Is the Fake News the Real News?

I believe that the news that is presented to us by programs like The Daily Show or The Rick Mercer Report is a mainstream form of culture jamming. Though this might not be the best news I also think that it is needed in the public sphere to allow the audiences to relax a little more than usual.  The way the news is portrayed on these channels allow the audiences to look at the news in a comedic way and allow them to get a good laugh here and there when the news gets too tough.

I think the best culture jam for the news is Saturday Night Live. “Culture jammers use their…in the production of meaning by creating spoofs…” (O’Shaugnessy, Stadler, 214) When I read this in the textbook my first thought was Saturday Night Live, because they do some really funny skits based on different news. Just this past weekend Saturday Night Live opened up the show with a skit about Rob Ford that has been going around for the past week. I find that this skit is used to just help release the tension that is building up with the audiences. Not saying what he did was correct, but just allowing people to relax. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoFddPKlbk0) This link is to the skit done if you want to watch it. The skit was done really well and while letting audiences know the news they put a comedy spin on it because they many have already heard what is going on so they lighten the mood.

“Culture jamming techniques can also be used simply to be clever and funny, without a political or critical motive.” (O’Shaugnessy, Stadler, 214) Some news channels or programs have no intention of using political views or critical points on purpose. The main goal is to create a program that is funny for the audiences. Shows like SNL and the Rick Mercer Report like to mix up their skits with some being all funny and others having some type of motive behind them. This is how they get huge audiences to watch, they allow those that know more about the news going on in the world lighten up and allow those that just want comedy to watch as well. I tend to like to watch the satirical programs more than the actual news because you not only get the base of what is going on, but you also get a little chuckle out of the skits and the way they display the news.

So in conclusion, satirical news reporting is mainstream form of culture jamming because these news shows are used to make political or critical events a little funny and allow these programs to help the mass audiences relax after days or weeks of hearing the same stories over and over again.