Fresh Politics, New Media

I'm very excited for the Spring 2014 release of Mass Communication & Society's special symposium issue on Entertainment Media and Politics spearheaded by guest editor, R. Lance Holbert . It's really an honor to have my work included alongside the research of so many respected scholars of hybrid media including colleagues (and friends) Heather LaMarre , Kristen Landreville , and Danna Young . A table of contents for the special issue is pasted below. Happy spring reading! Volume 17, Number 3, 2014 • May-June Symposium—Entertainment Media and Politics Introduction R. Lance Holbert, Guest Editor Strike While the Iron is Hot: Seizing on Recent Advancements to Propel the Study of Political Entertainment Media Forward Articles Hoon Lee and Nojin Kwak The Affect Effect of Political Satire: Sarcastic Humor, Negative Emotions, and Political Participation Bruce W. Hardy, Jeffrey A. Gottfried, Kenneth M. Winneg, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson Stephen Colbert’s Civic Less...

Well the semester is FINALLY over and I'm happy to report that we had A LOT of fun in my new seminar, Popular Culture & Politics. While the 2012 election didn't provide quite as much entertainment as the 2008 Sarah Palin fest, we spent some quality time talking about SNL's new Barack Obama (Jay Pharoah), Mitt Romney style , and Stephen Colbert's Super PAC - Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow . We tried to keep up with the various viral videos and comedy appearances that popped up during the election cycle. Here are some highlights: Lena Dunham's First Time: This one's not political but it did help us talk about Saturday Night Live: Barack Obama's appearance on The Daily Show: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c Barack Obama Pt. 1 www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook And last but not least, here's some more Lena Dunham: "You Don't...

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

Last week, I spoke with Washington Post journalist Paul Farhi about my research on the effects of political comedy programs and the freshman seminar on popular culture and politics that I'll be teaching at Towson University this fall. Farhi's article published in The Washington Post and reprinted on the web sites of a variety of regional papers ( Pittsburgh Post Gazette , Chicago Tribune, New Orleans Times Picayune to name just a few) quickly attracted attention. John Hudson offered his take on studying Colbert at the college and university level for The Atlantic Wire and Sophia McClennen offered a rebuttal over at the Huffington Post with student Remy M. Maisel. I too agree that John Hudson could use some help picking the right statistics to compare. He's welcome to enroll in my MCOM490 class: Mass Communication Research where we devote a few weeks to statistical principles. I'd also be happy to have Hudson visit my upcoming seminar. The full title...

It's been a while since I've posted, but it's been a busy summer. I've spent a lot of time preparing for my upcoming Towson Seminar -- Popular Culture and Politics: Comedy, Entertainment, Celebrity, and Democracy. I'm excited to bring my research interests into the classroom. As I discuss in a recent article in The Washington Post , academic interest in studying political comedy and Stephen Colbert in particular is growing at a rapid pace. In preparing for the seminar, I'm revisiting some political comedy "gems" from the 2008 election. Here's my favorite piece: Tina Fey actually offers a great summary of the clip and its significance in Bossypants . Stay tuned for more political comedy gems as course prep continues.

Stuck in an elevator? Sixty-three percent of young men surveyed said they would choose to be there with Jon Stewart (or some other favorite comic), and only 15 percent said they would prefer that time with Eli Manning (or some other idolized athlete). At least that's what The New York Times  is reporting today with a review of a new Comedy Central study about young men and humor.  Turns out that comedy and absurdity (not irony) is more important to young men, specifically Millennials, than previously thought.  While Millennials are watching less television that older counterparts -- preferring YouTube and brief Internet content to traditional television -- they're a ripe market for Comedy Central and their marketing partners. Ever wonder about those ads you're seeing during The Colbert Report  and The Daily Show ? 

