Intro: Today we are speaking with Associate Professor of Communications and Author of
Programming Reality: Perspectives on English Canadian Television and Projecting Canada:
Government Policy and Documentary Film at the National Film Board of Canada Zoe Druik we
will be discussing the presence of mock news on television, how it effects the real news and the opinion
people hold of the news with satire of it being so prevelant
Zoe Druik
You have outlined the difference between satire and parody, can you explain this difference and why it’s
important for the political satire in shows like This Hour has 22 Minutes and The Jon Stewart Show?
News Mockery shows base a lot of their content on politics, how do you think this effects the political
landscape in Canada? What about the US?
Do you think people get a lot of their general and political news from these parodies? How does this
change how news is disseminated and ingested?
You discuss how mock news challenges the normality of the news and its importance, explain why and
how this challenges and addresses the way commercial news is?
It seems that in a case like Jon Stewart there is spill over between his mock news television show and
reality? Let’s look at some examples.
At times shows like the Colbert Report and Jon Stewart use real news in their shows, do you think this
causes discrepinsies in what is truth and what is fiction in these shows?
Do you think these shows add to journalism and democracy or take away from it and confuse
journalisms role in society?
Do you think mockery and parody change the way people view the news?
How do you think political satire has changed the landscape of politics in Canada and the US?
It’s a very important time in politics, in both Canada and the US; let’s talk about that a bit.
Saturday Night Live had its highest ratings in fourteen years, based on the mockery of news and
politics? Why do you think people are so intrigued by parody/satire, especially with newsmakers and
politicians?
Do you think these kind of parodies in both Canadian and American news change the average persons
perspectives or political views?
Do you think the SNL skits effected the American election?
Do you think parodies about Stephen Harper on shows like This Hour has 22 Minutes effected the
Canadian election?
In your paper Dialogic Absurdity: TV News Parody as a Critique of Genre you discuss the doubleness of
texts, can you tell us how news parody is a double text?
With shows like The Jon Stewart Show and The Colbert Report being so effect can you tell me why news
parody is so effective?
When shows like the Colbert Report are aired at the same time as real news shows what do you think
that says about these shows and also the way people watch the news?
News parodies are so similar to the real news, with headlines, studio interviews, editorials from
the hosts, and synopsis’ of the week’s events, how do you think this effects news dissemination?
What is the difference between shows that just parody the news and shows that satirize politics? Give
us some examples.
Do you consider real politicians or authorities being interviewed on mock news shows problematic,
why?
You discuss the change in the news genre, what do you see for the future of news considering the
popularity of mock news, especially with young people?
Snl skit strait form NBC
http://www.fmqinc.com/snl-sarah-palin-videos/
-Tina Fey as Sarah Palin full Katie Couric interview
SNL skits:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6qkeB6LtIE
Real news (entertainment news to SNL, will Ferrell, tina Fey, and McCain impersation “when you think of
me, think of Mcain, see this face”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLaER-8pf5Y&feature=related
Overview of many issues, real news mixed with SNL skits, Barack Obama on SNL, McCain on SNL,
Michelle Obama-real new, Tina Fey and... impersonation. Real news, Obama flubs, Biden, more flubs,
Sarah Palin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ral-zByaSU4&feature=related
Real news discussing Tina Feys Sarah Palin impersination and the popularity of those skits, end discusses
SNL’s influence of public opinion
This Hour has 22 Minutes Skits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15hQRxMVAf8
Spoof news reporter interviewing hockey players
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pagi0KpwWNk
Scene of this hour has 22 min. That was used in real news below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD0sb3HQPik
Real news with fake 22 minutes news reporter getting arrested for being in a real press conference, then
gets time with Harper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oAhRFJA2-s
Stephen Harper, mistook a baby for an ATM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbHNuY3nw4I
-Skit, Stephan Harper, good because he’s human
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTXqDSd4fts
-Stephen Harper, conservative accomplishments, sarcasm about cutting arts funding
Jon Stewart Skits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReWCMHSIpNA
-Story pirates, special message for charity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_qAgaGYh3w
-John Stewart on Larry King
Colbert Report skits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWVOQHbAOqM
-Newsreel: Many candidates on Colbert: Clinton, Obama, Edwards