expose the conflict lines.”
The comedian, who rose to prominence as the host of "The Daily Show," will be sharing his opinion about other topics on the “The Problem with Jon Stewart.” The series aired its first episode on Sept. 30 and new episodes are expected to be available to stream every other Thursday on Apple TV+.
Jon Stewart is pictured attending the “After Spring” Premiere on April 14, 2016 in New York City. Photo: Andrew Toth/Getty Images
