Its been a year of major shakeups for late-night comedy.

Jimmy Fallon inherited The Tonight Show from Jay Leno.  John Oliver opened a new sociopolitical-issues-explainer-show-with-jokes on HBO which is already making the world a better place. The Colbert Report came to an end as Stephen Colbert accepted an offer to succeed David Letterman as host of The Late Show.

But for many young Americans who rely on The Daily Show to keep up with the politics of the day, the news of Jon Stewart’s impending departure as host was probably the most bittersweet of all.

For regular viewers of The Daily Show, the news is not terribly surprising. In his announcement, Stewart cited a “restlessness” that has become more and more apparent over the last few months.

It also happens to be perfect timing. Stewart is sitting at the height of his cultural influence (although not the height of his ratings), having mentored comedians like Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, and Larry Wilmore, who are now expanding his satirical legacy with ventures of their own. If there were ever a right time for the king of political comedy to step down, it would be now.

It may also be the case that Stewart’s style and substance have reached the limit of their usefulness to American society. Or that policy-makers are increasingly employing a What-Would-Stewart-Say test to guide their decisions.

Regardless, Stewart will be remembered fondly by those who yearn for a better political and media culture in America. During his 16-year tenure, he mocked and prodded the political system through the Clinton impeachment trials, the Iraq War, and the tumultuous last six years of Barack Obama’s presidency.

On a few occasions, his comedy had a real impact on the world, like the time he shamed Congress into authorizing benefits for 9/11 first responders, or the time he left CNN with no choice but to take a divisive, cringe-inducing exercise in theatrical punditry off the air.

What will Stewart do next? Will he make more movies like Rosewater to entertain and educate us about the world? Only time will tell.

Do you watch The Daily Show? Are you sad (or happy) to see Stewart go? Let us know in the comments section below.

How did Twilight fan-fiction become one of the most popular novels in the world?

Recently, that 50 Shades novel took it to the big screen and did extremely well. $81.7 million well in the first weekend. 

If you have been avoiding the craze of this novel, let me quick give you a synopsis. It’s about a young college girl who meets an older powerful man. They begin an erotic relationship of BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism). If you want more details, do your own research.

Some criticize the novel for its portrayal of a unhealthy, abusive relationship. They cite examples of the novel’s female protagonist consenting to situations she’s not comfortable with or not even consenting at all.

She often fears losing her partner. For a novel that has sold over 100 million copies, is it worth it to display a questionably unhealthy relationship? Domestic abuse is a real issue and many fear this novel is glamorizing it. 

Fans brush it off and merely state it is an edgy novel. Some feminists defend the novel saying there are empowering moments for the heroine taking control of her sexuality. Other readers cite that is was a great way to start an intimate discussion on a subject that is usually taboo. 

Others do not care about the plot at all and decry the novel for its terrible prose. Here are some of the best lines we found:

• “His voice is warm and husky like dark melted chocolate fudge caramel… or something.” 
• “My very small inner goddess sways in a gentle victorious samba.”
• “I feel the color in my cheeks rising again. I must be the color of The Communist Manifesto.”

What are your thoughts on the novel and movie? Since it is clearly not a black or white issue, it has to be some shade of grey. 

Over the past several months, the brutality of the Islamic State of Iraq & al-Sham (ISIS) has become all too well-known to the outside world.

Through a series of publicly proclaimed executions and acts of cruelty, the group has made their bloodlust brazenly clear.

Yet recent events suggest that the terrorist movement ravaging the Middle East are stepping up their ruthlessness–and their strategic capacity as well.

On Sunday, the group released yet another execution video, this one showing members beheading no fewer than twenty-one captives. The individuals are all Egyptian Christians.

This most recent incident comes in the wake of the brutal immolation of Jordanian fighter pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh, who had been shot down and captured during Jordanian airstrikes against ISIS in Syria.

Yet this mass execution stands out from earlier incidents. The footage is believed to have been taken in Libya–signalling that the organization is becoming more defiant and in a better position to take advantage of the anarchic conditions in that country.

Plus, the incident will almost undoubtedly raise the stakes for U.S. President Obama’s proposal to Congress for an Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) against the group. That decision is already invoking critique from Republicans and Democrats alike.

But even if the AUMF receives the green light, would it be enough to check ISIS in its tracks–let alone push it back?

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Learning from Practical Work Against Social Inequality