Comedy Lightens
Comedy is a form of entertainment for people by bringing laughter into their world. From
early forms of comedy like physical hitting one another with objects, like the three stooges
to bringing up topics that people don’t want to talk about in our society. For example
talking about politics, sexuality, oppression or things that are consider taboo in our world.
Comedy has changed throughout the years from being physical to bringing up real world
issues, comedy influences people’s views on politics and the views on issues we have in
our society.
Comedy influences people views on politicians in shows like Saturday Night Live where
during elections they give their interpretation on politicians views on issues. Even though
the information that they give in the segment of the “Weekend Update” is fake news it is
what people actually watch and listen too. It keeps people up to date on current events that
normally the public would not care about, such as Tina Fey’s opinion on a blown cover of
a CIA operative during the Bush administration on SNL “As of yesterday, the Bush
administration said that they still hadn’t found the source of the White House leak that
outed a woman as a CIA operative. So, just to recap, here are the things President Bush
can’t find: the White House leak, weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Saddam Hussein,
Osama bin Laden, a link between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, the guy who
sent the anthrax though the mail, and his own butt with two hands and a
flashlight”(10/4/03 SNL). Tina Fey is saying that George Bush is so lost that he can’t even
find his own rear end, let alone run a country. Comedy influences our views on politicians
like the president of the United States of America by watching something that is pleasant
to watch.
Political comedy shows are becoming a primary source of news. Nowadays people watch
“political contemporary programs” (Amber day 2), shows like the Colbert Report, the
Daily Show with John Stewart, and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. All of these shows
are political satires that actually talk about real news, as well as making a joke about a
current event in the world. It helps people engaged on serious matters through the outlet of
humor. In an interview by Neal Conan to Lizz Winstead, the co-creator of the “Daily
Show” Conan states, “The Daily Show,” there are studies that show 39 percent of young
