We all have our shows, music, etc. that get us through dark times. We find corners of the internet that provide a reprieve from the suffering and struggles of our everyday life and world we live in. When I was a senior in high school, I was introduced to the Colbert Report. My AP Government teacher, whom I’ll just call Mr. Bun, used a clip from the show to illustrate the lunacy of Super PACs with regards to campaign financing. I was struck at how hilarious Colbert could make something that would normally be so dry and boring. I was also very much desperate to find joy and laughter in my life at that point.
A friendship that I had relied on for stability since middle school had disintegrated. I was terrified of the life change that would come with going to college and moving away from home. This was the scene of my life where I was introduced to the Colbert Report. I began watching clips of the show on YouTube on my laptop regularly. Eventually, I discovered Jon Stewart and The Daily Show. It was like finding a portal to another existence that gave me hope. These were intelligent people talking about current events, laughing their way through painful discussions, and bringing joy to others by doing so. I needed to be able to laugh. I needed to feel as though I could live through another day while struggling with my crippling anxiety and depression. I was always interested in current events, and this provided a way to digest the world’s happenings without being boring.
I started with The Colbert Report, and I will always find it impressive that Stephen never broke character. It must’ve been so difficult to portray such a ridiculous character and not burst into laughter. What sticks out to me about the show the most was one segment he did on minors immigrating and having to be housed in a hotel or motel. He pretended to be outraged by the fact that they were staying in such accommodations and then started reading actual reviews of the specific hotel. One of the reviews listed that there were cockroaches at the said hotel. At this, Colbert got irate and stated, “I can’t believe this! Not only are we housing them in hotels, [but] we’re giving them pets!”
I can’t find that clip online anymore, but I would lose it and burst out laughing whenever I would watch it. I hope it’s apparent that I don’t think children should be housed in filth, and that the topic itself isn’t funny. The dramatic reaction of the character is what had me in stitches. I’m glad that he was able to move on to other creative endeavors, but I was very sad when the show ended. My mom recorded the final episode for me, and I enjoyed get to see the series get wrapped up.
I would be lying if I said I still don’t sometimes crave an episode of The Colbert Report. Luckily for me, Stephen resurrects his character during election years by saying that the character that appears on the late-night show is actually the identical cousin of the original cousin. It’s still a hoot to watch those clips, and I look forward to his coverage of the upcoming election. It’s the only thing I look forward to regarding the election year.
Meanwhile I have been watching The Daily Show consistently for the last decade of my life. I absolutely loved Jon Stewart, and I am thrilled that he’s returning to host once a week as well as taking up an executive producer role. The feel of The Daily Show when Jon Stewart hosted felt a bit more… serious? I’m not sure that serious is the right way to describe it. He wasn’t playing a fictitious character. He was being himself when he wasn’t doing bits that were normally short in length.
I continued watching both shows as I went off to college. My college experience was marked by worsening mental health, loneliness, and just an overall miserable experience. These were welcome reprieves from the confusing world that was college. I still felt like a child needing a parent’s support and protection, yet I was expected to be an adult and enjoy the newfound freedom from home. Laughter didn’t solve my mental illness by any means, but I definitely would say that these shows (along with music et al) were in my basket of coping mechanisms that miraculously got me through college alive. I’m definitely ecstatic to relive those happy memories with Jon Stewart’s return to The Daily Show. I can’t wait!
Living on the Spectrum 
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