On the one hand, talking about candidates, even making fun of them, keeps those who might not otherwise pay attention to politics in the loop. But such talk also raises the question of whether non-stop bashing corrodes the way Americans view politicians and other public servants.
A Chicago Tribune article says this question is especially relevant to the 2008 presidential elections now that an increasing number of Americans are getting their news and information from satirical shows such as "The Daily Show" or "The Colbert Report."
The
Tribune story looks back at how "Saturday Night Live's" non-stop fun with President Gerald Ford's tripping down the stairs painted the president as a bumbler in the public's mind.
I tend to think that the American tradition of laughing at powerful government leaders is a part of who we are as human beings. It was Mark Twain's craft. It was
Will Roger's tool, too.
Here is a nice collection of late-night TV jokes about the candidates.
Here are historical political cartoons and jokes.
Maybe Johnny Carson set the tone of what we now know as late-night political humor. Some have suggested Carson was not as harsh as today's comedians.
I enjoyed this essay about Communism and its "international brand of comedy." The opening paragraphs are especially good.
Perhaps there seems to be more truth in comedy lately...
