Ch. 26: Ridicule in Late-Night Political Humor in the United States: Contours and Consequences
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Description
This chapter appears in the book, The Handbook of Social and Political Conflict. Edited by Sergei A. Samoilenko and Solon Simmons.
Chapter abstract: Late-night comedy has come to be a staple of political discourse in a polarized America; consequently, the increasing use of political humor offers ways to examine how ridicule relates to political conflict theory. Late-night humorists who once offered satire of American politics have now assumed the role of bona fide journalists, given the increasing number of young audiences that rely on receiving their news from late-night comedy. Lately, as the American political debate shifted from issue-based commentary to insult-oriented attacks, American politicians often seek to appear on late-night comedy shows for a chance that the late-night comedies will humanize their image and bolster their reputation in the eyes of American voters, despite the risk that the comics can potentially make the politicians look ridiculous . By examining how politicians, comedians, the mass media, and citizens use political humor to shape public orientations toward politicians and public policies, this chapter contributes to this increasingly important aspect of political conflict theory.
ISBN
9781119895497
Publication Date
2025
Publisher
Wiley
City
Hoboken (NJ)
Keywords
Political humor, Talk shows, American politics, Mass media
Disciplines
American Politics | Mass Communication | Social Influence and Political Communication
Recommended Citation
Farnsworth, Stephen J.; Lichter, S Robert; and Latif, Farah, "Ch. 26: Ridicule in Late-Night Political Humor in the United States: Contours and Consequences" (2025). Political Science & International Affairs Books. 16.
https://scholar.umw.edu/ps_ia_books/16