Politics can be really depressing. Wherever you turn, there seems to be another lost job, another petty political argument, another corruption scandal. The media just adds to the turmoil with its melodramatic coverage and evasion of any semblance of controversy. That’s where Jon Stewart and The Daily Show come in.

The Daily Show, which airs Monday through Thursday at 11:00 P.M. on Comedy Central, makes fun of politics and media while still informing us of what is going on in the world. Jon Stewart—a short Jewish guy who currently sports a highly unattractive goatie—plays the witty and slightly infantile host. As with a regular news show, The Daily Show has its own correspondents, including Aasif Mandvi (the evil guy from The Last Airbender), Lewis Black (angrier than ever), and my personal favorite John Oliver (who has a great sense of humor and an even greater British accent). Many former correspondents such as Ed Helms, Steve Carell, and Stephen Colbert have gone on to have become very successful and credit the show with jumpstarting their careers.

I absolutely adore The Daily Show. Whether Jon Stewart is doing his Glenn Beck and George Bush impressions, discussing current events with his correspondents, or giving his interviewee a hard time, you can depend on him to make you laugh. And equally importantly, he makes you think. His sarcastic remarks often raise questions that are not discussed in the main stream media. He is not afraid of conflict or controversy. Neither is he handicapped by strict political party guidelines. Their philosophy is simple; make fun of whoever deserves it. And it is a philosophy that I really admire.

The Daily Show is essentially the class clown who sits in the back of the room, throwing spitballs and laughing. And, as with many class clowns, they seem to have a clearer idea of what’s going on than anybody else involved.