The Daily Show (Comedy Central)

common sense media says

News made funny; for teens and adults only.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that nothing is sacred in this political news series. It skewers everything to do with politics -- Democrat and Republican, conservative and liberal -- to great success (and with heaps of glee). Despite referring to his show as the "fake news," Stewart is one of the few folks out there who puts stories in context and points out the constant contradictions coming out of Washington and corporate America. But younger kids won't get or appreciate the humor -- and given the sometimes-crass subjects, that's probably for the best.

Positive messages: The world is full of human frailty and foibles, and it all gets mined for humor (cheating, drinking, and everything else under the sun). But Stewart does an admirable job of putting double-talk in context and calling on politicians to be responsible for their actions.
Positive role models: Stewart calls out politicians, businesspeople, and other prominent folks when they contradict themselves or do questionable things -- which doesn't enhance their standing as role models but does support Stewart's status as one. He has used his/the show's influence to benefit groups like the U.S. troops and other causes.
Violence: Politics can be pugilistic, and the show tries to catch all the action. Mosly verbal sparring, though.
Sex: Frequent innuendo in Stewart's stories and taped pieces. And if the show's favorite targets -- politicians -- are engaged in hanky panky, they'll certainly be skewered for it.
Language: Language includes frequent use of "ass," "damn," "bitch," etc. Stronger words (including "f--k") are bleeped out, though they're often discernable.
Consumerism: Products/labels are mentioned as necessary in the course of reporting on stories.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: If drugs, tobacco, and alcohol are in the headlines, they're in the show, too. Stewart and his reporters sometimes partake if it helps sell a joke/story.

More on The Daily Show

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about current events and what's going on in the world around them. How do the show's "reporters" use sarcasm to make their points? What are their points? Is the daily news truly that funny in real life? What makes it so?

  • Stewart often refers to what he does as the "fake news," but many of his fans say they get most of their news from his show -- is that responsible behavior? Does Stewart have a responsibility to those viewers to present his information accurately, or does humor trump that?

What's the story?

What's the story?

THE DAILY SHOW reports on the day's events, with host Jon Stewart and his crew painting a painfully hilarious picture of life in America and putting it in perspective with the world at large. There's no denying that the show is funny, combining Stewart's at-the-news-desk reports, taped field pieces, and in-studio interviews. The pre-taped segments mix deadpan humor with insight into issues that other news programs would never cover. In one episode, for example, correspondent Jason Jones visited small-town Ohio to interview a political candidate who wanted to legalize drunk driving. Instead of approaching the topic in a sobering (pardon the pun), earnest manner, he managed to capture the absurdity of the whole process by mining it for laughs.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

The genius of Stewart and the rest of the cast is that they get viewers to ponder huge issues -- back to drunk driving, for instance, which is a problem long cast aside as a rallying point now that many other causes have taken center stage -- without boring them with too much gravitas and zeal. The guest interviews are first-rate, too: irreverent, off the cuff, and candid. They reveal more about the actors, politicians, and celebrities who chat with Stewart than any five-minute appearance on a pandering late-night talk show.

In short, there's not much to hate about The Daily Show, and a lot to love. No wonder it has uber-loyal fans who watch it unfailingly. Too bad the real McCoys -- the six o'clock news broadcasts -- aren't anywhere near as entertaining. Nevertheless, thanks to its subject matter (which is mature in all senses of the word), the show is best for older teens and grown-ups.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-14
Network: Comedy Central
Cast: Jason Jones, Jon Stewart, Samantha Bee
Genre: Comedy
Where to watch: Comedy Central

This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
 
 

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What parents & educators say

10

Most useful reviews by all members

MikeM
adult
 
Excellent show that puts the truth back in context
The Daily Show is an excellent program that examines the news and makes light of the contradictions, stupidity, and senselessness that goes on in the world today. The show isn't all that bad, but there are some episodes that can be a bit 'iffy': - Words like ass, D**n, hell, and b**ch are sometimes used un-bleeped as well as other more extreme words that are bleeped out by Comedy Central. - Some news topics can be a bit mature, and because of that, some episodes can also be a bit mature (references to masturbation, molestation, prostitution, and other sexually explicit topics). All in all, the show usually has PG-level content (good for kids 8 & up, not that they'll get half the jokes) but can sometimes range to TV-14 level content depending on the topics that are brought up. I hope this review helped.

zzzz
teen, 14 years old
 
love it
Any body can watch it if they understand the news

CipherSquared
kid, 13 years old
 
Brilliant satire, enjoyable for anyone.
I love how The Daily Show and The Colbert Report both present the news in virtually opposite fashions. It's never entirely the same, and though it's different, it's always hilarious. Jon Stewart's sense of humor is a bit mature, but if you like to watch the news, it's understandable. I personally love Stewart's way of pointing out contradictions in media and politics, while at the same time mixing in funny, informative jokes. Unlike other news outlets, he's not as inclined to attack others for mistakes or disagreements. That makes the news a bit more bearable to listen to.

