There’s been a lot of controversy over Stephen Colbert’s visit to Capitol Hill on Sept. 24 to speak before Congress on the issues of immigration and farm workers. Conservatives and right-wing-minded individuals who value the opinions of Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck are using it as an opportunity to nail Colbert for treating a serious issue with such levity. Others, however, see the value of celebrity in bringing attention to an issue that more Americans should be cognizant of.

I was working at my internship for Fox News the day Colbert went before Congress, and my surrounding co-employees were unsurprisingly not as humored by Colbert’s remarks as I was.

“This is America,” Colbert said to Congress. “I don’t want my tomato picked by a Mexican. I want it picked by an American, then sliced by a Guatemalan, and served by a Venezuelan in a spa where a Chilean gives me a Brazilian.”

Upon hearing that remark broadcast on the many televisions in the department I work in, I was the only one in a room of at least a hundred who chuckled. Whether or not you’re partial to Colbert, you have to admit that his statements, though overshadowed by humor and sarcasm, touch upon issues that need to be addressed, including obesity.

“The obvious answer is for all of us to stop eating fruits and vegetables, and if you look at the recent obesity statistics, you’ll see that many Americans have already started.”

Unfortunate as it is, news networks have lost their objectivity. It goes without saying that Fox slants towards conservatives and MSNBC to liberals. True objectivity has become impossible to attain, and many Americans, especially those who make up the youth, are turned off by the idea of choosing political sides, especially when they could already care less. And that’s where people like Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart come in.

On Monday, Sept. 27 I went to the Barnes & Noble at Union Square to see Jon Stewart read and answer questions for his new book, “Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race.” Even after arriving two hours early I was unable to get a seat and the place was completely mobbed. A Barnes & Noble employee who introduced Stewart claimed the event had drawn the biggest crowd they had ever seen, and previous speakers at this particular store include President Obama (prior to his campaign).

Both Stewart and Colbert have become superstars in their own right. Although they’ll claim their real objective is to make people laugh (they are on Comedy Central after all), it’s clear that they have their own journalistic agenda. A crowd member given a microphone at the Barnes & Noble event told Stewart that she thought he and the “Daily Show” cast are some of the best journalists out there right now and deserve their wide appeal. And their following only seems to be growing.

Both entertainers’ influence in the political world is undeniable. Many young adults, including myself, probably wouldn’t even have as much interest in the political realm if it weren’t for these guys, and in a way I think we as a community owe them something for galvanizing the youth.

That’s why it pains me when conservatives and republicans like Steve King from Iowa or Dan Lungren of California speak to Fox News about the irrationality of having Colbert at something like the Capitol Hill meeting.

Colbert’s appearance most likely gave C-SPAN its highest ratings in months and even if you argue that his presence did nothing to add insight on the matter, more Americans are at least aware of the gravity of the immigration issue. The question of when America will get tired of Colbert and Stewart’s satire is up in the air, but for now it’s certain that they’ve created a comedic/political force not to be reckoned with.

To contact The Ionian’s Joseph Bland, e-mail him at [email protected].