While the interplay between Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on campaign finance reform and who should control the Super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow is receiving a lot of attention and is a recent focal point of the two shows, sometimes it's nice to pause and appreciate the comic abilities of the show hosts. This past week Stephen Colbert broadcast a series of interviews with legendary children's book author Maurice Sendak. The dialogue in the clips is particularly amusing and helps to showcase Colbert's ability to do what he does best -- comedy. So often academic researchers, myself included, focus on the political implications of everything Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart say and do on their shows. Sometimes it's important to just appreciate their work as comedians and be entertained -- just for fun's sake. In the spirit of focusing on comedy and a good laugh, here are the two interview clips. Enjoy for a good weekend laugh! The Colbert Re...

One of the best things about Jon Stewart taking over the Colbert Super PAC, now aptly dubbed The Definitely Not Coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super PAC , is that the two comedians get to push the legal boundaries of what it means to not coordinate. Here's just one example of non-coordination that aired on last night's episode of The Daily Show: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , The Daily Show on Facebook Seems as non-coordinated as Gingrich's call to the Super PAC supporting his candidacy -- Winning Our Future -- to correct any inaccuracies in the attack videos airing against Mitt Romney. The Colbert/Stewart effort also seems as non-coordinated as Mitt Romney's connections with those running Restore Our Future which has already spent $2.3 million dollars on ads in South Carolina . I don't know about you, but I'm eager to see some more non-coordination between Stewart and Colbe...

Feel persuaded to vote for Stephen Colbert in the upcoming South Carolina primary on January 21st? The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , Video Archive The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , Video Archive I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying the ads even if I can't vote in South Carolina.

If you subscribe to emails from the  Colbert Super PAC  like I do or if you're just a frequent viewer of The Colbert Report  or even someone who spends time on social networking sites, you'll by now know that Stephen Colbert has turned over the leadership of his Super PAC (Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow) to Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show . Colbert is taking a step back from the Super PAC so that he can be considered as a candidate for president in the upcoming South Carolina primary on January 21st. Here's Stephen's take on his electability in South Carolina and his popularity as a Mitt-ternative. The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , Video Archive Since candidates are technically not allowed to coordinate with super PACs, it makes sense that Stephen Colbert can't remain as the director of Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow. Trevor Potter, Colbert's lawyer explained the p...

This weekend's NYT  Magazine section has a great cover story on the many "faces" of Stephen Colbert . Comedian, family man, and now chairman of his own Super PAC (Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow), Colbert is living proof that late night comedy can truly influence American politics. And of course there's Colbert's ability to influence everyday American life: There is a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor named after Colbert (Colbert’s Americone Dream) and a NASA exercise device (the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Elliptical Trainer, or Colbert) and a minor-league hockey team mascot (Steagle Colbeagle the Eagle) in Saginaw, Mich. I'm a bit partial to the NASA device -- here's an illustration: Of course, it's Colbert's performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2006 that really started to help the comedian capture the attention of mainstream news outlets and political junkies alike. For a flashba...

Jon Huntsman, Republican GOP candidate and former US Ambassador to China appeared on The Colbert Report  earlier this week. During the course of the interview, Colbert called Huntsman a moderate. And if you examine his political positions, the truth is that Huntsman looks more like Obama than any of the other GOP candidates. With only 2% of Republican support according to recent polls, there's little chance that Huntsman will remain a presidential candidate for much longer. That said, a Huntsman candidacy really would make for an interesting and competitive general election cycle. Towards the end of the interview, Colbert asks Huntsman if he is ready for "The Colbert Bump." A real phenomenon, research has actually shown that appearing on Colbert's show can help congressional candidates with fundraising efforts. Of course, there's no real evidence that "The Colbert Bump," helps increase poll ratings. And it's doubtful that an appearance on The Co...

Frank Luntz, the Republican strategist who is responsible for the reframing of terms like the estate tax (death tax) and oil drilling (energy exploration) spent some more time with Stephen Colbert this week. The segment begins with some very entertaining conversation between Colbert and Luntz and the explanation of some key research techniques like focus groups and dial technology. In the end, Colbert persuades Luntz to turn up the dial: The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , Video Archive The second segment on the broadcast actually features a focus group with average Americans. The bottom line -- Americans don't necessarily see corporations as people from the outset. After some time with Luntz however, some interesting slogans result, reframing the idea that corporations are in fact people. "Corporations Are Humans" sounds pretty convincing after all. What about "People Are Corporations?" Does or...

