Jon Stewart to Be Latest (and Most Deserving) Recipient of Mark Twain Prize for Humor

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More often than not, The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is simply seen as comedy’s highest honor in the U.S. The award is indeed that distinguished, but don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s just about who are the most renowned people in comedy. Specifically, the Kennedy Center, the organization in charge of the award, details the prize going to “…individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th-century novelist and essayist Samuel Clemens, best known as Mark Twain.”

Even some of the funniest comedians throughout the history of stand-up, sketch, improv, etc. have not necessarily changed the national dialogue or perspective on the zeitgeist. Arguably, nearly all comedians fall short of that mark, which is why The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is such a rare honor.

That all said, Jon Stewart with just The Daily Show with Jon Stewart alone has more than earned the merit of this distinction as, announced earlier today, he will be the next recipient of the award. On top of that, there is all of his advocacy, activism, and his return to TV with The Problem with Jon Stewart that almost makes you wonder what took so long for The Mark Twain Prize to go to Stewart (maybe because he wasn’t a cast member or writer on SNL?).

Maybe, had he gotten it in, let’s say 2015, he wouldn’t have left TV the year Trump got elected? That’s truly impossible to say, but, at the very least, Stewart is finally getting this incredibly well deserved bust and recognition.

We’re sure Mark Twain would have something to say about a credit card company sponsoring his award and in the same spirit, we hope Jon Stewart will too.