Political Satire and the New Media Age

Bri Rizzo

bcr6p@virginia.edu

Courtney Stokke

cvs2w@virginia.edu

Bruce Williams

baw5n@virginia.edu

454 New Cabell Hall

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

In the contemporary political realm, where New Media reigns and nightly network broadcasts have become increasingly obsolete, it is not uncommon to hear of individuals obtaining most or all of their political information from more entertaining news media, such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, or The Colbert Report. While this change has stirred up controversy within mainstream new media sources (we're looking at you, Bill O'Reilly), trends in viewer knowledge levels have shown this change in media habits to be beneficial its viewers, citing 54% of Jon Stewart's audience as "high knowledge" participants, while a mere 35% of Fox News viewers were listed in the same category. This course will offer a look into the controversial, yet alluring nature of political satire. By exploring its origins, political effects, international relevance and various other real world connections, the course will elucidate the various ways that this genre changes, and is changed by, the world which it critiques.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Response Essays: Three response essays discussing and responding to a topic previously covered in the course will be due throughout the semester. The essays will be about 1-2 pages, 12 point font, double spaced.

Discussion Questions: A weekly submission of two questions relating to the following Monday's readings will be due by 5pm every Sunday. You are allowed to miss one week of discussion questions, after which there will be a grading penalty. Questions can be clarifications about the reading, open ended observations, or just something that wasn't clear to you. Questions should facilitate class discussion and not simply involve a yes or no answer.

Participation/Attendance: This is discussion based course, and participation is absolutely crucial to understanding the material. We ask that you actively contribute to class discussion each week.

Final Project: TBA. But get excited, because it's awesome.

GRADING:

Final Project: 40%
Response Essay #1: 10%
Response Essay #2: 10%
Response Essay #3: 10%
Discussion Questions: 10%
Participation & Attendance: 20%

REQUIRED TEXT(S):

Gray, Jonathan, Jeffery P. Jones and Ethan Thompson, eds. Satire TV: Politics and Comedy in the Post Network Era. New York: New York University Press, 2009. Print.

SEMESTER SCHEDULE:

AUGUST 30: Overview & Introduction

SEPTEMBER 6: The History of Satire - From Benjamin Franklin to Jon Stewart
Readings:

"Perspectives on Political Satire." Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason (2009): n. pag. Web. <http://www.pbs.org/moyers/faithandreason/politicalsatire.html>.
Political Cartoons (to be posted on Collab)

Viewings:

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Dir. Stanley Kubrick." Columbia Pictures Corporation: 1964, Film

SEPTEMBER 13: Role of Satire in Today’s Media Environment: Traditional Media vs. Satire
Readings:

Chapter 1: "The State of Satire, The Satire of State". Gray, Jonathan, Jeffery P. Jones and Ethan Thompson, eds. Satire TV: Politics and Comedy in the Post Network Era. New York: New York University Press, 2009. Print.

Viewings:

Jon Stewart on Crossfire:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFQFB5YpDZE

SEPTEMBER 20: Role of Satire in Today’s Media Environment (Cont.)
Readings:

Geoffrey Baym . Serious Comedy: The Expanding Boundaries of Political Discourse.

Viewings:

Jon Stewart with Jim Kramer: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-12-2009/jim-cramer-pt--1
Jon Stewart and Brian Williams (to be shown in class)

Assignments: First Reaction Essay Due

SEPTEMBER 27: Political Consequences of Political Satire - The Sideffects of Stewart
Readings:

Cao, Xiaoxia. "Learning From Jon Stewart: How Soft News Programs Inform Infrequent Consumers of Traditional News". http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/3/1/6/4/p231648_index.html
Cao, Xiaoxia and Paul R. Brewer. "Political Comedy Shows and Public Participation in Politics". International Journal of Public Opinion Research Advance Access. Feb 4, 2008. http://ijpor.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/edm030v1#SEC3

OCTOBER 4: READING DAY

OCTOBER 11: Political Consequences of Political Satire - How TV Personalities Can Be Misconstrued & Gender in Satire
Readings:

Lamarre, Heather L., Kristen D. Landreville and Michael A. Beam. "The Irony of Satire: Political Ideology and the Motivation to See What You Want to See in the Colbert Report". The International Journal of Press/Politics 2009; 14; 212. http://hij.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/14/2/212

"Oppressed Men // Nut Up or Shut Up". Gender Relations.com. http://www.gender-relations.com/?tag=satire

Viewings:

Embedded video: http://www.gender-relations.com/?tag=satire

OCTOBER 18: Cartoons in Satire
Readings:

" 'Family Guy' is no Cheap 'Simpsons' Knockoff": http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21627779
" 'South Park' Reignites Cartoon Debate": http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-04-29-column29_ST_N.htm

Viewings:

Assignments: Second Reaction Essay Due

OCTOBER 25: Foreign Satire - How Is Political Comedy Dealt with Abroad?
Readings:

Chapters 5 & 8: Freedman, Leonard. The Offensive Art: Political Satire and Its Censorship Around the World from Beerbohm to Borat. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2009.
Cavendish, Julius. "Potholes, Parodies, and Politics -- Satire Hits Afghan Television." The National 06 Feb 2010: Web. <http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100206/FOREIGN/702059779/1335>.

Viewings: TBA

NOVEMBER 1: Satire’s Liberal Slant - Why is the Left So Funny?

Readings:

Pigliucci, Massimo. "Conservatives lack sense of humor, study finds." Psychology Today 05 May 2009: Web. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/rationally-speaking/200905/conservatives-lack-sense-humor-study-finds>.

Viewings:

"Jonathan Haidt on the Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives". TED Talk. <http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html>

NOVEMBER 8: Satire and War - Comedy for Coping

**Tentative Guest Speaker**

NOVEMBER 15: Satire and War - Comedy for Coping
Readings:

Miller, Dan. "Satire: War is Hell, Let's Make it Heaven." http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/satire-war-is-hell-lets-make/
Robertson, Campbell. "Stephen Colbert Takes His Show on the Road to Baghdad." http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/arts/television/08colb.html

Viewings:

To Be or Not To Be. Dir. Ernst Lubitsch." Romaine Film Corporation: 1942, Film.
Stephen Colbert in Iraq: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stK15VP9CxE&feature=PlayList&p=1D9CB80C57071B78&index=15 and subsequent videos
Jon Stewart and 9/11: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-20-2001/september-11--2001

Assignments: Third Reaction Essay Due

NOVEMBER 22:Limits of Satire - How Far is Too Far?
Readings:

Chapter 10 "Good Demo, Bad Taste: South Park as Carnivalesque Satire". Gray, Jonathan, Jeffery P. Jones and Ethan Thompson, eds. Satire TV: Politics and Comedy in the Post Network Era. New York: New York University Press, 2009. Print.

Viewings:

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Dir. Larry Charles. Four by Two. 2006, Film.
Family Guy episode (Down Syndrome: Palin): http://www.hulu.com/watch/125175/family-guy-extra-large-medium
Actress' response to criticism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJrGk1BuOo4

NOVEMBER 29: Final Project Presentations

DECEMBER 6: Final Project Presentations

Final Project Spillover Day: December 11th

**The instructors of this course reserve the right to edit this syllabus and its assignments as necessary**