"Women of The Daily Show" respond to accusations that show is sexist
On June 23, deliciously feminist-y site Jezebel posted an article titled “The Daily Show’s Woman Problem” that accused the Jon Stewart-helmed Comedy Central program of being “a boys' club where women's contributions are often ignored and dismissed.” Backing up the author’s claims were testimonies from former staffers who said that the show’s creative environment marginalized them with its “too cool for school” attitude, which left no room for womanish “emotional vulnerability.” The author then went on to suggest (seemingly based entirely on a bitter quote from a rejected “female comedian who has auditioned multiple times”) that the recent hiring of G4’s Olivia Munn was motivated at least partially by her looks. Even more damning: The article’s repeating of rumors about Jon Stewart, whom one anonymous “former executive” says “runs The Daily Show with joyless rage,” and whose alleged throwing of an unsatisfactory script at show co-creator Madeleine Smithberg (and Stewart’s subsequent refusal to allow her on stage to accept the show’s 2003 Emmy) has supposedly become staff legend. All in all, it paints a fairly damning picture of The Daily Show as a glorified comedy frat house run by dudes who don’t believe a woman can be funny, but are willing to give her a chance anyway if she’s hot.