Satire Briefing Paper II

Jenna DePellegrini and Christina McAlister

Similar to social media platforms, political satire and humor have a significant impact on the way American constituents vote and form opinions about politics. In fact, as the traditional news platforms decrease in popularity amongst younger generations, political satirical shows on both sides of the political spectrum have become a one of the main sources of news. The attraction to political satire comes from its comedic foundation, as integrating humor and politics helps “draw attention to serious social issues” in a way not found in traditional news media. That is not to say that traditional news media is irrelevant or has lost its persuasive power; satirical commentary has become another way constituents gather, process, and form opinions about political policies, ultimately influencing how and why they vote for a particular candidate or party on election day.

Before closing, the Newseum in Washington D.C. had an entire exhibit titled Seriously Funny dedicated to the effects of satire on political discourse and media coverage. It's been found that satirical news has emerged as a powerful platform for “revealing truth and engaging an apathetic public in politics and debate.” Satirical news has been a regular critic and purveyor of political dissent since the 18th Century (much to the irritation of monarchies at the time) and has found protection in the First Amendment within the United States. However, with the rise of the television and mass media platforms, satire has moved away from published pamphlets and news editorials to news shows on television that reach millions of viewers each day; this has also been impacted by social media platforms such as YouTube that also feature these satirical shows on their platforms, outside of cable television. The result is that political comedians like Trevor Noah, Bill Maher, and more have the ability to change and influence public opinion while proving an ideological point through their satire, while still claiming the position of being a comedian and not a politician, making it more likely that audiences will trust and respect their opinions as public figures.

This week in satirical news proved exactly the previous point-- political comedians indeed have an influence on what voters think and do. Stephen Colbert, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, blatantly said he did not watch the Republican National Convention and could not be more satisfied with his decision to do so. Colbert’s disinterest in what the GOP had to say about the upcoming election was shared among the general public too as prime time viewership for the RNC was below the ratings for the DNC. According to figures released by Nielsen, opening night for the DNC drew in 19.7 million viewers whereas the RNC only had 17 million viewers on the first night. Although these numbers do not include online viewing, it made Colbert’s joke about purposefully not watching the RNC that much more relatable and truthful with his audience.

Satirists also do an excellent job of pushing narratives about politicians, and in this presidential election, Trump’s narrative surrounding Biden is being highlighted more so than ever in political comedy. Andy Borowitz in The New Yorker reported on how “Trump claims that sleepy person with no energy will somehow be peppy enough to destroy entire country.” By writing, “This bear hibernated all winter, but then, when he woke up, he had enough energy to rip a hiker’s face off,” he [Trump] said. “Just you watch. Joe Biden is conserving his energy right now, but, as sure as you’re sitting there, the minute he takes office he will rip this country’s face off.” Referring to Biden as a hibernating bear with no energy, Trump’s “sleepy Joe” narrative is only further reinforced among voters. Although this is all clearly a joke, many choose to reference or repost satirical news when seeking information. The Washington Post reported that 6 out of 10 people will share a link without reading it. People take these satirical headlines seriously, which may be to Trump’s benefit in the long run. Again, proving that satirists do have an impact on what voters choose to do on election day.

Political comedians play a significant role in how an election year pans out because they have a great influence on public opinion. As seen in this week of satirical news, political comedians joke about very serious and real things happening in politics today. This then affects how people may interpret what politicians say and do when campaigning. With social media being as prominent as it is, it gives satirists a lot of power as their content can be shared instantaneously among large audiences.