Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear," which turns 10 this year, has largely been forgotten -- for a good reason

The New Republic

The Oct. 20, 2010 rally was a massive success, drawing 200,000 people to the Mall in Washington, D.C.  Yet it was mostly forgotten in end-of-decade remembrances. "'The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear,' which (Stewart) hosted with his then–Comedy Central colleague Stephen Colbert, was an attempt to shame a media industry addicted to theatrical conflict and shallow analysis," says Alex Shephard. "It was also meant to showcase common ground typically lacking in political coverage. 'This is not a political rally in any way, shape, or form,' Stewart told CNN’s Larry King. 'It is a visceral expression of a people fed up with the reflection that they are shown of themselves as a divided people.' The rally was a huge success: 200,000 people crowded the Mall in Washington, D.C., to watch Stewart and Colbert do their bits on stage, accompanied by musicians like John Legend and Kid Rock. But it hasn’t aged well. Stewart’s call for Americans to transcend party lines and concentrate on their shared aspirations is embarrassing to watch in 2019. Though largely forgotten for good reason—it is, aside from Rosewater, probably the least funny thing Stewart has done—it serves as a milestone in recent political history: a nadir in the left’s years-long refusal to reckon with the extremist right."