C'VILLE Weekly's front page this past week featured a picture of Jon Stewart with the headline "IS THIS MAN KILLING DEMOCRACY?" The article went on to explain that researchers at East Carolina University had studied and documented a phenomenon known as "The Daily Show Effect." Exposure to the show, according to the study, causes college-aged individuals to be more likely to have negative perceptions of candidates and to be cynical about politics in general, thereby possibly decreasing their involvement in politics.
This is baloney. Yes, "The Daily Show" is satirical -- it draws its biting humor from pointing out the most foolish examples of politics -- but if that commentary translates into cynicism in the show's audience, it's their own fault for not keeping the show's humor in proper perspective as entertainment. Furthermore, in nearly all of the regular viewers I know (myself included), the end product is encouragement, not cynicism.
In his book "The Fifth Discipline," acclaimed MIT professor and management expert Peter M. Senge wrote, "Scratch the surface of most cynics and you find a frustrated idealist -- someone who has made the mistake of converting ideals into expectations." Most people who are turned off by politics seem to fit this definition. They are convinced that things are so bad or that they are so powerless that there is nothing they can do about it. The mass media can and often does play into this mindset by highlighting all the bad things happening across the globe. This concentration on the negative occurs not because those events are more important but because they get better ratings.
"The Daily Show" lampoons this gloom and doom by sarcastically trying to one-up it. In a piece from "America: The Book," produced by Stewart and his colleagues, Stephen Colbert asks, "Does your vote make a difference?" Colbert responds, "Imagine your vote as a deer tick. And the election as the continent of Asia." This mimicry of the often palpable cynicism in the news media is so over-the-top that if it does make you want to cry, it's because you're laughing so hard you have tears in your eyes. Stewart and company deliver this sort of comedy better than anyone else in the business.
One error of perspective that some viewers make is to misunderstand the show's intent. In an old advertisement for the show, a voice-over announces that a new poll has shown that more Americans trust "The Daily Show" for their news than anywhere else. The camera then cuts to Jon Stewart, who screams at the camera, "Don't do that!" Stewart is an entertainer, and he has never claimed to be anything but that. "The Daily Show" highlights political absurdities in order to mock both absurd politicians and those in the media who treat them as important.
The other and perhaps more important error of perspective that viewers might make if they tend towards cynicism is losing sight of their own capabilities as citizens. Most "Daily Show" regulars regard Stewart -- or more accurately, the character he plays -- as a role model who keeps his head on straight when everyone else seems to be losing theirs. If there's a trait in particular that I've noticed most "Daily Show" regulars try to emulate, it's Stewart's sense of perspective rather than his mock cynicism. In a conversation I had recently with my 17-year-old brother, who's also a regular viewer, he segued smoothly from talking about how he should tape the show so he doesn't miss it into talking about how he couldn't wait to be old enough to vote.
Similarly, "The Daily Show" and the news programs it mocks challenge me to think harder about what I can do as a citizen. Colbert is probably right that my vote will never probably swing an election, but by the same logic, most votes cast by members of Congress don't really matter unless one member casts the deciding vote. Obviously enough, they still have a pretty important job. Voting is the most basic form of participation in a democracy and, accordingly, one of the weakest. To expect that just by voting I can have a major impact on politics is to head straight down the path that Senge says will lead to disillusionment and cynicism. Attaining more sway than a simple vote takes time, talent and treasure as well as a willingness to spend them. Far from discouraging me, "The Daily Show"'s commentary convinces me that the extra effort is both important and badly needed.
The East Carolina University study pointed out that "The Daily Show Effect" was strongest among viewers who infrequently or never watch the program, whereas regulars were largely unaffected. Perhaps Jon Stewart and his political wit take some getting used to, but for those of us who understand where he's coming from, the result is anything but bad for democracy.
A.J. Kornblith is a Cavalier Daily Opinion columnist. He can be reached at akornblith@cavalierdaily.com.