ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses how politics, journalism, and TV entertainment have normalized personal ridicule as a backdrop for character assassination in political discourse by analyzing the role played by comedians on late night television talk shows. Using data on political jokes compiled by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) from 1992 through 2016, the paper demonstrates how the comedians’ growing use of political material – and the growing media attention they received – made political humor a staple of political discourse. Thus, although late night hosts rarely engage in character assassination themselves, they have emerged as a new element of a political culture that emphasises personal ridicule and is a breeding ground for intemperate or unjustified personal attacks.
