The New Media News Cycle and How Comedians Are Getting Involved

The news cycle has drastically increased in the recent years with new media like Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media. Stand up comics used to have to wait days, possibly weeks to comment on current events but now they can comment on news as its breaking. The American viewing audience was used to waiting for Johnny Carson to recap the days events in a comedic fashion.

As soon as the news that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's marriage was ending the Internet lit up with jokes about the impending divorce. Arnold Schwarzenegger's breakup was often satirized using quotes and titles from Arnold's storied movie career. The even more recent revelation that Arnold had a love child with their maid has done nothing to decrease the number of jokes or online volleys being lobbed at the Terminator. Prior to the days of social media, the only jokes being aimed at celebrities would be from professional stand up comedians on television, now it seems everyone with a Facebook or Twitter account is cracking jokes on pop culture.

Osama Bin Laden was a time of joy for many and somber reflection for others. For the sardonic stars of the web it was a time to flex their comedic chops once again. Unlike some national events where it seems that their may be a too soon factor, their appeared to be no one holding back the online taunts of America's former number one enemy. People cracked wise about the way he was killed, how he was killed or even at the length it took to complete the mission. Even former President Bush's lack of success in capturing Bin Laden became another angle for comedians. By the time the stars of late night comedy shows got a hold of the Bin Laden story, 30+ hours after the announcement for most shows, the story had already been worn through the stand up comedic mill on Twitter.

Late night monologues used to almost be a news source in and of themselves. Now with the instant news feed most people are connected to it seem like more of a recap of events that has already played out in the public's consciousness. Sporting events are also being targeted by online stand up comics as an additional source of material. A particular crazy play or player can insight a lot of online traffic on Twitter, there by starting a trending topic and then providing a common news event for stand up comics to riff off of. Andrew Bynum's hard foul in the play offs became the set up for a plethora of online punch lines.

Sports, hard news, or celebrity gossip the cycle for any kind of news has been drastically shortened. Social media has empowered everyone to believe they have a voice, and many are using that to act as stand up comedians. From here forward it seems like stand up comedians have established themselves as online satirists and have become engrained in the new media news cycle.

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