Caitlyn Jenner: Jon Stewart explains how media wasted no time in treating former Olympic athlete as woman

Jon Stewart has lambasted the innumerable comments made about Caitlyn Jenner’s physical appearance after she revealed her transitioned female self on the cover of Vanity Fair.

There has been much discussion about Jenner’s physical appearance in photographs captured by Annie Leibovitz that show the Olympic Gold medallist posing on a stool in a corset.

Many commentators “wasted no time in treating her as a woman”, according to Stewart.

The Daily Show host illustrated his point with a number of clips showing broadcasters describing Jenner variously as “sexy”, “stunning” and “hot”.

"Caitlyn, when you were a man, we could talk about your athleticism, your business acumen," Stewart said. "But now you're a woman, which means your looks are really the only thing we care about. Which brings us to phase two of your transition: your 'comparative f**kability.'"

His concept of comparative f**kability was demonstrated in clips highlighting the comparisons made between Jenner and the actress Jessica Lange and questions posed over whether Jenner “was hotter than [her ex-wife] Kris” and if she had a “better body” than her step-daughter Kim Kardashian.

"Look, we want to give a woman a compliment here," Stewart continued. "We just need to make sure another woman gets taken down a peg in the process.”

Finally, Stewart underlined the ultimate caveat for being treated as a woman in the media - ageism - with a quote from one broadcaster who noted that Jenner was “looking good – especially for her age”.

Jenner's transition has been celebrated across the world, while the cover has been praised as a crucial moment for transgender rights and visibility.

But some have criticised the cover for imposing a "narrow standard of femininity” by presenting a glamorous, airbrushed Jenner in lingerie.