1st Edition

Laughing Matters Humor and American Politics in the Media Age

Edited By Jody Baumgartner, Jonathan S. Morris Copyright 2008
    392 Pages
    by Routledge

    386 Pages
    by Routledge

    This book examines the role of humor in modern American politics.

    Written by a wide range of authors from the fields of political science and communication, this book is organized according to two general topics:

    • how the modern media present political humor
    • the various ways in which political humor influences politics.

    Laughing Matters is an excellent text for courses on media and politics, public opinion, and campaigns and elections.

    Section 1: Foundations: Humor and Politics  1. The Influence of "Infoenterpropagainment:" Exploring the Power of Political Satire as a Distinct Form of Political Humor Rachel Paine Caufield  2. Serious Comedy: The Expanding Boundaries of Political Discourse Geoffrey Baym  3. More than Laughing? Survey of Political Humor Effects Research Josh Compton  Section 2: Political Humor in the World Beyond Television  4. Political Cartoons: Zeitgeists and the Creation and Recycling of Satirical Symbols Alleen Pace Nilsen and Don L. F. Nilsen  5. New Humor, Old School Style: A Content Analysis of the Political Cues Offered by The Onion, on the 2000 and 2004 Elections Geoffrey Sheagley, Paula L. O'Loughlin, and Timothy Lindberg  6. Vote for Pedro: Film Comedy, Youth and Electoral Politics Eric Shouse and Todd Fraley  7. Air Amusement Vs. Web Wit: Comparing the Use of Humor in 2004 Political Advertising on Television and the Internet Monica Postelnicu and Lynda Lee Kaid  8. American Youth and the Effects of Online Political Humor Jody Baumgartner  Section 3" "Ready for Prime Time?" Televised Political Humor  9. Our First Cartoon President: Bill Clinton and the Politics of Late Night Comedy David Niven, S. Robert Lichter, and Daniel Amundson 10. Political Punditry in Punchlines: Late Night Comics Take On the 2004 Presidential Debates Josh Compton  11. A Culture War in TV Land? The Sitcom Viewing Habits of Bush and Kerry Voters Peter L. Francia  12. The ABCs of the The Simpsons and Politics: Apathy of Citizens, Basic Government Leaders, and Collective Interests Nicholas Guehlstorf, Lars Hallstrom, and Jonathan Morris  13. Saturday Night Live and Presidential Elections Ben Voth  14. The Daily Show as The New Journalism: In Their Own Words Dannagal Goldthwaite Young  Section 4: Does it Really Matter? The Effects of Late-night Televised Humor  15. Late-night Comedy Television Shows as News Sources: What the Polls Say Paul Brewer and Xiaoxia Cao  16. ‘It's Better than Being Informed': College-Aged Viewers of The Daily Show Brandon Rottinghaus, Kenton Bird, Travis Ridout, and Rebecca Self  17. The Political Effects of Late-Night Comedy and Talk Shows Patricia Moy  18: The Daily Show and Attitudes Toward the News Media Jonathan S. Morris and Jody Baumgartner  19. Conclusion: Why Political Humor is Serious Business Doris Graber

    Biography

    Jody Baumgartner is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at East Carolina University.

    Jonathan S. Morris is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at East Carolina University.