A Conservative Walks into a Bar

Conservative critics argue that modern political satire, in the age of The Daily Show, has a liberal bias. A quick review of the humor landscape shows that there are very few conservative political satirists, and using personal interviews with political humorists this book explains why. The book explores the history of satire, the comedy profession, and the nature of satire itself to examine why there is an ideological imbalance in political humor and it explores the consequences of this disparity. This book will appeal to Daily Show and Colbert fans, political junkies, and anyone interested in the intersection of politics and media.

Dr. Alison Dagnes is Associate Professor of Political Science at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. She is the author of Politics on Demand: The Effects of 24-Hour News on American Politics and she frequently speaks on the topic of the modern media. Dr. Dagnes has most recently edited a book on political sex scandals called Political Sex Scandals: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Her current research examines ideology and political satire. Prior to receiving her doctorate in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Dr. Dagnes was a producer for C-SPAN in Washington, DC.