Predicting the Consumption of Political TV Satire: Affinity for Political Humor, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report

Abstract

Content analyses have focused on the messages offered in political TV satire, and the communication discipline is amassing solid empirical evidence concerning a range of effects derived from this style of programming. However, there is remarkably little understanding of who is tuning in to view political TV satire beyond the audience being dominated by a younger demographic. It is imperative to have a better understanding of the audience for these programs in order to place any effects in their proper context. A statewide survey (N=305) was conducted to identify predictors of political TV satire viewing. Analyses identify four variables which are particularly important in predicting political TV satire exposure: age, exposure to satirical sitcoms, exposure to liberal cable news programming, and the newly explicated and operationalized Affinity for Political Humor scale.

Keywords:

• Political Humor
• Political Entertainment
• The Daily Show
• The Colbert Report
• Satire

Notes

1. In addition to the analyses reported in the main text, a forward stepwise regression procedure was undertaken. This analysis revealed similar results as the final all-entry equation reported in Table 1. The four variables retained in the stepwise equation were cable TV–liberal (upon-entry β=.50, p<.001), satirical situation comedy exposure (upon-entry β=.37, p<.001), age (upon-entry β = −.20, p<.001), and AFPH (upon-entry β=.17, p<.001). The stepwise equation accounted for 43.7% of the variance in political TV satire exposure.

2. Analyses of these data found that the positive slope for cable TV–liberal (i.e., MSNBC) viewing predicting political TV satire consumption was enhanced for those who are younger (β = −.15, p<.001), those with a higher level of exposure to satirical situation comedies (β=.19, p<.001), and those who retain a higher affinity for political humor (β=.13, p<.001). In short, these three relationships (MSNBC×AFPH, MSNBC×Age, MSNBC×Satirical situation comedies) reflect statistically significant contributory condition moderation effects that account for additional variance in the dependent variable.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jay D. Hmielowski

Jay D. Hmielowski (MA, Washington State University, 2007) is doctoral student in the School of Communication, The Ohio State University

R. Lance Holbert

Jayeon Lee (MA, University of Texas-Austin, 2008) is doctoral student in the School of Communication, The Ohio State University

Jayeon Lee

R. Lance Holbert (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000) is an Associate Professor in the same school and institution