 
FUNNY AS ANYTHING!
man, this show's off the sheezy. I love Jon STewarts dry sense of humor

9001
teen, 15 years old
 
Iffy for ages 14-15.
Very funny show, but sometimes contains mature sexual references and (bleeped) strong language. In one episode, towards the end Jon repeatedly sings "They can go ***** themselves". Iffy for ages 14-15.

Luthien
teen, 16 years old
 
hee.
"But kids won't get or appreciate the humor." EXCUSE ME? I dont want to attack you, but there are some very sophisticated kids out there. I'm 12 now, instead of the 11 it says I am, and I've understood this all since I was 9. Now I admit it's partially because I follow politics, but it's not all that hard. hilarious satire for all over 9 - the sex part is something most kids can deal with,

HyperBully
teen, 16 years old
 
Pure genius
This show is better journalism than anything you'll find on Fox News. A recent example is the 9/11 First Responders bill. If Jon Stewart hadn't brought that bill to the attention of the public by devoting his last show of the year to it, many people who put their lives on the line on September 11, 2001, and are facing life-threating illnesses as a direct result, may very well be without healthcare right now. Jon Stewart is a hero and the best newsman/comedian on the planet. I have enormous respect for him, fellow Comedy Central "anchor" Stephen Colbert, and Bill Maher as well. Thanks to Stewart and his great reporting and comedic genius, I watch The Daily Show, well, daily. Keep up the great work, Jon! Highly recommended to anyone of any age with the intelligence and maturity to handle the political issues, as well as anyone who just likes to laugh.

Plague
parent
 
The Daily Show
Super funny. I watch the news all the time in the morning, but at night, im always looing forward to this.

Human
parent of 4 and 18 year old
 
Great show

some kid
kid, 12 years old
 
Genius
This show is amazingly funny... and political. I like politics so this show was good for me. Swears are bleeped out most of the time and Jon Stewart is a genius. If you like politics and you like to laugh this show is right for you.

head shot
parent of 14 year old
 

harrypotterlov ...
kid, 12 years old
 
i follow politics so this show is of my interest

 
Prepare to Laugh
The Daily Show is one of the best on TV. It is full of hilarious, shrewd sketches and comments on current political and social issues. The violence, language, and sex are really irrelevant if the viewer is old enough to understand the issues being discussed. Teens and adults.

Safemancam001
teen, 14 years old
 
Funny political humor, good for teens
I like the show; it's very funny. It would be okay for age 11, but the political humor my make impossible to understand for kids. Anyways... LOL!

Dragynwulf
teen, 15 years old
 
One of the best political satire shows
the other one is Real Time with Bill Maher. seriously, the swearing is bleeped, and kids who aren't mature enough won't get the sexual references.

whyamiusingthi ...
teen, 17 years old
 
This show is probably only good for teens
If kids don't get the humor, why do I get the humor? I especially love it when he has Lewis Black rant on all the small things people worry about.

booklover27
teen, 13 years old
 
Great show :)
This show is hilarious but it also targets political issues in an honest way. You get information but in a funny way. There are some inappropriate bits, but in the long run it is not that bad.

geeksquad
teen, 15 years old
 
Only for older teens
Great show, but with all the swearing (which is usually beeped out be you still know what they are saying) it is for more mature and older teens. also, you have to understand the news to get it. Other than that, it's HILARIOUS and will bring a smile to anyone watching it. Grade: A-

I_TellTheTruth
teen, 17 years old
 
Hilarious Show With Some Mature Content
Hilarious news show, even though I don't usually agree with John Stewart's liberal point of view. As far as the content, the biggest thing to worry about is the infrequent but strong language: s--t, f--k, and a-- hole are bleeped out (although one episode I saw somehow said bulls--t about 15 times uncensored; when I saw a repeat of the episode, it was censored). Uncensored language includes d--k, p--sy, (non-sexually) and d-ldo. It's not really that frequent, but all of these words CAN be heard at times. Sex: The one thing that comes to mind is in one episode John Stewart spun a giant wheel that had a brown d-ldo for a spinner.

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age