Comedy news shows bring real rallies to D.C.

Although it’s easy to dismiss The Daily Show and The Colbert Report as fake news shows — and Jon Stewart will be the first to say he’s just a comedian — the two programs now have a new credit to their names: political rally organizers.

On Sept. 17, the two shows gave a long-teased announcement for the “Rally to Restore Sanity.” Scheduled to take place Oct. 30 on the National Mall in Washington D.C., the event is aimed at what The Daily Show calls the “busy majority” — people unable to actively get their message out to the media because they are too busy working for a living. Not to be outdone, Stephen Colbert announced his “March to Keep Fear Alive” for the same day.

The events are in response to Fox News pundit Glenn Beck’s “Rally to Restore Honor,” held in Washington, D.C. on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and aimed at promoting cooperation and moderation in civic interaction.

The hosts have stressed the reality and seriousness of their events, urging people to book hotels early. The event’s Facebook page already has more than 83,000 planning to attend.

There is no word as of yet as to whether or not the events will be broadcast on Comedy Central.