The Effects of Entertaining Politics on American Society

1861 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Reality shows popularity

Popular television host, Stephen Colbert, was famously quoted on the premiere of his show saying, “Anyone can read the news.” In 1996, The Daily Show, often referred to as TDS, originated on the popular television channel, Comedy Central. Its goal was to provide the viewers with political information, drawing them in and holding them by making political events, situations, parties, and people the subject of a comedic target. The extreme outlook of politics displayed on the popular television series can easily turn people away from these programs, however, it also attracts a large group of avid followers. Each host takes a humorous and sometimes crude view on politics and world events. The Colbert Report, debuting in 2005, is a spin off series of The Daily Show but oppositely focuses on a conservative viewpoint, while the Daily Show has a more liberal voice. Jon Stewart is the host of TDS and his rival, the host of the Colbert Report, is Stephen Colbert. Comedic news television programs, such as the Daily Show and the Colbert Report, provide factual information to people who have turned away from traditional news sources, however, the entertainment that is found in the cynical outlook held by such shows can lead to public ignorance of politics and further youth disengagement in politics in the future.
Many people have claimed that each show stretches the truth and falsifies statistics in order to get a higher percentage of viewers or to portray their own political opinions or the political opinions of the characters which they commonly portray. The Daily Show has always had a more liberal view, which stays true to the current host, Jon Stewart, and his personal political opinions. Stephen Colbert, on the other hand, is criticized f...

... middle of paper ...

...aving another form of news outlet, as well as TDS or the Colbert Report, such as newspapers, radio stations, or television programs will help the upcoming generation be prepared for a life with political involvement and support of the government.

Works Cited

Amarasingam, Amarnath. The Stewart/Colbert Effect: Essays on the Real Impacts of Fake News. Jefferson, NC: McFarland &,, 2011. Print.
Carr, David. "In Boston, CCN Stumbles in Rush to Break News." Nytimes.com. The New York Times, 21 Apr. 2013. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Cassino, Dan, and Yasemin Besen-Cassino. Consuming Politics: Jon Stewart, Branding, and the Youth Vote in America. Madison [N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson UP, 2009. Print.
Jones, Jeffrey P. Entertaining Politics: Satiric Television and Political Engagement. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. Print.
Miller, Jonathon. Personal interview. 28 October 2013.

Show More
Related

  • Sheila Gribben Liaugminas How The Media Twist The News Bias

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through manipulation and lies, media manages to modify objective news into biased news in order to convince the public of what the media wants them to believe. The article, “How the Media Twist the News”, by Sheila Gribben Liaugminas discusses the major influence that news has on readers based on their choice of stories and words. “How the Media Twists the News” has borrowed from multiple other texts such as the books like Public Opinion and Liberty and News, news magazine writers such as Ruderman, and news networks like CBS through Bias, A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News and CNN to make her arguments valid and prove that the news is biased and that it does influence readers significantly because of it.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Comedian Jon Stewart

    782 Words  | 2 Pages

    Comedian Jon Stewart gives a speech on the Daily Show during the “Rally to Restore Sanity/Fear”. He wants the viewers of the Daily Show to realize the difference between the real and fake threats and to take a humorous perspective on most of America’s “problems”. Stewart also emphasizes to his audience not to take every person on the media by his word and not to overreact to everything they hear. He uses metaphors, comparisons, and hypothetical examples to get his point across.

    Read More

  • Informing America: 'Fake' News Programs

    1163 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Fake” news programs, such as The Daily Show, Zinser reasonably argues, have the potential to dilute mass media and deceive viewers. The Daily Show has been straightforward about its lack of legitimacy as a hard hitting news program, but “the show’s content and guest list suggest otherwise” (Zinser 367). Zinser indicates that The Daily Show should hold itself to higher standards because “people might well think they’re being fully or sufficiently informed while watching” (367). In other words, Zinser believes that if viewers tune in with the expectation of becoming informed and The Daily Show’s content consists of significant topics, the creators ...

    Read More

  • Television's Influence On American Politics

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    “ Television often provides politicians with more attention turning them into more celebrity than politician” (Hart). This holds some truths in some situations television does over publicize some politicians , but this always is not a bad thing. The modern day politician is suppose to receive a plethora of attention due to their important public figure. Some television networks do sway towards parties , but not all of them. If anything a viewer can watch the network that reports exclusively on his or her interest rather than the interests of the people from another political party. When placed under this public spotlight the true character of the politician is revealed , and the public can get to know them in depth. “Politicians have the choice to abuse their public figure to derive attention or use it for acts of good” (Bazalgette) . This ultimately comes down to the morals of who we chose to represent us. Television plays an important part but at the end of the day if a politician is gonna mislead the public he will do it. Television acts as a checker to make sure the public cannot be fooled so easily. Above all television has helped propel our modern day society into realms that were before thought to be impossible to

    Read More

  • In Defense of Politicians: Stephen Medvic

    1685 Words  | 4 Pages

    Popular culture also plays a role in why Americans do not trust politicians. Late-night television shows use politicians in their comedy skits, where their mistakes are punch lines for comedians. A study produced by Jody Baumgartner and Jonathan Morris found that people who view late-night television shows have a more negative view of candidates, (Medvic p. 5). In particular, people who view The Daily Show have drastically less faith in the electoral process, (Medvic p. 5). Russell Peterson argues that these jokes as “implicitly anti-democratic” because they declare the entire system as fraudulent, (Medvic p. 5).

