| |
| author |
Rebecca Mir
| | title |
Political Parody Songs and the 2020 Presidential Election
| | abstract |
This dissertation examines the political parody songs of the 2020 presidential
election in order to provide insight into a contentious election and polarized nation. Over
four hundred political parody songs commented on the 2020 presidential campaign, more
than double the number of parodies on record for the election held four years earlier. In
order to better understand the political climate in which these parodies were written, this
dissertation will first discuss the rise of populism and populist rhetoric in the United
States, followed by a discussion of postmodern satire, which includes the genre of
truthiness satire. Then, some of the most popular parodies of the 2016 presidential
election will be examined, and Randy Rainbow—one of the genre's most popular and
prolific songwriters—will be introduced. Finally, the political parody songs of the 2020
election will be discussed, divided into five categories: the Mueller investigation,
Trump's impeachment, the Democratic candidates (excluding Biden), the COVID-19
pandemic, and the two presidential candidates, Biden and Trump. This dissertation will
conclude by briefly discussing trends in political parody songs after the 2020 presidential
election and during the first nine months of Trump's second presidency.
| | school |
The Caspersen School of Graduate Studies, Drew University
| | degree |
D.Litt. (2026)
|
| advisor |
Robert W Butts
|
| committee |
Leslie A Sprout
|
| full text | RMir.pdf |
| |
