Amber Day: Satirists Telling the Truth
One essay among a group from the New York Times, “When Does a Fake Political Rally Turn Real?”
“Both Stewart and Colbert poke holes in the media spectacle that stands in for political debate in this country. They are tapping into a very real desire among the public to see a different kind of political discussion taking place: one not scripted and stage-managed by spin-doctors, and not reduced to a shouting match between caricatured representatives of the Left and the Right.
Though some critics have voiced concern that these political satirists might increase cynicism among their audiences, quite the opposite is true. The current political conversation itself seems cynical and inauthentic, and is enough to make us want to turn away in despair. Stewart and Colbert, however, continually remind us that there can and should be alternatives, and that rather than tuning out from the conversation, we should demand more of it. “
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/10/28/when-does-a-fake-political-rally-turn-real/satirists-telling-the-truth