US President Calvin Coolidge hasn’t gone down in history for his triumphs or failures as president during the 1920s – but his dry sense of humor carries on.
A mini break with a humorous meme can take the momentary edge off during a stressful time.
JGI/Tom Grill
Social media during the pandemic is not all doom scrolling and despair. Lighter memes have psychological benefits.
In August 2021, comedian Greg Gutfeld’s weeknight talk show ‘Gutfeld!’ became the highest-rated late-night talk show in the U.S.
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Critics have long pooh-poohed conservative comics. But in today’s fragmented media environment, right-wing comedy has become both a moneymaker and a force in politics.
Today’s sex scenes are, first and foremost, fun.
Lids Bierenday
A politician who wields a comeback with skill can use it as both a bludgeon and a shield, damaging the opponent without hurting their own popularity with voters.
From ‘Father Knows Best’ to ‘D'oh!’
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It isn’t wrong to laugh at coronavirus comedy. Rather a chortle here and there will help us through the crisis, and it may even help spread vital information and give comfort to those in need.
There’s a growing body of research on online engagement and the characteristics of viral content.
Fabian Sommer/DPA/AAP
Online videos of Hitler getting angry at things, based on a 2004 film scene, have found enduring appeal and recently featured in a Fair Work Commission case. Why the furor?
The identity of the joke-teller matters more than you might think.
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A new study highlights the importance of the ‘intergroup sensitivity effect’ in comedy, which gives people license to tell certain jokes, but not others.
Protest in Gauhati, India, on Sept. 20, 2019, part of worldwide demonstrations ahead of a U.N. summit in New York.
AP Photo/Anupam Nath
‘Two polar bears walk into a bar …’ is an unlikely opener for a joke, but memes and parodies are surprisingly effective ways to get people talking about climate change.
Ronald Reagan at the end of his debate with Walter Mondale, Oct. 22, 1984, Kansas City, Mo.
AP/Ron Edmonds