06/10: Impact of Late-Night Comedians on College-Age Voters
Category: Media and Politics
Posted by: an okie gardener
I am not sure what this is worth, but will offer the following for consideration.
I teach an American History Course on Ft. Sill over the lunch hour. The class is mixed military and civilian, many of the civilians being post workers or military spouses.
I was surveying the 90s today, and the Clinton Administration. I remarked about Clinton still providing fodder for late-night comedians. Blank looks. I asked, "You folks have heard the Clinton jokes on late night TV haven't you?" Negative response. "Do any of you watch Letterman, Leno, Conan, Ferguson?" Negative responses.
It turns out that NO ONE in my class watches the late-night comedy/talk shows, even on Friday night. It's not that they did watch and for some reason quit watching. They just do not and have not watched these programs.
I knew that today's youth watch far less TV than previous age cohorts, instead playing video games, chatting on the internet, or watching videos. But I had no idea so many are unaware of the monologues.
If my class is anywhere close to representative, then the late-night comics are not affecting the youth vote by their monologues on Old McCain, Moose Hunter Sarah, or Hair Plug Biden. (Rarely do I hear or read jokes about Obama on late night.)
I teach an American History Course on Ft. Sill over the lunch hour. The class is mixed military and civilian, many of the civilians being post workers or military spouses.
I was surveying the 90s today, and the Clinton Administration. I remarked about Clinton still providing fodder for late-night comedians. Blank looks. I asked, "You folks have heard the Clinton jokes on late night TV haven't you?" Negative response. "Do any of you watch Letterman, Leno, Conan, Ferguson?" Negative responses.
It turns out that NO ONE in my class watches the late-night comedy/talk shows, even on Friday night. It's not that they did watch and for some reason quit watching. They just do not and have not watched these programs.
I knew that today's youth watch far less TV than previous age cohorts, instead playing video games, chatting on the internet, or watching videos. But I had no idea so many are unaware of the monologues.
If my class is anywhere close to representative, then the late-night comics are not affecting the youth vote by their monologues on Old McCain, Moose Hunter Sarah, or Hair Plug Biden. (Rarely do I hear or read jokes about Obama on late night.)
Martian Mariner wrote:
College students still like funny stuff. But let's face it, Letterman hasn't really been funny for years. And if someone's staying up until Conan or Ferguson comes on, there are certainly better things to be doing or watching.
Jon Stewart, though...that's funny. So is the Colbert report. Ask your class about those next time. Better yet, ask if there are any comedians they like that you haven't even heard of doing political stuff. Here's a great Sarah Silverman clip on getting your grandparents to vote for Obama, for example: http://www.youtube.com/watc... [some dirty words involved]
I know that at my school, I'd be surprised to find a non-international student who HASN'T seen at least one of the Tina Fey SNL sketches...but they would have checked it out online. I for one haven't watched a late-night comedy monolog for a long time. I've seen clips of them online, though.
Youtube is far more entertaining and varied than Leno and Letterman will ever be (or have ever been.)