Despite its position as liberal watchdog and Jon Stewart’s persona as mensch-y everyman, his legacy at The Daily Show has been tainted by its perceived woman problem. Critics have pointed out that its female correspondents have been few and far-between, and the writing staff (as with every late night show) has remained predominantly male for the duration of Stewart’s tenure as host. Additionally, a recent analysis found that of the top 20 most frequently recurring guests, only two were women.
Still, even with minuscule odds, The Daily Show proved to be a platform for some of the most brilliant, effective female comedians to do some of the most biting satirical work being done on television. Samantha Bee, Kristen Schaal and Jessica Williams are gifts, rare or not.
Without The Daily Show, it’s possible we wouldn’t have learned how much medicare will pay for a penis pump:
Without The Daily Show, we likely never would have been given the gift of Jessica’s Feminized Atmosphere: