When Jon Stewart announced his “Rally to Restore Sanity,” I could not help but think that this is the last thing our country needs right now. We are already a fractured nation of social and political division, and it seemed another rally would only further polarize people’s opinions.

When I looked at the midterm elections looming over an already frustrated nation, I must admit I was skeptical about Stewart’s intentions with the rally. A unique brand of pundit, Stewart so often walks the very fine line between genuine substance and political slapstick. I can walk away from the show feeling entirely entertained and somewhat informed. It is definitely not the news, but it presents the information in a different, more desirable way.

Stephen Colbert, who partnered with Stewart for the rally, takes a different approach. His show is a whimsical farce of exaggerated complacency, a sardonic masquerade of dry wit and indirect aggression. He ends up undermining education for the sake of entertainment, but nonetheless proving a valid point in the process. Instead of directly addressing the issues at hand, he takes the role of a scornful devil’s advocate, introducing himself as comple-mentary foil to Stewart.

I was particularly skeptical of their decision to hold the rally together. Colbert is a natural entertainer and I worried his antics would steal the show and perhaps even alter the message of the rally, which seemed to be a response to Glen Beck’s “Restoring Honor Rally” on Aug. 28.

Beck, already a contentious character, should have been more considerate of the rally’s historic implications. His rally, deemed “8/28,” was held on the steps of the Lincoln memorial where, 47 years earlier, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I have a Dream” speech.

Stewart has been outspoken in his critique of Beck’s agenda, specifically of the conservative media’s tendency to polarize and exaggerate issues. He has even gone as far as to call it fear mongering. While sensationalizing stories in the media is nothing new, it has taken a darker turn during the Obama administration.

While our financial situation is the result of government inadequacy and a fractured system, our current political situation has been largely affected by media representation. Fox News has turned every debate into a dichotomy, a black and white binary system that by no means describes the U.S. political sphere. The result is irrational fear and distaste for the president, unwillingness to concede, and ultimately a political system with heavy emphasis on egocentrism.

No longer are Americans able to step outside their own perspective to even consider another. The result of this media is that Americans are politically divided and polarized socially. The rally was a retort to this irresponsibility in the media.

The tone was optimistic and exciting. The first thing on the itinerary was an energetic performance by the hip-hop group The Roots, with a cameo performance by John Legend. The stage was a collage of pro-American imagery — lavish drawings of stars and rich colors of red, white, and blue.

Stewart arrived after the performance to greet fans stretching back as far as the eye could see. As usual, Colbert’s antics involved a great deal of attention, culminating as he burst on stage in full patriotic spandex.

I thought at once that my fears were to be confirmed — no substance with Colbert parading around on stage in full force and little more than a flip of the finger to Beck. But while the nature of the rally was upbeat, with various performances and speakers, this fear could not be farther from the truth.

While entertaining and light-hearted, the rally was a substantive representation of Stewart’s opinions. Much to my surprise the Liberal vs. Conservative bi-partisan rhetoric was relatively nonexistent. Instead Stewart spoke out against the instigation of fear caused by the mass media of this country.

He said that the rally was not “to suggest that times are not difficult and we have nothing to fear — they are, and we do.” But he also stressed his point by saying these are “hard times, not end times.”

Stewart conveyed a meaningful and important message in a delicate manner. No longer do I view this as a publicity stunt, but rather a genuine response to fear mongering presented as good-natured entertainment.