The Boston Globe takes a look at the comedy sprouting from Scott Brown’s improbably election to the Senate last month. In doing so, they consult the editors of our book, Satire TV.
Jonathan Gray, coauthor of the book, “Satire TV: Politics and Comedy in the Post-Network Era,’’ said Brown should see his presence in comedy routines as a badge of honor. “At one level, it means he’s arrived,’’ Gray said. “Once you’re being satirized, you’re clearly seen to matter.’’
And Gray’s coauthor, Old Dominion University communications professor Jeffrey P. Jones, said comedians play an important role shaping public perceptions of politicians, especially those who are not well known.
“Comedians, in this day and age, with someone we don’t know a lot about, get to play a large role in writing that person for the public imagination,’’ Jones said.
“To those of us in Virginia and in Texas, what we know about him is being shaped by this third voice, and we’ll see if he’s able to overcome that over time,’’ he said.
