Just a quick one, so I’ll pair it with another “theory-theory” piece.
In an interview with Robert DiGiacomo of Atlanticcityweekly.com (7/18/2017), Ron White talks briefly about doing political comedy.
Q: What’s it like doing comedy in the age of Trump?
A: It was my conscious decision to just do a performance and not get on a soapbox about my political views. I felt like I owed it to my fans who pay to see me in these very tumultuous times to make them laugh. My fans are dead-split in the middle, and I’m wrong all the time. I don’t pretend I know something you don’t know.
Q: So no Trump jokes for you?
A: I did a couple of things that were just funny — easy stuff — as far as Trump-bashing. That’s really low-hanging fruit, and I think my fans appreciate it. I can make them laugh as hard as they want and as long as I want to do it and that’s what they paid for.
Here, we see the all too common view that the comic “makes [an audience] laugh,” that they are objects that he acts upon, and he is in control.
White also expresses the view that the comic’s main goal (their intention) is to get that laugh – “that’s what they paid for.” He’s not even trying to do anything more.
