UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Insert Clever Title Here: Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and the Evolving Role and Influence of Political Satirists in Twenty-First Century America by Sean Hebert A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE CALGARY, ALBERTA JANUARY, 2012 © Sean Hebert 2012 Library and Archives Bibliothdque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'6ditjon 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your fite Voire reference ISBN: 978-0-494-83416-9 Our fWe Notre inference ISBN: 978-0-494-83416-9 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accord^ une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant & la Biblioth&que et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, prdter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, & des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non­ support microforme, papier, 6lectronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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CanadS ABSTRACT The objective of this thesis is to provide insight into a question that is central to the study of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report, Comedy Central's popular political satire programs: does their willingness to engage with mainstream media and political elites threaten Stewart and Colbert's ability to hold brokers of power to account? It examines data collected from television programs, interviews, and media coverage surrounding the 'Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.' The analysis concluded that the comics preserve their satirist roles regardless of the venue they speak from, as long as they refuse the institutional legitimacy granted to journalists and politicians while adhering to the principles of satire that allow them to serve their audience. The thesis further speculates on the contribution the rally makes to the ongoing academic discussion regarding whether satirizing politics necessarily inspires cynicism and provides a disincentive for political engagement. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is a pleasure to thank the many people who made this thesis possible. First and foremost, it would be difficult to overstate the deep gratitude I feel towards my supervisor and professor - Dr. David Taras. His endless patience, insight, and intelligence are overshadowed only by his incredible kindness, and in twenty years of formal schooling I have never encountered an educator who approached their work with more contagious passion than he does. I thank him for his honesty and support, and more importantly, for challenging me to hold myself to a higher standard as a writer. With your guidance and trust, sir, I have produced the first document that I am proud to call my own - for that, I am indebted to you. I would also like to extend my thanks to the staff, the professors, and my fellow graduate students in the Department of Political Science for providing me with a home- away-from-home in Calgary for two long years. To Drs. Rainer Knopff, David Stewart, Brenda O'Neill, Anthony Sayers, and Andrew Banfield: your commitment to your students' success and eagerness to share your wisdom is inspiring, and the value of my degree is a testament to your impressive efforts both past and present. To Meredith, Colin, Peter, Paul, Janine, Katrine, Kim, David, Tim, Tammy, Mark, Dave, Rob, Julie, and Kelly: if you are together a snapshot of the future leaders of political thought in Canada, we are in very capable hands. I was honoured to consider you peers, and now am pleased to call you Mends. And to Judi, Ella and Bonnie: you are the oars to the department's boat, and you move us gracefully and with a smile. Thank you for all of your help! I extend my heart-felt appreciation to my friends for their love and support through this process. To Newman: a shared home-town led us to become officemates and a shared iii academic interest made us classmates, but openly sharing our mutually-held feelings on just about everything else made us into co-workers, travel companions, drinking buddies, and the best of friends. Without fail-videos, darts, movie nights, Korean BBQ, continental misadventures, and someone to understand the eternal plight of the Leafs Fan, I would have never made it through this program. Seriously - thanks, dude. To KJeffs, BWong, Clarke, HPhan, Karen, Aaron, Corneman, Sarah, Defranza, HMiles, Christina, Berrill, Amy, Ben, Jamie, Tara, Mary-Jane, Nathan, JMuir, Thida, Holly, Dillon, and Sam: I could not ask for a more encouraging and caring group of people to help guide me through the obstacles I have faced while writing this thesis. A million thanks! Finally, I'd like to thank my family, whose fingerprints are evident throughout this thesis. From my earliest collectables bankrolled by my father - the worn-out Bob Newhart and Bill Cosby best-of cassettes, the complete Calvin and Hobbes library, countless issues of MAD Magazine - to the years of late-nights during which my mother let me stay up to watch Saturday Night Live, Letterman, and Conan, my interest in comedy has always been encouraged and supported by my three parents. Knowing that you continue to stand behind me inspires the confidence necessary for me to follow my own path, and watching your own growth and renewal has instilled in your children the drive to value education as a lifelong pursuit. Thank you! I thank, too, my sister Cristyne for always lending an ear and her willingness to share with me her own journey through academia; my brother Marc for his willingness to follow his heart and bring that fearless spirit into our relationship; Anna, Caitlin, James and Maddy for grounding me and making sure I always remember where home is; and my grandmother Ella, for providing me the template of a life lived with good- humour, compassion, and honesty. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Table of Contents v CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 A. Mr. Stewart Goes to Washington 1 B. American Political Satire: A Brief History 3 C. The Central Questions 11 D. The Study 12 E. Methodology 1 15 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 20 A. Stewart and Colbert: History and Relevance 20 B. Political Satire in Theory 25 C. Power, Legitimacy, and the Spectacle of Mainstream Media 33 D. Stewart Reports The News: 'Real' Stories, Fake Journalism? 42 E. Cynicism, Knowledge, Deliberation: The Daily Show Effect 50 F. The Outsiders: Turning the 'Colbert Nation' Mainstream 66 G. A Look Ahead 77 CHAPTER THREE: THE STUDY 79 A. Methodology II 79 B. From Announcement to Rally: A Brief Timeline 81 C. Analysis: Episodes and the Rally 90 D. Analysis: Interviews 108 E. Analysis: Media Coverage 123 F. The Central Questions: Conclusions and Impressions 128 CHAPTER FOUR: DISCUSSION 137 A. Stewart and the Rally: A Year Later 137 B. Engagement and Colbert's Nation: Future Considerations 139 WORKS CITED 146 APPENDIX A: Stewart's Closing Remarks at the Rally 155 APPENDIX B: List of Media Sources Used in the Study 159 APPENDIX C: Media Breakdown by Category 169 APPENDIX D: Themes Prominent in Rally Media Coverage 170 v 1 (1) INTRODUCTION A. MR. STEWART GOES TO WASHINGTON... In September 2010, popular American political satirists Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert announced on their respective television programs that they would be hosting competing rallies the following month on the National Mall in Washington. In an era of increasingly vicious partisan discourse, the ambitious event - which eventually merged under the moniker the 'Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear' - was to serve as a call to arms for the swath of civil and reasonable moderates who are so often overshadowed by both media pundits and political actors. Stewart justified the rally during his announcement speech, arguing that everyday Americans face real problems that have real solutions, which "seventy to eighty percent of our population could agree to try, and could ultimately live with" ("September 16, 2010"). "Unfortunately," he continued, "the conversation and process is controlled by the other fifteen to twenty percent" (Stewart "September 16, 2010"). From its inception, the rally's stated purpose hinted at its satirical underpinnings. The very people who were targeted by the comedians to attend were also the same people who would typically avoid a political rally in Washington, afraid of being lumped in with extremists like 'birthers', 9/11 conspiracy theorists, people who draw Hitler mustaches on the nation's leaders, or to again quote Stewart, "the people who believe that Obama is a secret Muslim planning a socialist takeover of America so he can force his radical black liberation Christianity down our throats" ("September 16,2010").