Popular Mechanics’ Jeremy Deaton is super enthused
LATE-NIGHT COMICS COULD HAVE A REAL IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE DENIAL
IT’S A SERIOUS PROBLEM, BUT A LITTLE LAUGHTER GOES A LONG WAY
By little, he’s probably right, because late night TV is just not that funny.
Last year, ABC News devoted just 13 minutes of airtime to covering climate change in its nightly and Sunday news shows — about as much as CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. This may be as much an indictment of ABC’s news coverage as it is a testament to Stephen Colbert.
“It is certainly notable that Colbert spent as much time as he did on climate change, given that his show is a comedy variety show,” said Rutgers professor of communications Lauren Feldman. “I think it reflects a continuation of the attention he paid to the issue on The Colbert Report.”
Feldman explained that TV satirists are regularly pulling double duty as America’s ambassadors to science — whether geeking out with Neil DeGrasse Tyson or riffing on the latest climate science. Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jon Oliver, Jimmy Kimmel, Trevor Noah and, (until recently) Jon Stewart, have lent valuable airtime to a vital issue that garners too little attention in traditional news programs.
What’s more remarkable than the sheer amount of time given over to climate change is the fact that late-night comics are actually able to make the research accessible — serving up the latest science with a side of humor.
All right, we can stop there. What they’re doing is preaching to the choir, for the most part. How many Republicans do they think are actually tuning in? The vast majority of their audience these days is comprised of liberals, people who think exactly the same as they do. It’s an echo chamber. Do they ever really have discussions where skepticism is discussed? Or just Warmists? In the few cases where Republicans are on, they are challenged and often insulted. When Warmists are on, are they ever challenged to provide rock sold proof? No. And the falling ratings of all these “comic” shows show that the audience is limited.
Actually, I laugh every day at the alarmists.
Here’s a knee slapper…
Republicans Calling for Investigation Into Voter Fraud In Detroit After Jill Stein’s Recount Turns Up More Votes Than Actual Registered Voters in 37% of Detroit’s Precincts
falling ratings of all these “comic†shows show that the audience is limited.