On Saturday, James Austin Johnson and Heidi Gardner performed at Templeton-Blackburn Memorial Auditorium. With parents and students filling the audience, Johnson held off on his famous impression of former President Donald Trump — until he didn’t.
After impersonating Trump, Johnson proceeded with impressions of both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump supporters and Biden-Harris supporters stand on opposite sides of the political spectrum; however, the crowd was filled with laughter at all of Johnson’s impressions.
Impressions like Johnson’s and satirical sketches share a common goal of making people laugh – no matter where they stand politically. In a political landscape that is divisive and polarizing, comedy has the power to unite.
Comedy brings Americans together under a shared reality of political nonsense. Between the extravagant, theatrical candidates and policies that are hard to make sense of, comedians are able to disregard their own personal beliefs and those of the audience to highlight ridiculousness on both ends of the political spectrum.
Saturday Night Live, which is known to have left-leaning biases, has recently aired skits about former President Barack Obama, Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. SNL’s success in the world of political satire can be attributed to its ability to poke fun at any — and almost every — popular political figure.
By noticing and impersonating the small quirks of politicians, SNL unites viewers in laughter — regardless of political affiliation.
According to Rolling Stone, the best of SNL’s political sketches have “changed public outlook, occasionally spoke truth to power and still crack us up.” This highlights the positive effects — other than laughter — that political satire can have on viewers.
Lauren Feldman, an associate professor at Rutgers University and co-author of “A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice,” has found comedy to be the ideal way to navigate the most serious issues plaguing our country.
“People often incorrectly assume that comedy — because it is funny and entertaining — is inappropriate for communicating about serious issues, or that it can serve as a distraction from important problems,” Feldman said. “However, our research shows that it is precisely because comedy is funny and entertaining that it is capable of engaging and motivating people around challenging issues.”
Feldman explains that comedy engages people and creates a positive emotional connection, which leads to people putting down their guards to persuasion and being more willing to discuss divisive topics.
Political satire and its comedic effects, if written and delivered properly and responsibly, are not rooted in bigotry or hatred. Because it's not inherently offensive, there is room for this emotional connection that ignites political engagement.
In a divisive time, political satire encourages laughter at ridiculous circumstances and increases civic engagement among viewers — both of which are needed to unite the country.
Layne Rey is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.
