The Importance Of Political Humor

Humor, as defined in the Oxford dictionary, is “the quality of being amusing or comic, especially as expressed in literature or speech.” Nowadays, humor has taken a dimension that is beyond entertainment; it became a tool to convey political messages –in the form of political satire- providing a product that is smoother to understand, and getting people to think more critically in the public political sphere. In a world where global problems are still prevailing, few might suggest that humor or political satire is the solution to overcome these problems. However, Political satire is believed to have originated in Ancient Greece in the 4th century BCE, where the blending of serious political and religious topics with humor served as an effective

James Conroy argues that laughter in serious topics has been regarded through the ages as dangerous, deviant, and subversive; yet equally as refreshing, challenging, and constructive. Political humor is extensively used in almost all countries, but political satire is perceived differently from one country to another. The research question is as follows: what factors make political satire an effective tool that affects politics and policy? I argue that humor is more influential when blended with serious topics, such as international relations or politics. Laughter is a great means to put serious topics under the lenses of critical thinking. The use of humor, and political satire specifically can bring about serious political change. Humor can play all sorts of roles in the political process through being informative, educational and influential while keeping its captive entertaining

This genre of satire has often been used with subversive purpose where political speech is forbidden by a regime. Megan Hill explains that political satire does not carry a political agenda or seeks to influence the political process, but its unplanned use and its often destructive feature can lead to protest or dissent against the political process. Besides that, Dustin Griffin argues that satire attempts to make a balance between the fictional and the real so as to amuse and educate in more or less equal measure. He