How to Use Humor in Politics (and Survive Political Talk With the Family at Thanksgiving)

The holidays are almost here, the election is coming up, and sooner or later somebody at the dinner table is probably going to bring up politics.

So before your intense uncle turns Thanksgiving into a cable news panel, let’s talk about humor. 😂

I recorded this episode in Springfield, Illinois, outside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Lincoln has always been my favorite president, and one of the biggest reasons is the way he used humor—not just to influence people, but to help himself get through incredibly difficult moments.

From Lincoln making fun of his own face during the Lincoln-Douglas debates, to Ronald Reagan joking after being shot, Richard Nixon showing up on Laugh-In, and Barack Obama going on Between Two Ferns after the healthcare.gov rollout, politicians have been using humor for a long time to connect, lower tension, and change the way people see them.

I also get into modern political comedy and my own theory about why feeling like you’re “in on the joke” can be so powerful. I talk about how I think Donald Trump tapped into that dynamic with his supporters, why political humor can feel different once someone is actually in power, and why I’ve started making more jokes, memes, and impressions about the news myself.

Not because the serious stuff suddenly stops mattering.

Because, as I say in the episode, humor doesn’t take our stresses away. It’s just a different way of carrying them.

Sometimes I need to stop doomscrolling and do a little laugh scrolling instead.

And with politics, elections, and family gatherings all colliding, I also share a couple practical ways to use humor when a conversation starts getting way too intense. We talk about the comic triple—two normal things followed by something ridiculous—and how turning the joke toward yourself or something everyone can agree is absurd can completely redirect the room.

So if Thanksgiving dinner starts turning into a debate stage, maybe instead of trying to win the argument, you can get everybody arguing about people who take their shoes off on airplanes instead.

Progress. 😂

This episode is about political humor, why laughter has always had a place in politics, how I use it to keep some perspective when the news feels relentless, and how a little levity might help all of us carry the heavy stuff without pretending it isn’t there.

Links:

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If you enjoyed this episode and want to build your own humor habit, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with someone who could use a little more levity in their life.

To learn more about Paul’s work, book him for speaking engagements, or explore the science behind humor and resilience, visit: 👉 https://www.paulosincup.com You can also dive deeper into the tools discussed in this episode in Paul’s book: 👉 The Humor Habit: https://www.paulosincup.com/thehumorhabit

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Episode Minute-By-Minute:

00:00 – Humor in Politics from Springfield, Illinois

01:00 – Abraham Lincoln Used Humor as Medicine

02:00 – Ronald Reagan Joked in an Incredibly Serious Moment

03:00 – Richard Nixon, Laugh-In, and Softening Your Image

04:00 – Obama, Between Two Ferns, and Humor After a Mess

05:00 – Political Comedy in the Modern Media Landscape

06:00 – Paul’s Theory on Trump, Humor, and Being “In on the Joke”

07:00 – Why Political Humor Hits Differently When You’re in Power

08:00 – Using Humor to Stay Sane While Reading the News

09:00 – Turning Political Headlines Into Jokes

10:00 – Doomscrolling vs. “Laugh Scrolling”

11:00 – Paul’s Trump Impression: The High Price of Eggs 😂

12:00 – Republic Hens, Egg Patties, and Political Satire

13:00 – Balancing the Gravity of the World With Levity

14:00 – The Comic Triple for Awkward Political Conversations

15:00 – Turning Political Tension Into a Joke Everyone Can Join

16:00 – Political Attack Ads for Your Own Job 😂