Mark Critch on what social media means for satire
As reporting the news has changed with social media, so too has making fun of it, said Mark Critch, star of This Hour Has 22 Minutes at The National in Conversation: The Changing Nature of News.
"I think what's good is you get a very direct response from people right away," said Critch when asked about how satire has changed over time.
Now, he said, when he pokes fun at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he gets immediate feedback.
"People will say you're going too soft on him, and they'll also say that's not fair and then if you make fun of a Conservative person, all these people will start yelling at you online," he said.
In that chorus, he said, is sometimes the actual target of the joke. Critch gave the example of U.S. actor and Donald Trump supporter Scott Baio who tweeted at him after he made a joke about him.
In the end, Baio appeared on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and he and Critch read their tweets to each other.
"It gives you this access to make fun of someone and then have a dialogue with the people who hate you immediately."
