In an “After the Cut” web exclusive published Monday by “The Daily Show,” host Jon Stewart opens the studio floor to take questions from Gen Z audience members, covering everything from how to stay optimistic to what books to read to how to be responsibly politically engaged on college campuses.
Of the latter, Stewart said that engaging in political divides on college campuses can be a “beautiful thing,” and he advised students to “be open to people, but be convicted.”
“I just wanted to ask for advice about navigating the political landscape, especially during election season, on college campuses and engage in conversations with people who might have opposite beliefs,” an young male audience member asked Stewart.
Watch the full segment in the video below:
The line of questioning, of course, came at a time when political demonstrations are under particular scrutiny nationwide, with pro-Palestinian and -Israel protesters clashing this last spring at UCLA, Columbia and elsewhere. As the Israel-Hamas war continues in Gaza going into the 2024-25 school year, measures have been made to ensure safety on campuses. Just last week, University of California banned protest encampments and masks that obscure protesters’ faces at all of its schools.
Such measures, however, should not stop students from engaging responsibly in the political moment, according to Stewart.
“Listen, the beautiful thing about college is that it’s built for you to push the limits of who you think you are and who you think you want to be. It’s a wonderful experience,” the host said in Monday’s video. “The thing that I would say to you is have the courage in the internal barometer that you’ve developed over the years for yourself about right and wrong and don’t necessarily just allow the conditions that you find yourself in to shape that. You’re here for a reason, and you’re that way for a reason, and be strong in that. Be open to people, but be convicted. I think it’s a wonderful experience for kids.”
Stewart then added, humorously, that he doesn’t buy into the habit of disparaging younger generations while thinking his own was all “awesome.”
“Shut the f—k up,” he quipped. “Every generation is like, ‘That generation sucks. We were awesome.’ And I’m like, ‘Meh.’ I know my generation — we were doing whippets in 11th grade.”
Elsewhere in the “After the Cut” segment, Stewart explained why Kurt Vonnegut is his favorite author (and he recalls a cherished memory of interviewing him before his 2007 death) and explained why Gen Z needs to know the power they hold in the political decisions that are around them.
“Your voice is — can I tell you something about advertisers?” Stewart posed. “Do you know that advertisers, they look at different demographics, but the largest demographic that they look at is 18-24. That’s the one that means everything to them. Use that power, the power of the purse.”
He continued: “I’m 61 — I’m not even listed anymore. They literally, companies will be like, ‘What about people over 55?’ They’re like, ‘I think they might be dead.’”
Watch the full “Daily Show” web segment in the video above.
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