Al Gore appeared on The Colbert Report  on Tuesday evening to promote his Climate Reality Project , a 24 hour reality special about the influence of climate change in each of the 24 time zones around the world. For those who want to check out the show on TV, it will be airing tonight. For those who don't get Current, it's also possible to stream the content online. During the interview, when chatting about Keith Olbermann and his new role as a program host on Current TV, Al Gore revealed that Stephen Colbert is actually "presenting a character" in his role as program host. For Colbert, who always strives to remain in character, the revelation offered an uncomfortable yet funny twist to the discussion of Current TV and Gore's recent work on climate change. You can watch the video of the interview below: The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , Video Archive Research by fellow political communica...

Yesterday's NYT  featured an interesting story about the changing face of late-night comedy and the race for the coveted Emmy award for the best variety, music, or comedy series. As noted in the article, Jimmy Fallon is the only network host/program nominated for the Emmy. The other nominations are for cable programs -- The Daily Show with Jon Stewart , The Colbert Report , Conan's new show on TBS, and HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher . The article focuses on the importance of the nomination for Fallon and the reality that both Letterman and Leno are missing from the list of nominees.  In addition, the piece stresses the success of both Stewart and Colbert and their increasing rise in the ratings: The arrows continue to point up for him [Stewart]  and Mr. Colbert; their ratings were both up over the past year, and with an election looming — the richest of subjects for the most topical of hosts — the prospects are good for even more increases. To say nothing of pr...

Stephen Colbert and his Super PAC are supporting Rick Parry in the Iowa Straw Poll. That's right, PARRY not PERRY. Colbert is encouraging Iowa voters -- in a series of TV ads -- to write "Rick Parry" in on their ballots this weekend, in the effort to continue the quest of "Making A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow." Too bad so many media outlets are suggesting that Colbert and his SuperPAC are supporting Perry with an "E". According to the ads, it's Parry with an "A" for America and Iowa. You don't have to live in Iowa to catch the ads. As with traditional political ads, the reach or impact of the ads is often better measured by subsequent media attention and the number of individuals sharing the content with members of their social network. Simply put, it's not just about viewing the ads on TV in Iowa, but the national attention given to these messages put out by Colbert Super PAC. Check them both out below.

Seems Americans for Prosperity are at it again in Wisconsin. The conservative interest group sent out absentee ballot applications with an August 11th return deadline. Too bad the real deadline for returning absentee ballots is August 9th. The Washington Post   offers an update on the developing story . Americans for Prosperity claims, among other things, that the mistake is just a typo. Stephen Colbert also addressed the "typo" date mistake on his August 4th broadcast. It's remarkable how far apart 1 and 9 are on a keyboard, isn't it? Take a look at the video: The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , Video Archive

Stephen Colbert appeared before the FEC today in order to get permission to talk about his political action committee, "Colbert Super PAC" on The Colbert Report . The 5-1 decision by the FEC only allows Colbert to promote the PAC on his own show, not on other Viacom or Comedy Central Programs.  According to the NYT , here's Colbert's response after the FEC hearing: “There will be others who say, Stephen Colbert, what will you do with the unrestricted super PAC money?” Mr. Colbert told reporters after the F.E.C. hearing. “To which I say, I don’t know. Give it to me and let’s find out.” And for those who can't get enough Stephen Colbert, here's a video of his statement after the FEC hearing.

Stephen Colbert will appear before the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) on Thursday to seek a special exemption for his "super PAC" so that he can speak about the political action committee on The Colbert Report  without requiring Viacom, Comedy Central's parent company, to report any costs related to the PAC. Colbert's request is driven in part by Karl Rove's press exemption to talking about his own PAC, American Crossroads, on Fox News. This is not the first time Stephen Colbert has offered testimony in Washington. Recall that in September 2010 Colbert appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to talk about immigration reform and his one day stint as a farm worker in upstate New York. Here's a video of Colbert's testimony: Colbert's testimony received a fair amount of media coverage last fall and a fair amount of criticism as well. Look for the same after this Thursday's appearance before the FEC.