TU in 2 Video on Political Comedy

Towson University has been posting "TU in 2 videos" for a couple of semesters now. In these short videos, Towson faculty give a mini-lecture on their area of research expertise.

In my video I talk about why academics study political comedy and the finding that not all comedy forms are created equal. Hostile humor, or traditional satire in which a comedian like Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart pokes fun of a politician, results in viewers exhibiting more negative attitudes toward the comic target. Viewing self-directed humor, on the other hand, encourages viewers evaluate the politician more favorably.

The lesson for politicians -- be able to both make and take a good joke.

The full video is here:



For more TU in 2 videos, check out some greats from Spring 2012 and Fall 2011

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