8 Times Jon Stewart Was A Feminist Hero

It’s official: Jon Stewart will be saying so long to The Daily Show later this year. While we’re sure Comedy Central will find an equally venerable host to replace him eventually, Stewart’s legacy will endure in our hearts. Over the years, there have been countless times when Stewart's comedic take on the news felt like the only one that made sense — and in the old boys' club of nighttime anchors, he's made it clear that he’s on the side of women’s rights and against anything that gets in the way of upholding them. In honor of his impending farewell, we pulled together eight of our favorite feminist segments from The Daily Show. 1. On cat-calling: 

In this segment, Stewart responds to that old gem that the real victims of sexism are men (whose true manly selves are squelched by P.C. ladies) in the very best way — with scathing parody. 

2. On how unsafe and unsupported women really are at college:

"Are colleges trying to incentivize sexual assault?” Stewart asks after playing a news clip detailing punishments students receive after committing sexual assault, which included things like having temporary suspension or having to write a book report. “You know what the rest of us call it when we get 30 days off and get to read a book? Vacation. Clearly universities are not making their campuses safe for women." 3. On Chelsea Clinton's pregnancy:

"We begin tonight with breaking news...from the inside of another human being!" That’s how Stewart kicks off this installment of "The Broads Must Be Crazy" and a convo about Chelsea Clinton’s pregnancy — as well a discussion about how members of the media ask women wildly inappropriate questions that they would never in a million years ask a man. 4. On Sean Hannity (and a bunch of other men) having a "birth control panel":

Stewart calls out Sean Hannity for hosting a panel about birth control and women’s reproductive health care that he hasn't invited any women to join. He then addresses all the points the panel’s "Vagina Ideologues" make — including, but not limited to, a comparison between universal health care and Naziism. 5. On a bunch of Catholic men trying to restrict birth control:

Calling out the church has never been off limits for Stewart. In response to the uproar among Catholics about the requirement to include contraceptive coverage in insurance plans, he says, mocking resistant clergymen: "We are men of god! That money cannot be used for contraception! That money has been set aside for…out of court altar boy settlements and of course some priest relocation."  6. On Virginia’s transvaginal ultrasound bill: 

Ever hear of the Punanny State? Maybe not, because Stewart made it up. This segment about it focuses on Virginia’s transvaginal ultrasound bill — and just how intrusive it really is (he’s actually at a loss for a joke at one point). 7. On male politicians talking about "women's emotional outbursts":

Women are usually the ones accused of being too emotional at work, but Stewart pulled together a pretty impressive group of male legislators weeping it out on the company dime (and on film, no less!). 8. On the new voting bloc: women.

In the lead-up to a recent election, the Beltway press discovered that women made up an important voting bloc. They dealt with this by convening giant panels of men to discuss it. Stewart, for a moment, seemed to be the only member of the media who understood how absurd this was.