As Ian Ellis writes, "Political humour, in the hands of our finest satirists, involves delving and questioning, thereby unveiling truths and alternative perspectives the political establishment would prefer kept hidden and unspoken."
In recent years, the U.S. has seen a major resurgence in political humour with The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and to a lesser extent Saturday Night Live serving up savage satire to a huge fan base. These political humour shows are producing more than just chuckles. Academics in the US have found that watching these shows actually improves political engagement among audience members. Viewers are more likely to closely follow the events lampooned by the programs, to attend campaign events, and join political organizations. In some cases, the likelihood of voting even increases among the audience.