Details
Date: Thursday 20 November, 2025
Time: 3:30–5:00pm
Location: Orange Lecture Theatre, Building 80 (Room 080.02.007), RMIT University, Melbourne
In the face of a second Trump presidency and rising political fragmentation around the world, it has become clear that those across the political spectrum are not laughing at the same things. In this free public lecture, keynote speaker and special guest Professor Nick Marx (Colorado State University) urges for a renewed attention to the hegemonic pull of right-wing politics on United States’ and Global North comedy, humor, and satire. Presenting work from his book That’s Not Funny: How The Right Makes Comedy Work For Them (University of California Press, 2022), co-written with Matt Sienkiewicz, Professor Marx argues that it is both an intellectual and politically strategic mistake to assume that comedy has a liberal bias. For years, the right has been slowly building up a comedy-industrial complex, utilising the humorous, irony-laden media strategies of liberal comedians to garner audiences and supporters. Even though liberals struggle to acknowledge conservative humour — or dismiss it out of hand when they do — right-wing comedy has been hiding in plain sight, finding its way into mainstream conservative media through figures ranging from Fox News’s Greg Gutfeld to libertarian podcasters like Joe Rogan. Right-wing comedians may seem utterly appalling, sometimes surprisingly funny, or just plain weird. They are all, however, culturally and politically relevant, as the American right seizes spaces of comedy and irony previously held firmly by the left.
Professor Marx’s talk will be preceded by two short presentations considering the role of humour in other political contexts: Suchi Chowdhury (RMIT) on Narendra Modi’s use of humour against political opponents and marginalised groups in India, and Jack Brady (University of Melbourne) on the potential of political satire here in Australia. The lecture will be followed by a discussion and Q&A.
This event is presented by the Australian Comedy Studies Collective and supported by the United States Studies Centre (USSC) at the University of Sydney.
Presenters
Professor Nick Marx
Nick Marx is Professor of film and media studies, specializing in media studies, media industries, digital media, and American politics and culture at Colorado State University. He is author or co-editor of several books, including Sketch Comedy: Identity, Reflexivity, and American Television (Indiana University Press, 2019), The Comedy Studies Reader (University of Texas Press, 2018), and Saturday Night Live and American TV (Indiana University Press, 2013). His peer-reviewed research has appeared in The Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, Communication, Culture & Critique, Television and New Media, Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, and in the anthologies The Oxford Handbook of Screen Comedy (Oxford University Press, 2025), From Networks to Netflix: A Guide to Changing Channels (Routledge, 2022) and How to Watch Television (New York University Press, 2013). Nick’s most recent book is That’s Not Funny: How the Right Makes Comedy Work For Them (University of California Press, 2022), which analyzes the cultural influence and economic clout of libertarian and conservative comedians like Joe Rogan, Greg Gutfeld, Theo Von, Andrew Schulz, and Tim Allen. His current book project tracks the rise of right-wing blockbuster film, children’s programs, and pop music during the second Trump presidency.
Suchi Chowdhury
Suchi is a PhD student at RMIT University researching stand-up comedy in India and its engagement with the political. Born and raised in India, she moved to Melbourne 19 years ago and has worked in professional roles in TAFE and tertiary education. She has a master’s in Media and Communication Studies from Monash University. In her other life in India, she worked in advertising, journalism, and public relations. She has an MA in Comparative Literature from there.
Jack Brady
Jack Brady is an anthropologist and political science PhD candidate (completion imminent). They have a background in applied anthropology in regional and remote Australia, including community arts, cultural heritage, violence prevention and representational anthropology. Their PhD project looks at the politics of Australian comedy production, a pragmatic community-engaged project centring the lived experience of comedians to examine the potential of authentic irony (overidentification satire) as a tool of cultural democracy. This is particularly relevant today, as Australian comedians with marginalised identities act to counter right-wing cultural messaging at times using methods similar to post-Soviet covert forms of comedic representation.
Travel and Accessibility
Take a tram along Swanston Street to the RMIT University stop or a train to Melbourne Central station. Enter via Swanston Street. Some on-street parking available on La Trobe Street. See the RMIT City Campus mobility map for nearby accessible parking.