Bringing the Funny in the Age of Obama
The Onion's Joe Garden on comedy and politics after Bush
In conjunction with The Interactive Media Studies Program at Miami University of Ohio, reason's Nick Gillespie co-taught a class last fall called "Poltics, Culture, and New Media."
The course explored the theory and practice of new media, especially as it relates to cultural and political journalistic outlets. In alternating weeks, the course took place in classroom spaces on the Miami University campus and Reason's D.C. offices, where Gillespie, a Ph.D. in literature and a 20-year veteran of journalism, led web-based videoconferences with journalists, authors, and policy analysts.
On October 15, Gillespie and his class spoke with The Onion's Joe Garden, the longtime features article of what Reason magazine has called "the most intelligent newspaper" in America.
Joe Garden was born above a bar in Chicago, Illinois, in 1970. He began writing for The Onion in 1993. He created the recurring characters Jim Anchower, a stoner who is constantly bouncing between jobs and muddling his way through life, and Jackie Harvey, the Hollywood gossip columnist that lives in the Midwest. As features editor, Garden is responsible for overseeing the American Voices, Stat Shots, Infographics, and so on. He is co-author of several Onion books, including the recent Our Dumb Planet, as well as two parodies, The Dangerous Book For Dogs and The Devious Book For Cats.
Approximately 60 minutes.
Watch other discussions in this series:
Legendary political operative Roger Stone on new media and old campaign tricks (September 17, 2008).
reason Editor in Chief and McCain: The Myth of a Maverick author Matt Welch (October 1, 2008).
