How Comedy Impacts Politics

In retrospect, we knew we were done for the night Johnny Carson said George McGovern sounded like Liberace.

Those of us working on McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign staff had seen some highs and lows: the extraordinary campaign of primary victories that won him the Democratic nomination; the screwed-up party convention and crash dive when his vice presidential candidate Tom Eagleton was forced to withdraw after revelations of electroshock therapy.

But Johnny Carson making that joke on "The Tonight Show" was the final nail in the electoral coffin. On top of everything else, he was right--George did sound like Liberace.

It wasn't the first time TV comedy had an impact on the nation's politics. Four years earlier, Richard Nixon had emitted an incredulous "Sock it to me?" on the hit show "Laugh In." Millions of Americans thought this proved he was a regular guy -- enough, perhaps, to have provided his narrow margin of victory (Hubert Humphrey, foolishly, had turned down a similar invitation from "Laugh In." Of course, in those days, he still referred to our medium as "the television.").

Now we see Jon Stewart serving up Jim Cramer and the rest of CNBC as rotisserie chicken for their coverage of the financial crisis, David Letterman taking revenge after John McCain cancels an appearance to do an interview with Katie Couric (and lies about it), Tina Fey perfecting a spot-on imitation of Sarah Palin. All of these impacted politics, too. What's different today is that not only is TV comedy commenting on and affecting the news it has become a source of news.

So what does comedy tell us about the truth that the news can't? That's what we're talking about in Washington Friday evening. Stay tuned.

See the show "Writers Speak! A Potentially Regrettable Evening with WGA Comedy Writers," this Friday May 8th, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm at Washington DC's Newseum. More WGA blogs about the event available here.

Comments

[mommadona]

"and the jester was allowed to sit at the feet of the king, his purpose, to whisper into the king's ear 'jests of humor' to make sure the king understood he was merely a mortal.

Looong history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_lAFDbnMLA

[OtayPanky]

Scrawny Jon Stewart comes down on the mealy-mouthed media like the vengeance of the Lord.

Watching him slngle-handedly destroy CrossFire, a primo CNN venue for 22 years, was like watching David slay Goliath.

They've got every reason to be terrified of him.

That's a good thing.

[Scurvybro]

When comedians see a pile of turds, they call it a pile of turds.

Journalists, when confronted with a pile of turds, report on it thusly:

"Some observers allege that this modest mound of brown, ovoid objects could be fecal in nature. Others suggest that it is too early to determine, and urge caution before jumping to conclusions. Later in our program, a panel of experts will discuss the nature of this curious phenomenon­."

[wagthedog1001]

Republicans would call it inefficient wasteful spending of food and declare there is too much food being spent. FOOD NEEDS to be CUT!

[Wombat]

The "real" news dosen't do the news anymore; they do exercises in fairness and balance

[peterg76]

The post didn't say anything insightful about comedy and politics. It just made an advertisement for a future media event. There is a reason why comedians are mocking journalists as much as they are politicians.

[Readbetweentheelevens]

"In retrospect, we knew we were done for the night Johnny Carson said George McGovern sounded like Liberace."

"What's different today is that not only is TV comedy commenting on and affecting the news it has become a source of news."

I think you're dead wrong. People don't make their decisions on voting based on jokes. How do you explain Bush Junior's two terms?

[peterg76]

I think twice voting for a joke counts as voting based on jokes.

[GarryK]

McCain canceling on Letterman, then going on Katie Couric's news program signaled the end of McCain's chances of winning. Letterman said McCain was acting 'squirrily', and that 'someone must have put something in his Metamucil'. This was after McCain had announced his candidacy on Letterman's program. It reminded me of when Walter Chronkite said Viet Nam was unwinnable, and LBJ knew right then and there he could not win re-election.

[Paulied]

I'd love to think that a thinly veiled f@g joke qualifies for neither comedy or political commentary these days.

[natturnerx]

as incredible as it may seem, a lot of people of that day didnt know that liberace was gay - they simply thought of him as eccentric. just as no one thought of rock hudson, or elton john, or george michael as gay, until they came out, at which time, in retrospect, it became plainly obvious.

[kathy001]

Very true.