‘Is Satire Saving Our Nation?: Mockery and American Politics’ by Sophia A. McClennen and Remy Maisel

Friends of the Hub, Sophia McClennen and Remy Maisel have co-authored a new book, “Is Satire Saving Our Nation?: Mockery and American Politics“.

Does satire strengthen or weaken public perceptions of politics? While political satire is nothing new, talk shows and news parody shows have taken this form of entertainment to new—and arguably powerful—heights. As the social media-savvy millennial generation enters the voting pool, they continue to redefine notions of engaged citizenship and activism. Referencing scholarship on the state of democracy and media, McClennen and Maisel examine the critical potential of satire and the satirists most prominent in the nation today. They show us that one thing is certain: post-9/11 satire exercises tremendous influence on public opinion and is shaping a new version of US democracy.

First Time in Penn State history: Professor and Undergrad Team up to Write Book

What if the next presidential election is decided by viewers of “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” rather than viewers of CNN, Fox News and MSNBC? Are satirists giving a more objective and factual view of the news?

In her new book, Sophia McClennen, professor in the School of International Affairs and the Department of Comparative Literature in College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State, argues that as millennials enter the voting pool, they predominantly watch their news in the form of satire, instead of cable news, and this is changing politics. The book, “Is Satire Saving our Nation: Mockery and American Politics,” co-authored with media studies undergraduate Remy Maisel, points out that, while political satire has always existed alongside American politics, news parody shows are making more of an impact on millennial viewers, redefining how they engage in voting and politics.

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McClennen and Maisel claim that satire will save American politics because cable news can be often biased, inflammatory and blatantly inaccurate, and citizens that blend entertainment with political action are more engaged. More importantly, the authors point out that satire doesn’t tell viewers what to think — it uses irony to get viewers to think critically.

Maisel argues that “A lot of the hand wringing over millennials rests on false assumptions: that they only get their news from ‘The Daily Show’, first of all, and that it would be a bad thing if they did. But neither of those things is true.”

While the book focuses on satire news like that of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and “The Onion,” it also shows the impact of other satirical outlets, and tracks the history of satire American politics, and how it’s shaped the discourse.

Full Article: Penn State News.