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It’s Never ‘Just a Joke’: The Political and Cultural Power of Comedy
On October 5, 2021, Netflix released a comedy special starring Dave Chappelle entitled The Closer. Throughout the special, Chappelle made...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 25, 20235 min read


Joke Like an Egyptian
On November 16, 2017, Egyptian satirist Islam al-Rifai walked into a trap set by authorities. The comedian believed he was attending a...
chiefofstaff1
Sep 20, 20194 min read


The Comedian President: Volodymyr Zelensky’s Victory in the April 2019 Ukrainian Elections
“ARMY, LANGUAGE, FAITH,” mockingly boomed an actor playing Petro Poroshenko, the former president of Ukraine, to an enthralled crowd in a...
chiefofstaff1
Jul 23, 20195 min read


Humor? I Hardly Know Her
The 2016 election was obviously pivotal for many reasons, including for members of the comedy community. As is the case with many others,...
chiefofstaff1
Feb 27, 20184 min read


Stephen Colbert and the Pitfalls of Modern Political Satire
The state of American political discourse is no laughing matter. Yet, the entire sub-genre of television constituting late-night comedy,...
chiefofstaff1
Nov 4, 20178 min read


Live from the Capitol, It’s Al Franken: Humor and the Left in the Trump Era
To most lay viewers of newly-elected Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, it...
chiefofstaff1
Apr 27, 20176 min read


BPR Interviews: Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho, a comedian and three-time Grammy Award winner, has worked in multiple creative industries, including film,...
chiefofstaff1
Nov 8, 20154 min read


Comedian-in-Chief: Cracking Jokes to Help Obamacare
President Obama sat down for an interview – or rather, comedy skit – with Zach Galifianakis on his web series “Between Two Ferns.”...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 13, 20143 min read
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