Jon Stewart, like many late-night hosts, has been joking about the various problems associated with the rollout of Obamacare for weeks.
But now that cable news outlets are pointing to Stewart's comments as a possible tipping point for action, the comedian felt it was necessary to note: He's just making jokes.
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"Look, making fun of something, that's nothing new for us, so don't act like us making jokes about a certain program or president is evidence that that politician or issue has reached some kind of tipping point for action," he explained on Thursday night's Daily Show after a highlight reel of cable hosts suggesting that "losing Jon Stewart" or "even Jon Stewart" joking about something is significant.
Quite the contrary, he pointed out, they've been doing it for years, and the media's responded the same way, as he demonstrated through past clips.
He went further, after showing a clip of a senator calling for Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to resign because of jokes being made on The Daily Show and other programs, pointing out that mocking people has not caused them to resign (see: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney).
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Stewart closed his segment by preaching in front of a gospel choir.
"People, I am here to say that the jokes we do on this program seem to accomplish very little," he said. "They do provide a little catharsis or perspective, but most of the stuff we complain about never changes. The point is don't you use our jokes as evidence that the thing you hate must be stopped cause I'm sure when we joke about shit you like, you're more than happy to agree."
He finished with a kiss off to the media, dancing around to a chorus of "go f--- yourself."
