Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-243) and index
Losing our religion -- "Showmen is devoid of politics": the roots of pseudo-satire and the rise of the comedy-industrial complex -- Film at 11:00, jokes at 11:30: topical comedy and the news -- The personal and the political -- Pay no attention to that man in front of the curtain -- Truth versus Truthiness; or, Looking for Mr. Smith -- For whom the bell dings -- Laughing all the way to the White House -- Irony is dead... long live satire?
As ignificant number of Americans get some of their "news" about politics and national affairs from comedy shows. Is "infotainment" a debasement, or a replacement, for traditional news outlets?.
Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest, 2015. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest affiliated libraries