Politics & Late-Night TV
Dr. Kristen Landreville
Fri. 10/08, Mon. 10/11, & Wed. 10/13
Laughing Matters, Ch. 13-14
Ch. 13
SNL and Presidential Elections
Ch. 13 – SNL Debates
 Ch. 13 is a rhetorical analysis of SNL debate spoofs
 Review of how persuasion strategies impact public outcomes
 Politics in Rhetorical Terms
 Rhetorical genres: tragedy, comedy, satire, epic, grotesque, etc.
 Politics is tragedy
 Public wants comedy to relieve tragedy
 Comedy eases tension, seeks exposure of criticism, and reconciliation of
error
 SNL
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Comedians play roles, rather than making direct commentary
Less abrasive and more comic clown than Stewart, Colbert
Appearances signal acceptance and redemption through comic frame
2000 – High impact
2004 – Low impact
Debates in US History
 Debates since 18th Century
 Lincoln-Douglas 1858
 First televised debate
 1960 Kennedy v. Nixon
 80% Viewership
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmOlTR-
yNf0&feature=related (start at 4:35)
 Impact
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Image-based decision-making
Debate coaching
Next debate, 1976
No. 1 watched campaign event
Notable Debate Moments
 These moments impacted election outcomes.
 1976: Carter v. Ford
 Ford’s gaffe about Eastern Europe and Communism
 1980: Carter v. Reagan
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px7aRIhUkHY
 1992: Bush v. Clinton v. Perot
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ffbFvKlWqE
Ch. 13
SNL and Presidential Elections
2000 Presidential Debate Analysis
 1st Presidential Debate: Gore v. Bush
 Focus on domestic issues
 Highlight reel of notable moments
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9pqmW-
D14I&feature=related
 SNL Parody (go to 3:13 minutes in)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BAx6Ib81Y4
 Influence of SNL
 Gore adapted his personality
 Gore called chameleon
 Dip in Gore’s poll numbers
2004 Presidential Debate Analysis
 1st Presidential Debate: Bush v. Kerry
 Focus on Iraq, Afghanistan, terrorism, security
 SNL Parody
 Focus on Kerry’s pandering and flip-flopping
 Focus on Bush’s “it’s hard” attitude and annoyed demeanor
 Influence of SNL
 Parody not as strong
2008 VP Debate Analysis
 Vice-Presidential Debate: Palin v. Biden
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOy7FQb2o6k&feature=
fvw
 SNL Parody (go to 9:45)
 http://vodpod.com/watch/1059829-snl-biden-palin-debate
In-Class Assignment #10
 How does SNL parody Palin and Biden?
 What characteristics are exaggerated?
 How accurate is the parody of Palin and Biden?
 Do you think the SNL parody influenced anyone?
Ch. 14
The Daily Show as the New Journalism
Ch. 14’s Argument
 Stewart denies power, influence, agenda, and platform.
 Crossfire cancellation proof of influence
 Daily Show rejects the 4 information biases
 Daily Show is a new journalism
Exposing the Political Spectacle
 Stewart’s description of news media
 Political campaigns as “product launches”
 “Spectators at a sales pitch.”
 News as theater
 Remedies
1.
Art: Works independent of symbiotic relationship
 Daily Show beholden to no one
 Not dependent on official or privileged access
2.
Counterdiscourses: Challenge hegemony, undermine
presuppositions, offer alternatives
 Stewart’s alternative journalism
 Abandon normative assumptions
Questioning Objectivity
Stewart’s Criticisms of Objectivity
 Two sides stick to talking points
 Maintains status quo
 Media is the moderator only, not a judge of BS
 Reasons: Want biggest audience as possible  Stay neutral
 Take two sides’ arguments at face value  Don’t
challenge the BS
 Daily Show example (start at 1:20)
 http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-23-
2004/kerry-controversy
Addressing Bennett’s 4 Biases
Stewart’s Analysis
 Partisan or political bias?  No
 “The bias of the media is not liberal—it’s lazy. It’s sensationalist.
But, it’s not liberal.”
 Bennett’s 4 biases Yes
 Dramatization and personalization (start at 5:05)
 http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-18-
2004/indecision-2004---they-kill--but-they-love
The Indexing Hypothesis
Indexing Hypothesis Definition
 The journalistic practice of opening or closing the news gates
to citizen activists and a broader range of views.
 News media index, or rely on, officials and elites.
 Pack mentality exacerbates this.
Example
 Daily Show uses juxtaposition to reveal indexing hypothesis
 Al Sharpton’s Speech at 2004 Democratic National
Convention
 Media criticizes, downplays, and marginalizes him
The New Journalism
 Reveal the political spectacle
 Abandon objectivity
 Showcase the absurdity of the 4 biases
 Demonstrate the symbiotic relationship between news media
and politics
Limitations of The Daily Show
 Low viewership to constitute a societal trend
 Hard to escape the jester role to be taken seriously
 Sometimes fails at the new journalism (e.g., Kerry interview)
 Brushes aside any responsibility to public
 Fails to address impact of news economics and market
pressures