The piece of comedy news I’ve chose to analyze is a segment from The Daily Show with Trevor Noah called Jordan Klepper – What do Trump Supporters Think About Covid-19? The segment is a field piece with correspondent Jordan Klepper attending a Trump rally and satirizing and critiquing the Trump supporters. Klepper showcases the trolling style of comedy, as mentioned in the week six reading, however in a different way from John Oliver.

Firstly, Klepper asks questions in way that creates a smaller option for answers. For instance instead of saying “Are you pro-life [on abortion]?” which could be answered with a whole range of answers, he phrases it as “You’re pro-life.” in a way that is more like a statement than a question as if he already knows what the answer will be (which at a Trump rally, you can expect what the answer would be).

Secondly, he reels the Trump supporters in by making them confirm his statement, before asking them another question designed to be answered in a way that contradicts their original answer. For instance in this exchange in the video:

Klepper: You’re pro life.

Interviewee: of course.

K: You think it’s important for Americans to do whatever they can to protect a human life.

I: Yes.

K: Why aren’t you wearing a mask?

I: I mean… again… it’s a personal choice I think.

He then double downs and goes along with there answer repeating it to them a few times to drive home their flawed logic to the audience without the interviewee realizing what he is doing. For instance in the continuation of the previous exchange:

Interviewee (continued): If everybody was wearing them and everybody said put a mask on I would respect every bodies wishes and put one one. We’re not sheep!

Klepper: You’re not sheep, you’re not sheep. But if everybody here was wearing masks?

I: If everyone was wearing one [I would], but again we’re not sheeple.

K: You’re not sheeple.

I: We’re not.

K: So you’re going to look at what everybody is doing and you’re going to follow along.

I: That’s it.

K: But not sheeple.

I: Not sheeple.

Klepper showcases his trolling ability by live satirizing people to their face without them realizing what he is doing in this video.