Employing satire and humor in facing a pandemic

Abstract This research employs the Theory of Planned Behavior and Focus Normative Conduct to convey how The Late Show with Stephen Colbert humor satire aim providing information, proffering injunctive norms, modifying attitudes subjective norms in its public audience, while exposing inefficacy behavioral controls urging authorities adopt effective ones instead. In earlier stages pandemic US, primarily appealed people change their behavior through invoking affiliations, foregrounding appropriate norms; at same time, repertoire included social political drawing on organizational institutional mechanisms control. As health crisis became increasingly politicized, redirected policies figures sought policymakers setting proper role models adopting wiser lead nation crisis. Meanwhile, individual responsibility was never spared satiric attempts as continued provide audience new scientific information encouraged them follow recommendations.