Jeff Shand-Lubbers - Jon Stewart: The Daily Show

Jon Stewart has one primary responsibility in his line of work: to make people laugh. In the process of making fun of politicians, celebrities, media outlets, and others in the news, he has become the go-to news source for the 18 to 34 demographic in the United States.

Stewart, born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, is certainly not the first person on late night television to make a name for himself at the expense of others. However, he is almost certainly the first late-night comedian to become such an important source for news and current events, not just for the politically apathetic, but for the politically involved.

Stewart had a fairly typical if unremarkable beginning to his career by spending some time in the comedy club circuit in New York City after college. Following that, he landed himself a couple of MTV shows in the early 1990s, most notably The Jon Stewart Show .

But Stewarts primary rise to fame has been as host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, a position he has held for thirteen years and counting.

The Daily Show has become much more than a late night stopping point on television for those too lazy to change the channel. Stewart has made a name for himself by drawing attention to important topics through comedy. He tackles issues that traditional media outlets refuse to cover, through sheer laziness or to protect their own interests.In the process Stewart has become somewhat of a cultural lightning rod (Bill OReilly has called his show a key component of left-wing television) as well as a notable figure in the news media.

Stewart has been criticized by media pundits for giving short shrift to certain issues. Regardless of the accuracy of these claims, they bolster Stewarts standing in the media by acknowledging that The Daily Show is a serious source of political news.

Stewart has managed to build himself a comedy empire in part by living a completely scandal-free, largely controversy-free life. Even when his barbs at politicians and others hit home, Stewarts true focus is always his comedy. Even his Rally to Restore Sanity on the National Mall in 2010 had a humorous and ironic title and purpose.

However, Stewart has been known to stand up for issues he strongly believes in. He proved his appearance in 2004 on Crossfire was not just an act when he reportedly spent an hour backstage talking to and arguing with the Crossfire staff about his displeasure with the show, echoing the sentiments he expressed on stage to Tucker Carlson.

Though he will be turning 50 in 2012, Stewart appears likely to remain a key cultural icon for the younger generation of Americans wanting to improve their country and get a few laughs at the expense of others in the process.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Stewart had a typical American childhood. He worked at Woolworths during the summer, played soccer at the College of William and Mary, and by his own account, drank way too much. Also like many young adults, Stewart... had no idea what I was doing. And then I got out (of college) and I still had no idea. And so it was back to New Jersey, tending bar and sleeping late.

In 1986 Stewart moved to New York City and began doing standup comedy, dropping his difficult-to-pronounce last name. He began performing at The Comedy Cellar and went on to develop The Daily Show as a talk show on MTV.

Though he is notoriously shy around beautiful celebrities, in the mid-90s he was linked with Tawny Kitaen, Daisy Fuentes, and Lara Flynn. When talking about interviewing celebrities, Stewart admitted, Sitting next to them is a little weird for me. Sometimes I just want to say, 'Could you just kiss me now please?

His wife, Tracey McShane, should rest assured that quote took place before they married in 2000. The couple currently has two kids together: Nathan Thomas Stewart, born in 2004, and Maggie Rose Stewart, born in 2006. McShane, a veterinary technician, has been known to shy away from the spotlight.

While other celebrity couples can fill up the gossip blogs and police reports, the most scandalous event known to happen to either Stewart or McShane was McShane being arrested in 2005 for (unknowingly) driving with a suspended license. Otherwise the couple does everything in their power to stay out of the public eye outside of Stewarts professional life. According to McShane, Stewart never talks politics or current events at home. In fact, she admits that she forgets how smart her husband is until she sees him on television.

Stewart has become a fixture at the Emmy Awards. From 2001 to 2011 he has won 7 Emmys for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program. In addition, Stewart has taken home 9 awards for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series, winning the award every year from 2003 to 2011.

While Stewart is not generally thought of as a candidate to take home multiple Grammy awards, he actually has two Grammys sitting above his fireplace at home; he won Best Comedy Album in 2005 for his book America: A Citizens Guide to Democracy Inaction (audio version), and Best Spoken Word Album in 2011 for his book: Earth: A Visitors Guide to the Human Race (audio version).

In addition to such awards that come with a trophy, Stewart has also won awards of sorts that speak to his place in the world of politics and journalism. In 2006, a professor from Indiana University found that electoral coverage on the 2004 Presidential election was more frequent on The Daily Show than on major network television stations. Additionally, a 2007 report from the Pew Center found that viewers of The Daily Show were the most knowledgeable about current events among all national news consumers (and viewers of Fox News, which has contributed numerous pieces for Stewart to lampoon over the years, were the least knowledgeable).

It would be a stretch to say that Stewart is better at educating his viewers about current events than other television hosts. The more likely explanation is that those who are already in the know about politics and current events are drawn to Jon Stewarts take on whats going on around them. Stewart makes sure The Daily Show stays honest in its criticisms and mockeries of public figures, but most of all, that it stays funny.

Of course, this means that Stewart risks losing relationships with political leaders who disagree with Stewarts version of funny. For example, Senator John McCain was a longtime friend of The Daily Show , holding the record for most appearances on the show with 13 before Brian Williams passed him in early 2011. However, McCain last appeared on the show in 2008 (while he was the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee) and hasnt been back since. No doubt Stewarts constant needling of McCain, particularly as it related to McCains shifting positions on whether to end the U.S. military policy of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, served as one of the reasons McCain hasnt been on the show in nearly four years. Despite McCain being a frequent and enjoyable guest on The Daily Show , Stewart felt it was more important to bring to light the hypocrisies in McCains viewpoints rather than let his confusing positions fall into obscurity.

While Stewart is not known for his interviewing skills, he has still been able to put together an amazingly impressive list of guests on The Daily Show . This list includes three current or former U.S. Presidents, four current or former First Wives, and seven current or former Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Kings of other countries. Stewarts interviewing style, while not necessarily on par with the best journalists of the day, is disarming; Stewart has a nervous demeanor that often seems to put the guest at ease. Furthermore, the banter between Stewart and the guests rarely feels scripted, while other late-night talk show hosts often seem to be looking into a teleprompter when talking freely with their guests.