    Read More

  • Julia Fox Daily Show Summary

    590 Words  | 2 Pages

    In an article from Julia Fox with IU News, she expresses how The Daily Show in her opinion is just as substantial news as conventional news shows. Julia Fox's article helps give the other side if you will. The side of why people are tuning in and tuning away from regular news shows. Julia’s article explains why shows like the Daily Show are getting more and more viewer’s to tune in. She explains that the Daily Show made real news by having John Edwards announce his candacy on the show. More and more politicians are using these news sources

    Read More

  • Analysis Of CNN And Fox News

    1796 Words  | 4 Pages

    Both CNN and Fox News influence these immense populations with how each utilize pathos, ethos and logos in the topics discussed during the broadcasted show. For example, Fox News 's audience seems to be primarily conservative, while CNN’s audience seem to be more liberal (Engel). So each network’s stories “focus on the issues that” conservatives or liberals “want to watch and talk about” (James). These topics are used to develop a more conservative or liberal fan base in the respective news networks. As the dominant news network on cable television, Fox News impacts the greatest quantity of citizens, bringing in an audience of over two million for primetime (James). Therefore, Fox News influences the largest percentage of Americans listening to news networks by effectively using these manipulative literary techniques. However, CNN has a younger audience than Fox News (Carter), which contributes to CNN’s audience growing from 350,000 a night, in 2013 (Agee), to 629,000 viewers a night (James). CNN and Fox News compete with each other to influence the greatest amount of people and the public’s opinion of current events. Each network appeals to pathos, logos and ethos differently and similarly to coax the greatest amount of listeners each night.

    Read More

  • John Stewart Satire

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    He is known for being the host of the television show, The Colbert Report, a satirical news show, in which he portrayed a caricatured version of conservative political talking heads. Many agree that Colbert’s character in The Colbert Report depicts the caricatured version of the political commentator Bill O’Reilly. After joining Chicago’s Second City Comedy Troupe, Colbert, along with other comedians created and starred in both Exit 57 and Strangers. In 1997, Colbert started appearing in episodes of The Daily show. In 2005, Colbert was given the opportunity to have his own spin-off of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Colbert Report. The Show is a parody of pundits who dominated the talk show airwaves. Colbert’s show was instantly one of the highest rated shows in the United

    Read More

  • Synthesis Essay

    884 Words  | 2 Pages

    Individuals may believe this new exposure of political debates and facts about the candidates would help the public make an educated decision of their president. However, all of that television has done is turn the presidential debates into a popularity contest. Elections were based on image, charm and how the networks wish to have the candidates perceived. Televisions’ contribution to political debates only emphasized personality, visual image and emotion rather than ideas, issues and reason.

    Read More

  • Trevor Noah Vs. Jon Stewart

    343 Words  | 1 Pages

    Just days before the South African comedian, TV and radio host - Trevor Noah will take over the American comedian, media critic, and television host - Jon Stewart on the "The Daily Show," Trevor Noah willingly accepted the truth that "it is hard to reboot and re-enact a new show from an old show in just five weeks." On Monday at 11p.m. ET, Trevor Noah has been obliged to assume Jon Stewart's position as host on Comedy Central. It has been only a little over a month since Jon Stewart ended 16 years as the nation's court professional joker who shape up "The Daily Show" in his own savvy image. Despite all these, Noah managed to look calm and composed as he greeted a reporte"r into his 'not-quite-settled-into' workplace at the network's so-called World News Headquarters.

    Read More

  • Daily Show Analysis

    1892 Words  | 4 Pages

    Television network Comedy Central, obviously known for their comedy programs, has a show called the Daily Show which doubles as a news broadcasting program of sorts. The broadcast is hosted by a South African comedian and actor named Trevor Noah. During the episode of the Daily Show following the democratic debate in Las Vegas, Noah and his news team did a post debate analysis where they presented a few of the main topics of the debate as well as their own remarks on each of the five individual candidates. While the Daily Show focused primarily on the satirical commentary of the top news headlines, the content and presentation can be analyzed through Nosich’s Standards of Reasoning to determine if the comedy show could be considered a reliable news source.

    Read More

  • The Powerful Effect of Fake News

    2875 Words  | 6 Pages

    From the beginning days of the printing press to the always evolving internet of present day, the media has greatly evolved and changed over the years. No one can possibly overstate the influential power of the new media of television on the rest of the industry. Television continues to influence the media, which recently an era of comedic television shows that specialize in providing “fake news” has captivated. The groundbreaking The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and its spin-off The Colbert Report have successfully attracted the youth demographic and have become the new era’s leading political news source. By parodying news companies and satirizing the government, “fake news” has affected the media, the government, and its audience in such a way that Bill Moyers has claimed “you simply can’t understand American politics in the new millennium without The Daily Show,” that started it all (PBS).

    Read More

  • Aaron Sorkin The Newsroom

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    His speech draws the ire of politicians and journalists alike, yet it is remarkably uplifting for all those who watch it as it aims at divorcing viewers from misconceptions about the place of American in the free world. During an epoch when television shows focus the subject matter on melodramatic relationships and drug use, Sorkin proffers a breath of fresh air in television

    Read More

  • Current Research on Media Rituals and Contemporary Technologies

    1888 Words  | 4 Pages

    Csigó, P., eds. "EastBound vol. 2010 issue 1: Popular Culture and Citizenship.", “Broadening the Concept of Media Rituals: Tabloids as “Low Holidays of Television” (2010).

    Read More

  • The Future of Responsible Journalism

    1146 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jones, Jeffrey P. "Fox News and the Performance of Ideology." Cinema Journal 51.4 (2012): 178-85. Print.

    Read More

More about The Effects of Entertaining Politics on American Society

Open Document