Graduation Year
2020
Date of Submission
5-2020
Document Type
Campus Only Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Government
Reader 1
Jon Shields
Terms of Use & License Information
Abstract
Some people theorize that comedians have become more political. This thesis reviews a decade-by-decade history of stand-up comedy since the 1960s, as well as the development of late night political talk shows in the 1990s. It analyzes changes to the political landscape that may influence how political a comedian wants their set to be. This thesis quantifies how much time establishment and climber stand-up comedians spend on political content during their shows. Lastly, it analyzes changes to the political and comedic landscapes, noting the recent emergence of a political institution in the landscape that houses comedians with political agendas motivating their performances.
Recommended Citation
Alaynick, Rachel, "The Convergence of Politics and Comedy: Changes to the Comedic Landscape in an Age of Polarization" (2020). CMC Senior Theses. 2422.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/2422
This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.
