How The Daily Show permanently changed American satire

Salon.com

Today's 25th anniversary of The Daily Show launch is a reminder of how the Comedy Central late-night show has impacted satire. "These days the relevance of political satire to public dialogue is almost taken for granted. Candidates regularly appear on late-night comedy shows, satirists frame issues of social relevance, stories get 'broken' by satire news shows, and comedians go beyond joking to address their audiences on issues all the time," says Sophia A. McClennen. "But it's important to remember that this was not always the case. Comedy icons like Johnny Carson and David Letterman were not regularly engaged in politics. And those comedians who were, like Lenny Bruce or George Carlin, didn't have the impact that a show like The Daily Show has had. As we celebrate 25 years of The Daily Show, let's look back on five central ways that the show permanently changed US satire."

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