Month: July 2025

In 2020, Dr. Baumgartner published an article in Comedy Studies titled “Is It Funny if No One is Watching? Public Response to Late-Night Political Satire.” In it, he basically foreshadowed (though did not specifically predict) the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show.”

ABSTRACT: The past decade has seen a dramatic shift in substance and tone in the political humor found on late-night television talk shows in the U.S. Relatively light-hearted political comedy has in many cases been replaced by more politically oriented political satire. … I present evidence that suggests that public reception to late-night political satire is mixed. Using Google Trends, Nielson ratings and public opinion data, I show that the viewing public seems to be ambivalent about tuning into meaningful political satire as opposed to light-hearted political comedy.

See https://tinyurl.com/2sea9bex

1. What then-presidential candidate is famous for having uttered the phrase “Read my lips, no new taxes!” at the 1988 Republican convention before seeing taxes increase under his presidency?

2. In 1949, which president officially made June 14th Flag Day in the United States?

3. “Naval Support Facility Thurmont” in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountain Park is the official name of what presidential retreat?

[1. George H. W. Bush]
[2. Harry Truman]
[3. Camp David]

Dr. Baumgartner has signed a contract for a new book titled “Political Comedy & Political Satire: Communication Technology and The Evolution of Political Humor.”

The book examines how communication technology affects potential markets for political humor, and how this in turn affects the types or genres of political humor that come to dominate a particular era.

*1925: Adolf Hitler published Mein Kampf, original title was the catchy “Four and a Half Years (of Struggle) Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice”

*2012: Kim Jong-un was officially appointed Supreme Leader of North Korea and given the rank of Marshal in the Korean People’s Army

*2013: Detroit, MI, filed for bankruptcy, becoming the largest US municipal bankruptcy at $18.5 billion

*1925: Adolf Hitler published Mein Kampf, original title was the catchy “Four and a Half Years (of Struggle) Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice”

*2012: Kim Jong-un was officially appointed Supreme Leader of North Korea and given the rank of Marshal in the Korean People’s Army

*2013: Detroit, MI, filed for bankruptcy, becoming the largest US municipal bankruptcy at $18.5 billion

Did you know that there were two Boston tea parties? Between 50 or 60 “Sons of Liberty,” disguised as Mohawks, protested the 3 cents per pound British tax on tea by dumping chests of the popular drink into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. Fewer know that the improper Bostonians repeated the performance on March 7, 1774. The two tea parties cost the British around $3 million in modern money (from https://revolutionarywar.us/facts/)

You bet – and with good cause: Great students, programs, and instructors!

Samuel Chase (1796–1811) is the only US Supreme Court justice to have been impeached by the House of Representatives for letting his partisan leanings affect his decisions. However, he was acquitted by the Senate, and he remained in office.