Description
Book SynopsisThis book attempts to grasp the recent paradigm shift in American politics through the lens of satire. It connects changes in the political and cultural landscape to corresponding shifts in the structure and organization of the media, in order to shed light on the evolution of political satire on late-night television. Satire is situated in its historical background to comprehend its movement away from the fringes of discourse to the very center of politics and the media. Beginning in the 1990s, certain trends such as technological advances, media consolidation, and the globalization of communications reinforced each other, paving the way for satire to claim a prized spot in the visual mediaa tendency that only gained strength after September 11. While the Bush presidency presented itself as an apposite target for satirists, their stronghold on American television was made possible by a number of transitions in broader culture, which are encapsulated in the shrinking space available fo
Trade ReviewMehnaaz Momen takes on the worthwhile challenge of analyzing the current political climate in contemporary American society in her new book Political Satire, Postmodern Reality, and the Trump Presidency: Who Are We Laughing At? This is no easy feat, but Momen is not only thorough and nuanced in her analysis, she is also incredibly articulate and forthright in her discussion of how politics and entertainment have fused into one medium over the last thirty to forty years and paved the way for the Trump presidency. . . . Above all else, Political Satire, Postmodern Reality, and the Trump Presidency: Who Are We Laughing At? encourages a return to the real world of politics that is both serious and offers opportunities for citizens to seek out tangible changes through engagement with policy. . . In the end, this is what makes Momen’s book so valuable, especially in today’s climate: in order to move away from what Trump and neoliberalism represent, there has to be a shift away from relying on political satire to do the heavy work it was never meant to do and placing political power in the hands of the citizenry where it belongs so that social change can take place. * Against the Grain *
In an age where our understandings of reality itself are fractured and contested, Trump – who is loyal to no particular version of reality, even the one he made up yesterday — is, in a sense, the Man of the Hour. At the same time, satire, though a deconstructive art by nature, has answered the challenge of Trumpism by attempting to reconstruct for its audience a sense of objective truth, using the tools of irony, parody, and absurdity. Mehnaaz Momen skillfully and playfully navigates the contours of this Möbius strip-landscape, with its intersections of postmodernism, neo-liberalism, and political humor. -- Russell L. Peterson, author of Strange Bedfellows: How Late-Night Comedy Turns Democracy into a Joke
Mehnaaz Momen has written a book for our times. Examining the ways in which satire sheds light on complicated events, Momen makes a strong case for its unique power to make sense our chaotic contemporary moment. -- Lisa Colletta
I thought this would be a funny book….it’s not. It’s serious stuff. What a waste of time. If I want facts and research, I’ll turn to Wikipedia or some other source I can trust. 800+ footnotes? Are you kidding me? As President Trump might say, it’s sad. This book is a real loser. Still, hopefully they can get Alec Baldwin to read the audio book, which might liven things up. -- John Scott Gray, Ferris State University
Table of ContentsPart I: Our Postmodern (Un) Reality
Part II: Satire as Political Performance
Part III: The Inevitable Trump Presidency
