The rhetorical use of humour in politics: Ronald Reagan’s prowess as a “Great Communicator”

Humour is undoubtedly an omnipresent feature in our everyday lives, and the relevance and the volume of humorous contents we stumble upon on a daily basis while consuming media is unparalleled. As a matter of fact, humour has been invoked among public speakers since the dawn of times: Socrates, Aristotle, Plato and many other thinkers investigated the use of irony and jokes, acknowledging their potential in persuading an audience in a public setting. Humour’s power as an influential communication tool is illustrated by the fact that the two of the most popular and admired U.S. presidents of the modern era, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, had the most agreeable senses of humour. So why is it so effective? This dissertation’s aim is to analyse humour’s nature and its use in politics as a “rhetorical weapon”, with a deeper insight into Ronald’s Reagan speeches, considering that his rhetorical appeal was unique and highly effective and that his legacy as a “Great Communicator” remains a source of inspiration for many orators. Some of his most iconic humorous remarks were analysed in order to further explore the use of humour in the political realm and to examine the best ways for persuaders to use it to their own advantage to win over an audience.