Satire TV: Politics and Comedy in the Post-Network Era

Item Number

HE8700.76.U6S37

Author/Artist/Editor

Jonathan Gray, Jeffrey P. Jones, Ethan Thompson

Type

Book, Hard Copy

Date

2009

Press/Publisher

New York University Press

Language

English

Description

Satirical TV has become mandatory viewing for citizens wishing to make sense of the bizarre contemporary state of political life. Shifts in industry economics and audience tastes have re-made television comedy, once considered a wasteland of escapist humor, into what is arguably the most popular source of political critique. From fake news and pundit shows to animated sitcoms and mash-up videos, satire has become an important avenue for processing politics in informative and entertaining ways, and satire TV is now its own thriving, viable television genre. Satire TV examines what happens when comedy becomes political, and politics become funny. A series of original essays focus on a range of programs, from The Daily Show to South Park, Da Ali G Show to The Colbert Report, The Boondocks to Saturday Night Live, Lil' Bush to Chappelle's Show, along with Internet D.I.Y. satire and essays on British and Canadian satire. They all offer insights into what today's class of satire tells us about the current state of politics, of television, of citizenship, all the while suggesting what satire adds to the political realm that news and documentaries cannot.

Keywords

Satire, TV, Politics

ISSN/ISBN

978-0-8147-3199-4

Availability

Available

OCLC

270230762