Editor’s note: Information in this article, originally published Oct. 6, has been corrected. Joe Biden is 65.
I watch a lot of late night talk shows and other shows that use current events as comedic material, and much of the commentary has understandably been about the upcoming presidential elections. Most of their political jokes have been about Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s age, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s racial identity and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter.
These jokes have long been worn out, but for some, they are sources of endless entertainment. I understand that it’s nothing new for television shows to take cheap shots at the candidates, but what irritates me is when these same kinds of comments are mentioned on campus as valid reasons for voting one way or another.
Though it seems silly to assume that comedy can sway votes, we should look at the example of “Saturday Night Live” and the 1976 presidential election.
Before Chevy Chase impersonated President Gerald Ford as a clumsy victim of frequent assassination attempts on “SNL”, he was ahead in the polls by 30 points, according to Rod Cockshutt, a professor in journalism. After the skits aired, he was behind 30 points in the polls and lost the election.
Television shows may not have the same influence as they did back then, but Tina Fey’s Palin impersonation on “SNL” received a frenzy of media attention. The presidential candidates are about neck and neck now, and it’s possible that a gag like this could affect the polls.
Also, many of these remarks are spattered with ironies. As everybody knows, Palin’s daughter Bristol is pregnant out of wedlock. The media have been ragging on her, and luckily for her, Obama had the integrity to tell the press to get off her back (no pun intended). But, this may be because he understands the situation. Obama’s mother also got pregnant when she was very young (18) and presumably had a shotgun wedding, considering she gave birth to him SEVEN months after she married.
And since I’m a member of the media, I’m evidently required to mention how ancient McCain is. Let’s get this straight. Joe Biden and McCain are both old: 65 and 72 years young, respectively. Also, Ron Paul supporters rarely had to defend his qualifications because of his age when he was still running, who is a “geezer” as well.
I encourage people to express their opinions in classrooms, but I suggest they do research rather than just relying on pop culture to tell them what they need to know about the candidates. What’s dangerous is when people take these as credible sources of political commentary.
So please, research candidates and don’t rely merely on “The Onion” or the latest jokes to make a decision. It can be difficult to find an objective source of political information because of mediums like the Huffington Post and Fox News, but glassbooth.org and politico.com provide unbiased information on candidates.
I’m not saying that political jokes should be forbidden. As long as people separate academia from entertainment, I’m OK with the occasional joke about McCain’s age and Obama’s elephant ears.
E-mail Jane your thoughts about comedy-driven politics to [email protected].