Abstract

ABSTRACT Political comedy has seen considerable upheaval during the COVID-19 era. Broadcasting from home—or not at all—or back in an audience-less studio, comedians have adjusted both the tenor and the content of their programs to reflect the current political climate and public health crisis. Focusing on interviews with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo across a range of late-night comedy programs during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (April – July 2020), the textual analysis explores how these conversations reflect a more serious and personality-driven political comedy reality. At the same time, these interview conversations highlight three key elements central to research on political comedy and satire: (1) the discursive integration and mixed blend of news and entertainment in political comedy programming, (2) the balance between hedonic and eudaimonic motivations that drives comedy creation and viewer selection, and (3) the need for comedy to satisfy emotional gratifications and manage mood.

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