Politics pervades viewing worldSatire finds home for informing and entertaining
Patrick White/HC Media/Collegian
October 2, 2008
Sit back, relax and take a ride on the information super political Hulu and YouTube or perhaps click on that T.V. and check out the latest installment of your favorite political satire.Political comedy is becoming a means of finding the latest political information and a cheap laugh.
However, this entertainment might mean something more than just that. Studies have shown that viewers of these comedy shows are actually more informed than those of some of the top news shows.
Viewers of satirical comedies like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are scoring higher on tests designed to test the knowledge of the average American.
A study done by the Pew Survey and News Consumptions has revealed these comedy show viewers are better informed than those of all three national networks, Fox News, CNN andCSPAN. The study participants were asked three questions: Who is the Secretary of State for the United States? Who is the current prime minister of Great Britain? Who holds the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives?
The Daily Show and Colbert Report viewers scored in the 34 and 30 percentile in answering all three questions correctly. The average score was 18 percent. However, the two comedians still have yet to beat the radio and printed news sources in these surveys.
Even though the show viewers have done so well on these quizzes, surveys, and other forms of testing Jon Stewart stays true to his platform of his program.
“It is, at heart, a comedy show,” Stewart said, “but it's a comedy show about things we care about so, naturally, it's informed by relevant issues and important information.” The Colbert Reports host reiterated this statement.
“I don’t perceive my role as a newsman at all. I’m a comedian from stem to stern." said Stephen Colbert. "You can cut me open and count the rings of jokes. If people learn something about the news by watching the show, that is incidental to my goal.”
The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are not the only means of getting your funny bone fix in the world of politics. Some individuals still look to the original political satire that has stood the test of time, Saturday Night Live.
SNL is losing viewers slowly, but is still a force in the political scene. This season kicked off with a sketch about the two female characters in this year’s would-be sitcom of an election. The SNL stars taking on the roles of the politicians are Tina Fey as Governor Sarah Palin, and Amy Poehler as Senator Hillary Clinton. The two put on a fake press conference and hilarity ensued.
“I think it’s refreshing to have a more lighthearted view on politics in general,” said Kelsey Foley, “On the flipside I think a lot of the satire in Tina Fey’s portrayal is being picked up on by the media.”
The movie studios are not free of their own political humor and entertainment. As the Oscar season draws near and the political agendas of film are revealed the candidates for the Academy Awards take a stand. It is not the first time that politics have been involved in film and it most certainly will not be the last.
Films that are already gaining praise for their performances and storytelling are “W.” the biopic of the current president, George W. Bush, “Milk” the story of the first openly gay American elected official and “Frost/Nixon” the latest from Ron Howard, which documents the post-Watergate television interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and former president Richard Nixon.
These new films to be released in the next few months have controversial issues and characters with stories of leadership, perseverance, humor, and deception.
So, as the election draws near and the information is in a newspaper, television, or film make sure you get the whole story, because you never know how it could all end up.
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