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Satire plays a powerful role in challenging authority, exposing hypocrisy and testing the boundaries of free expression. It’s among the forces Judy Woodruff explores in the podcast, “In Pursuit of Happiness.” She sat down with The Onion Network’s Joshua Johnson and scholar Sophia McClennen to discuss why the freedom to laugh at those in power can reveal a lot about the strength of a democracy.
Another television show has found itself in the crosshairs of the White House’s wrath, this time for a satirical animated depiction of President Donald Trump in bed with Satan, among other pointed jabs.
Speaking to multiple outlets on Thursday, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called Comedy Central show South Park a «fourth-rate» show and said the program «hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread of uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention.» In recent days, Trump and the White House have lashed out at several Hollywood figures, including Stephen Colbert and Joy Behar, for their criticisms of the administration. Penn State International Affairs Professor Sophia McClennen examines the new landscape of poking fun at U.S. President Donald Trump.
Colbert says goodbye after 11 years hosting “The Late Show”. Sophia McClennen, Author, “Colbert`s America: Satire and Democracy”. Curtain Call.
Interviewed on Stephen Colbert, late-night satire, and political comedy.
And I wonder in his absence, how much do you think, for those still standing, you know, from Jimmy Fallon, or, you know, Oliver, I mean, will their kind of schtick change because he’s gone?
Over its hilarious 60-year history, late-night television has grown into an American cultural institution, powerfully shaping how we see the world around us.
Thanks to a ‘culture of uncivil discourse,’ swear words that were once taboo can now be heard everywhere from therapists’ offices to the White House.
These are good times to be in satire: in America, the Trump presidency has reinvigorated politically-motivated comedy on both sides of the Atlantic. But does satire reflect the political climate of our times? Does it ultimately have an effect – good or otherwise? Veteran satirists Rory Bremner, John O’Farrell and Nev Fountain discuss.
At a time when democracy is in retreat around the world, it can be difficult to find the motivation to keep movements going. Our guests this week offer a framework for effective nonviolent organizing by trapping authority figures between a rock and a hard place.
Srjda Popovic and Sophia A. McClennen have appeared on our show separately and are now joining forces to apply a research framework to dilemma actions, a nonviolent organizing tactic that works by capitalizing on a belief that’s commonly held by the public but not supported by those in power.
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong talks about the power of satire with Sophia McClennen, professor of international affairs and comparative literature at Penn State University. She is the founder of the Penn State Center for Global Studies, and she is also an expert on satire. Her latest book is “Trump Was a Joke: How Satire Made Sense of a President Who Didn’t.”
Political satire is alive and well in America today. And it turns out it might have an important role in educating the public and the health of our democracy. This hour, we look at the state and the art of political satire with comedian Samantha Bee and Sophia McClennen, a political scientist who studies satire.
Even before Donald J. Trump descended the Trump Tower escalator to declare he was running for president, the TV star of Celebrity Apprentice was frequently the butt of jokes.
Even President Barack Obama famously roasted Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner for his birther conspiracy.
Interview on Trump Was a Joke and how satire made sense of the Trump presidency.
Sophia McClennen, a professor of International Affairs and Comparative Literature at Pennsylvania State University, argues that audiences of satire turned out to be more politically informed than those who only consumed traditional news.
Podcast interview on Trump Was a Joke.
Hosted by Andrew Keen, Keen On features conversations with some of the world’s leading thinkers and writers about the economic, political, and technological issues being discussed in the news, right now.
In this episode, Andrew talks to the author of Trump Was a Joke, Sophia McClennen, on how satire is the most effective way of confronting the absurdity of Donald Trump.
Why is Bernie Sanders getting such a tough ride from US corporate media? Plus, the satirists mocking Angola’s elite.
Join us on our Substack page (https://specificallyforseniors.substack.com)where satire meets substance and storytelling sparks civic engagement and where we comment several + times a week. Let’s keep the conversation sharp, smart, and unapologetically bold.In the August 14, 2025 episode, Larry welcomes Dr. Sophia McClennen.
We had another fantastic interview w/ Professor Sophia McClennen (@mcclennen65) of Penn State who’s the foremost authority and satire and politics. We had lively discussions of the firing of Stephen Colbert and the South Park episode showing Trump in bed with Satan, as well as the general role of comedy in taking on Trump.
Author/editor of 15 books; regular Salon columnist; featured in national and international media including CNN, NPR, BBC, CBC, Al Jazeera, and PBS NewsHour.
© 2026 Sophia McClennen. All rights reserved. Created by Argomedia INC
Author/editor of 15 books; regular Salon columnist; featured in national and international media including CNN, NPR, BBC, CBC, Al Jazeera, and PBS NewsHour.
© 2026 Sophia McClennen. All rights reserved. Created by Argomedia INC
