Jon Stewart on Charlie Hebdo: Daily Show opens with sober message about terrorist attack, joins Conan, Louis CK, others in support.

Jon Stewart’s Sober Daily Show Message: Charlie Hebdo Was on “Team Civilization”

Jon Stewart’s Sober Daily Show Message: Charlie Hebdo Was on “Team Civilization”

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Slate's Culture Blog
Jan. 8 2015 9:11 AM

Jon Stewart’s Sober Daily Show Message: Charlie Hebdo Was on “Team Civilization”

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Many comedians have come out to show their support for Charlie Hebdo following the deadly terrorist attack on the satirical magazine’s offices on Wednesday. Last night, Louis C.K. performed his entire show at Madison Square Garden with “Charlie Hebdo” written across his T-shirt in marker. Conan O’Brien opened his show with a message about not taking free speech for granted. And countless other comedians and cartoonists have raised their voices and their pencils in solidarity with the victims.

But perhaps the comedian people look to most after these tragedies—especially since his tearful opener following the 9/11 attacks—is Jon Stewart. “Very few people go into comedy as an act of courage, mainly because it shouldn’t have to be that,” the Daily Show host said in his opening, calling the attacks a “stark reminder that … the legislators and institutions that we jab and ridicule are not in any way the enemy.” Together, they’re all in a conversation as part of “Team Civilization.” He closed by noting that the show’s goal was “not to make sense of this, because there’s no sense to be made of this.”