{"product_id":"strange-bedfellows-russell-peterson-9780813542843","title":"Strange Bedfellows: How Late-Night Comedy Turns Democracy Into a Joke","description":"\u003cp\u003e It is no coincidence that presidential candidates have been making it a point to add the late-night comedy circuit to the campaign trail in recent years. In 2004, when John Kerry decided it was time to do his first national television interview, he did not choose CBS's \u003ci\u003e60 Minutes\u003c\/i\u003e, ABC's \u003ci\u003eNightline, \u003c\/i\u003e or \u003ci\u003eNBC Nightly News\u003c\/i\u003e. Kerry picked Comedy Central's \u003ci\u003eThe Daily Show\u003c\/i\u003e. When George W. Bush was lagging in the polls, his appearance on the \u003ci\u003eDavid Letterman Show\u003c\/i\u003e gave him a measurable boost. Candidates for the 2008 presidential election began their late-night bookings almost as soon as they launched their campaigns. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e How can this be? The reason is that polls have been consistently finding that a significant number of Americans--and an even larger proportion of those under the age of thirty--get at least some of their \"news\" about politics and national affairs from comedy shows. While this trend toward what some have called \"infotainment\" seems to herald the descent of our national discourse--the triumph of entertainment over substance--the reality, according to Russell L. Peterson, is more complex. He explains that this programming is more than a mere replacement for traditional news outlets; it plays its own role in shaping public perception of government and the political process. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e From Johnny Carson to Jon Stewart, from Chevy Chase's spoofing of President Ford on \u003ci\u003eSaturday Night Live\u003c\/i\u003e to Stephen Colbert's roasting of President Bush at the White House Correspondents Dinner, \u003ci\u003eStrange Bedfellows\u003c\/i\u003e explores what Americans have found so funny about our political institutions and the people who inhabit them, and asks what this says about the health of our democracy. Comparing the mainstream network hosts--Jay, Dave, Conan, and Johnny before them--who have always strived to be \"equal opportunity offenders\" to the newer, edgier crop of comedians on cable networks, Peterson shows how each brand of satire plays off a different level of Americans' frustrations with politics. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Russell Peterson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0813542847\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780813542843\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Rutgers University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/05\/2008\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 280\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.18lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.34h x 6.32w x 0.85d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2008 pg. 96","brand":"Russell Peterson","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48065174700287,"sku":"9780813542843","price":49.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_7e4a2d21-3bfb-4124-98c8-d8cfb87a8d33.jpg?v=1768673485","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/strange-bedfellows-russell-peterson-9780813542843","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}