The Disappearing Spoon podcast looked into what it calls “The Dignity of the Ig Nobels — Winning an Ig Nobel Prize is largely considered a joke, but its benefits are no laughing matter”.
The podcast, with host Sam Kean, is a project of the Science History Institute. The introduction to this episode says:
The Ig Nobel Prize is the bizarro cousin of the Nobel Prize. Created in 1991 to promote a satirical science journal, the awards celebrate odd or unusual research that “makes people laugh, then think.” Reception in the scientific community has been mixed—some hate the awards and refuse to accept them, claiming they belittle scientific work. Others have glided proudly onto the stage to accept the honor. Despite the controversy, the Ig Nobels have grown into a beloved institution—and one with some surprising benefits to science.