Laughing Matters Humor and American Politics in the Media Age [Paperback]

This book examines the role of humor in modern American politics.

Written by a wide range of authors from the fields of political science and communication, this book is organized according to two general topics:

• how the modern media present political humor
• the various ways in which political humor influences politics.

Laughing Mattersis an excellent text for courses on media and politics, public opinion, and campaigns and elections.

Section 1: Foundations: Humor and Politics  1. The Influence of Infoenterpropagainment: Exploring the Power of Political Satire as a Distinct Form of Political Humor Rachel Paine Caufield  2. Serious Comedy: The Expanding Boundaries of Political Discourse Geoffrey Baym  3. More than Laughing? Survey of Political Humor Effects Research Josh Compton  Section 2: Political Humor in the World Beyond Television  4. Political Cartoons: Zeitgeists and the Creation and Recycling of Satirical Symbols Alleen Pace Nilsen and Don L. F. Nilsen  5. New Humor, Old School Style: A Content Analysis of the Political Cues Offered by The Onion, on the 2000 and 2004 Elections Geoffrey Sheagley, Paula L. O'Loughlin, and Timothy Lindberg  6. Vote for Pedro: Film Comedy, Youth and Electoral Politics Eric Shouse and Todd Fraley  7. Air Amusement Vs. Web Wit: Comparing the Use of Humor in 2004 Political Advertising on Television and the Internet Monica Postelnicu and Lynda Lee Kaid  8. American Youth and the Effects of Online Political Humor Jody Baumgartner  Section 3 Ready ls+