Politics Is a Joke!
How TV Comedians Are Remaking Political Life
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- 40,99 €
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- 40,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
Does late night political humor matter? Are late-night comedians merely entertaining, or do they have the power to influence the way we think about politics and politicians? Politics Is a Joke! situates late night comedy in the historical context of political humor and demonstrates how the public turn to this venue for political information, and are in turn affected by it.
Using exclusive data collected by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, the authors conduct a detailed and exhaustive analysis of political jokes on late night TV shows dating back to 1992 in order to pinpoint the main targets and themes of late-night comedy. Politics Is a Joke! uses a wide range of examples, from jokes about politicians' physical appearance and sex scandals to jokes about Congress and even the news media, to assess and understand the impact of political humor on political institutions, politicians and their policies and behavior.
Engagingly written with analysis of jokes from comedians like Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, Politics is a Joke! is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the crucial role late night comedy plays in our political universe - and anyone who enjoys a good laugh.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Accompanied by ample wit from Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, David Letterman, and performers on Saturday Night Live, the well-documented findings of Lichter's Center for Media and Public Affairs demonstrate how comedians, not journalists, are increasingly leading the conversation about politics. This shift, from traditional news to satire, reflects a change in how people get news as well as the increasing disillusionment with government; the authors crisply point out that this shift has drawbacks, chief among them that focusing on easy targets may add to increasing dysfunction and polarization, rather than informing the electorate. Charts examining the types of jibes directed at Bill Clinton predictably reveal a myopic focus on the tabloid elements of his presidency, while the minimal level of attention garnered by President Obama reveals a disinterest because of his lack of personal scandal. More than a decade's worth of research on indicators, from presidential approval ratings to candidate favorability, demonstrate that, with the notable exception of The Daily Show, whose viewers the authors cite as being more politically sophisticated, the quest for a pithy punch line is replacing analysis as the journalistic standard.