Buddha's opinion on late night talk shows I am wondering what Buddha would have said about late night talk shows that are now busy making fun of Donald Trump. Do they break the precept on gossiping and frivolous talk since they are making fun of people. Its also true that they make people laugh and remove their sorrows for a while. Would this count as good Karma  -- to make people laugh?
No. The answer to this question can be found in Talaputa Sutta: To Talaputa the Actor (SN 42.2).  The Blessed One said:


  "Apparently, headman, I haven't been able to get past you by saying,
  'Enough, headman, put that aside. Don't ask me that.' So I will simply
  answer you. Any beings who are not devoid of passion to begin with,
  who are bound by the bond of passion, focus with even more passion on
  things inspiring passion presented by an actor on stage in the midst
  of a festival. Any beings who are not devoid of aversion to begin
  with, who are bound by the bond of aversion, focus with even more
  aversion on things inspiring aversion presented by an actor on stage
  in the midst of a festival. Any beings who are not devoid of delusion
  to begin with, who are bound by the bond of delusion, focus with even
  more delusion on things inspiring delusion presented by an actor on
  stage in the midst of a festival. Thus the actor — himself intoxicated
  &amp; heedless, having made others intoxicated &amp; heedless — with the
  breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in what is called the hell
  of laughter. But if he holds such a view as this: 'When an actor on
  the stage, in the midst of a festival, makes people laugh &amp; gives them
  delight with his imitation of reality, then with the breakup of the
  body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing devas,'
  that is his wrong view. Now, there are two destinations for a person
  with wrong view, I tell you: either hell or the animal womb."


Ref: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn42/sn42.002.than.html