Humor on the Next Frontier

Abstract

The author reports results of a two-pronged experimental analysis of the influence of online political humor on the attitudes of 18- to 24-year-old college students. First an analysis of the control group of the relationship between online humor viewing habits and political attitudes of youth is presented. Consistent with the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion, online political humor viewership had a negative effect on trust in political institutions and evaluations of President George W. Bush. The author then presents results of the online experiment, measuring the effects of an online first-person parody of Bush starting his second term in office from JibJab.com. The clip had a negative effect on trust in political institutions among members of the experimental group. However, it had a positive effect on evaluations of the president's evaluations. This is likely because the JibJab clip differs in form from most online humor, functioning as a form of self-deprecating humor.