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Description
Written by a scholar of satire and politics, Trump Was a Joke explains why satire is an exceptional foil for absurd political times and why it did a particularly good job of making sense of Trump.
"This book explains the various ways that satire stepped up and helped us make sense of the most confounding and catastrophic president of all time. It shows us how satire builds communities, keeps us from falling into a catatonic state of depression, and helps us think in more advanced ways about how to handle crises. It even shows us how satire can work to defend democracy when politicians and the media don’t. I’ve learned a lot from this book and hope you will too." - Michael Moore, award-winning filmmaker, author, and activist
''Sophia McClennen’s new book is a fantastically readable analysis of why ironic comedy has become so important in politics today. It confirms what I witnessed myself as a political comedian in Egypt during the Arab Spring: The crazier the politicians get; the more valuable political comedy becomes for the public. As I learned myself and as this book proves, when absurd politicians take power, it is hard to use reason against them, but it can be easy to use satire. McClennen convincingly shows how satirical comedy helps reason triumph over political repression. Even better, Trump Was a Joke reminds us that when you’re laughing, you can’t be afraid.'' Bassem Youssef, the "Jon Stewart of Egypt" and author of Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring
''Trump Was a Joke offers the best, most-comprehensive guide yet to the power of political satire in shaping public opinion during turbulent political times. It is a must-read account of how political satire has come to play such a dominant role in contemporary politics, especially in the era of populist leaders and the global war on truth. It does an excellent job of explaining how being seriously funny can have serious impact on keeping us sane and it shows us how satire can work as a powerful political tactic.'' Srdja Popovic, author of Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World
Sophia A. McClennen is Director of the Center for Global Studies and Professor of International Affairs and Comparative Literature at Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA.