Comedy as a catalyst: How Congressman Curly uses humor to illustrate political division
July 18, 2024
Author: Jake Smiths
The political divide in the United States has never been more prominent, with multiple studies illustrating the glaring disagreement between Democrats and Republicans on various issues concerning the economy, climate change, international relations and engagement, law enforcement, and more. America's most renowned historians have expressed grave concerns about the country's future, distressed over the possibility of civil war, citing the parallelism of what occurs today with the events that transpired in the term of former president Abraham Lincoln.
Despite the rising political polarization and the threats to democracy accompanying it, one in ten Americans chooses not to engage in politics. They refuse to register to vote and often dismiss government and public affairs news. Political activist Tony Zorc, acknowledging that politicians tend to be handcuffed when uniting the nation and are often the main instigators of the divide, made it his mission to urge citizens to form political and cultural unity. Zorc established Congressman Curly, a non-profit entertainment company launched in October 2023. Its mission is to address the persisting issues surrounding the political divide starting in Southern Florida, Washington D.C and the Big Apple through music, comedy, and film.
After running as an independent presidential candidate for the 2024 U.S. elections (and dropping out), Zorc realized that the nation's problems are also heavily influenced by culture. Given this context, he spearheads a new approach to political unity. Music and film serve as effective ways of communication and play a pivotal albeit underrated role in politics. They have been long linked to political communication through resistance, protest, and propaganda. In recent years, political comedy has become more distinguished as a tool to deepen the attention span of audiences and educate them regarding corruption and division Zorc utilized these avenues to build the foundations of the Congressman Curly story, where he plays the roles of the villains (U.S. Congressman Curly, CEO Bo, and lobbyist Harry) and the heroes (citizen Dan, Congressional candidate Dave, and political activist Tony) in a fictitious movement called “Upgrade My Country."
In this story, Congressman Curly has represented the great state of Northern Virginia since 1978, making him the longest-serving U.S. Congressman. He holds the position of Party Leadership Committee Chair, making him the most powerful man in Washington. Although he presents himself as an altruistic public servant, he is one of the catalysts of division in the country. The Congressman urges individuals to climb the ranks in Congress to unlimited power and wealth, making him an excellent depiction of corruption and abuse of power. There is a call to end the reign of Curly to restore the U.S. government to one that unites and serves the people. The people can remove the despicable public servant from power through donations (with a promise of tax-deductible contributions), which will be used to spread awareness regarding Curly and his ways–a necessary effort to end the nation's political polarization.
The non-profit entertainment company has recently unveiled the release dates for its music catalog, consisting of over 25 songs in pop, rap, jazz, rock, and blues. Congressman Curly will release the catalog as singles once every four weeks over the next two years on the most popular streaming sites, such as Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and Spotify. The tracks Beast Congressman and Ya Know I'm Busy are already out for everyone to enjoy.
"We plan to incorporate the music into standup comedy and short films starting next year. An off-broadway musical is also in the works, which has a planned launch in the first quarter of 2026. We believe this music catalog will be useful in spreading awareness of the underlying issues contributing to the widening divide in our country. Plus they're fun to listen to," Executive Director Zorc happily shared. Zorc is currently on a comedy tour in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Southern Florida. With this, Congressman Curly, spearheaded by the visionary Tony Zorc, showcases its commitment to helping individuals navigate political turbulence through humor, music, and film.