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Can humor be an effective means of political communication?

Can humor be an effective means of political communication?


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Slartibartfast

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It seems that the subject of Jon Stewart is the subject of some discussion in these forums right now. Some people have trouble with the idea of a comedian being an effective commentator.

So I will pose the question:
Can humor be an effective means of political communication?

Before someone asks: Effective in terms of communicating a political idea based on logic and fact. Or is there a problem with this means of communication where these things are lost or distorted?

Also, I encourage people to think outside the case of Jon Stewart. One famous example would be [ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal[/ame]
 
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Well Palin communicates well with her constituency and she's a joke... or is that just stupidity she communicates and not humor? :confused:
 
Well Palin communicates well with her constituency and she's a joke... or is that just stupidity she communicates and not humor? :confused:

I was referring to intentional humor.
 
It seems that the subject of Jon Stewart is the subject of some discussion in these forums right now. Some people have trouble with the idea of a comedian being an effective commentator.

So I will pose the question:
Can humor be an effective means of political communication?

Before someone asks: Effective in terms of communicating a political idea that is based on fact and rational thought.

of course it can, comedy can be effective form of communication PERIOD. The topic doesnt matter. Teachers, coaches, parents etc etc etc

anybody who doubts this doesnt understand communication.

now if people want to argue over whether the comedy and satire is "clearly" implied im fine with that and we can debate that all day but John Stewart wouldnt be the model for that because he clearly admits he is a comedian delivery opinions and and current events and is quoted as saying anybody that ONLY gets there news from him he feels bad for. Good models for people that are entertainment and use comedy but try to hide it our dont clearly admit it are rush, hannity, beck etc.
 
It can do as much good as it can bad.

It's a great way to bring people to listen to you, to loosen up the nerves and relax the tense.

But some ways it's unacceptable. . . Obama is funny, but he makes jokes about a lot of the wrong things and turns out doing nothing but offending people - even his OWN supporters.

Serious issues should never be joked about, especially things like the War in politics.
 
Serious issues should never be joked about, especially things like the War in politics.

I am going to have to agree with you on the war example since I cannot think of a good joke that involved that subject ever.
 
I've laughed at some seriously screwed up jokes - Henry Rollins, George Carlin, Ralphie Maye are just a few of the comedians who can get away with being horrible without being wretched. But none of those jokes should ever be told by a President, Senator or Representative. . . especially in a speech on stage.
 
It can do as much good as it can bad.

It's a great way to bring people to listen to you, to loosen up the nerves and relax the tense.

But some ways it's unacceptable. . . Obama is funny, but he makes jokes about a lot of the wrong things and turns out doing nothing but offending people - even his OWN supporters.

Serious issues should never be joked about, especially things like the War in politics.

Curious what these jokes were? I either missed them or brused them off?
Thanks in advance
 
Of course it can. Nearly everything they say cracks me up.
 
Absolutely. Although I would say that the only subtype of humor that is effective as a means of political communication is wit (Satire is a type of wit. Think of "humor" as the family, "wit" as the genus, and "satire" as a species creating the organism of Witticum satiricalus).

Other branches of humor appeal to the base characteristics of their audience. For humorous political commentary to have any value, it must stem from intelligence as well as appeal to the intellect. The various branches of wit are the only forms of humor that do this.
 
Curious what these jokes were? I either missed them or brused them off?
Thanks in advance

One solid example came to my mind when I wrote that. . . .but of course Obama's not the only one to commit such jokes.

Obama, during a speech some time ago he made a joke . . .something like "The government has no interest in taking over the private sector . . . I have two wars to deal with already, I can't handle anything more"
 
They're independent variables. For every Jon Stewart out there, there's an Al Franken.
 
One solid example came to my mind when I wrote that. . . .but of course Obama's not the only one to commit such jokes.

Obama, during a speech some time ago he made a joke . . .something like "The government has no interest in taking over the private sector . . . I have two wars to deal with already, I can't handle anything more"

I guess id have to hear it or see it on video because im not reading the joke nor see anything wrong. But written word is always hard to judge emotion of.

