Comedy in American politics: GVSU to host H.W. Brands for discussion

Politicians are easy targets as the butt of jokes, from everyday people to late-night talk show hosts and comedians, but there's a good chance the public is on the receiving end of ribbing from politicians as well.

Humor goes both ways, but it often feels in short supply amid the polarization, loneliness and resentment of modern-day American politics. 

Grand Valley State University's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies will host H.W. Brands, a noted author and presidential historian, to learn what he has discovered about the joke-telling chops of American presidents, the funny bone of the American people, and the serious role of humor in American democracy. 

H.W. Brands: Comedian-in-Chief: What Presidents' Humor Says About Them, and About Us

Thursday, February 7, at 7 p.m.

Eberhard Center, Grand Valley State University Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Room 215

The event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are requested at gvsu.edu/hc/events.

The event is presented in partnership with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum.

For more information, visit gvsu.edu/hc.