The history of using humor in politics dates back as far as the 1500’s with political cartoons as a way to engage the public in politics using graphic satire. Political cartoons sought to bring attention to issues, usually through the use of exaggeration and sarcasm. There are still political cartoons out today but what is trendy in this generation is memes. Memes lean more towards being comedic rather than bringing attention to issues but some require knowledge on certain issues like Trump and his wall.
Political cartoons and memes are just a couple ways of getting information. In the 1920's, people relied on the radio to get their information about candidates. Because they were only listening to the candidates' voices, it made the campaigns "far more intimate" as Nicholas Carr, writer for Politico Magazine, stated. People wanted genuine politicians.
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By the 1960's, televisions were able to broadcast political campaigns and it was the start of another new era. Politicians had to look sharp and the image they put off was a very important factor. It was very hard to tell if one was running for an election or auditioning for a television show. Carr put it as blurring the line between a politician and a celebrity.
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There was the radio phase, the television phase, and now we have the social media phase. Today, many people get their information from social media and are not looking at how genuine or handsome politicians are anymore. Rather, they are analyzing their personality (Carr). We wish to have nice, peace-loving, problem-solving politicians in charge, but what seems to catch everyone's attention is the more negative personalities. The type of personalities that bring entertainment and drama to the table. Maybe we want to distract ourselves from real issues in the world, maybe we just like the entertainment and drama, or maybe we just are not thinking about future consequences as we watch candidates, but one thing is certain. We must start paying attention to the real issues we are facing and stop being consumed by all the attention seeking politicians and their drama.