Saturday Night Live has been lampooning politicians since its debut in 1975. In recent years, Tina Fey as vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Larry David as presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders were SNL performances par excellence. What can those interested in character assassination learn from studying Saturday Night Live? In this interview, recorded before the 2020 presidential campaign, Jennifer Keohane talks with rhetorician and political humor expert Christopher J. Gilbert about what made Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump such a comedic tour de force. They also discuss the relationship between democracy and comedy, what caricatures say about character, and whether politicians should go on late-night TV.

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Show Notes

The original interview (with photos!) is on Youtube (and check out our other videos while you're there.)

Check out the CARP Research Lab website here. We're also on Twitter @CARP_Lab.

Follow Dr. Keohane on Twitter @KeohaneJA.