Any others?
 
It seems that the subject of Jon Stewart is the subject of some discussion in these forums right now. Some people have trouble with the idea of a comedian being an effective commentator.

So I will pose the question:
Can humor be an effective means of political communication?

I think it can be when used as an attention grabber instead of the entire thrust of the commentary.
 
It seems that the subject of Jon Stewart is the subject of some discussion in these forums right now. Some people have trouble with the idea of a comedian being an effective commentator.

So I will pose the question:
Can humor be an effective means of political communication?

Before someone asks: Effective in terms of communicating a political idea based on logic and fact. Or is there a problem with this means of communication where these things are lost or distorted?

Also, I encourage people to think outside the case of Jon Stewart. One famous example would be A Modest Proposal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I answered yes to the poll question. However, as for Jon Stewart? I can't tolerate his schtick long enough to get to the laugh track. I've never made it through even one segment without changing the channel.

There's a long list of supposed comedians who I treat the same way. Some for political reasons, some because I just can't stand them and others for a combination of the two (example; Stewart)

Roseanne Barr
Babs
Robin Williams
Raymond Romano
David Letterman
Jerry Steinfeld
Margaret Cho
Bill Cosby (actually on the fence with Cosby)
There are others, I'm sure.

Then there are comedians that are so funny or seemingly harmless,... I don't care what their politics are.

Bill Murray
Johnathan Winters
Jom carey (another on the fence)
Melissa Peterman
Pen and Tellar
Carrot Top
Will Farrell
Courtney Thorne Smith
Patricia Heaten
Peter Boyle
And many more.
 
What is it with you and rutabagas?

Or for that matter what is it with you and misspelling rutabaga?
 
What is it with you and rutabagas?

Or for that matter what is it with you and misspelling rutabaga?

rutabaga rutabaga.

It makes me laugh my ass off everytime I see the word. There's a show on the BBC (or use to be on the BBC) called 'most haunted' or something - 'ghost hunters' and a video crew would go around old castles and stuff, finding ghostly things. One of the ghost-hunters was suppose to be 'sensetive' (some old guy with white hair, can't remember his name) - and one time he was supposedly possessed and all he said was 'rutabaga, rutabaga'

I guess id have to hear it or see it on video because im not reading the joke nor see anything wrong. But written word is always hard to judge emotion of.

Any others?

Obama's repeated similar jokes, always along the same line - I know he's not trying to BE offensive but it is to me. . . to each their own sensitivity. . .I don't like him in general so that probably skews my view. I haven't watched a speech of his in a long time - I'm not compelled, I read the scripts and thus nix my emotional flips.

I didn't like Bush's casual "now watch this swing" crap that he said/did forever ago, either.
 
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What is it with you and rutabagas?

Or for that matter what is it with you and misspelling rutabaga?

Its an inside joke
 
Someone start a thread and we can all post our own original political humor. Someone write clear guidelines. It'll be kinda fun some of us could use a break
from the trenches and the small skirmishes we get into with each other, out here on the warring fields of self opinionated hyperbol. Thanks blarset
 
Good humour can help in any situation but after that the serious business needs to be done.
 
My vote is for Other/Rootabega. I think humor can be effective, but depending on the humor it can be seen as arrogant or offensive. An example would be Republicans making fun of Democrat policies and using humor as their criticism (like Socialism/birther humor). Same for Democrats and the Obama administration making humor towards the Republicans (Turning the BFD into humor or mocking conservatives/Republicans with humor). Humor can be effective, but it should be acceptable. I think dry jokes un-related to politics is good, it shows that the politicians may actually have a soul somewhere inside.
 
Will Rogers The republicans got a plan and the democrats got a plan. I also got a plan- NO NEW PLANS.
 
Will Rogers The republicans got a plan and the democrats got a plan. I also got a plan- NO NEW PLANS.
Actually, we've probably had too many new plans already, we might have to back up a few plans...but that might not have been the case in the days of Will Rogers.

Or actually come up with a truly new plan, not just a rehash of an old one with a new cover...
 
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