Intelligence Squared - Is Trump Bad for Comedy?

From the opening skit on “Saturday Night Live” to “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to the pages of The Onion, President Trump has become the face of comedy. Some comedians and writers argue that in the Trump era, satire has become more challenging and jokes have become cheap. Trump, according to his critics, has normalized the absurd and the nature of political satire in a post-truth world. But others disagree; they argue that the president serves up comedy-gold every day, making their jobs – and the laughs they seek to elicit – easier than ever before. And, they argue, comedy is much more “woke” than it used to be, with late-night hosts and comedians playing a pivotal role in the fight for social justice.

Is the president killing comedy? Or is he making the funny business ever more relevant?

Intelligence Squared US- Is Trump Bad for Comedy? with debaters P.J. O'Rourke, Political Satirist and Author; Sara Schaefer, Stand-Up Comedian, Writer and Producer; Kurt Andersen, Host of Studio 360 and Author; Billy Kimball, Writer and Producer for the HBO series "Veep."

Airs Saturday, November 17 at 10pm on WNYC AM 820 and NJPR