Politics is a joke! : how TV comedians are remaking political life / S. Robert Lichter, George Mason University, Jody C. Baumgartner, East Carolina University, Jonathan S. Morris, East Carolina University ; with the assistance of Daniel Amundson.
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Description
xvi, 253 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
text txt rdacontent
unmediated n rdamedia
volume nc rdacarrier
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-233) and index.
Contents
Introduction: politics is a funny business -- The rise of late night comedy -- A funny thing happened on the way to the White House -- Politicians behaving badly -- What's so funny? -- Laughing matters? -- If you can't beat them, join them -- Political humor: prospect and retrospect.
Summary
Are late-night comedians merely entertaining, or do they have the power to influence the way we think about politics and politicians? The authors examine the historical context of political humor and demonstrate how the public turn to this venue for political information, and are in turn affected by it. They conduct an 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.