Ian Brodie
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781628461824
- eISBN:
- 9781626740921
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781628461824.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Film, Media, and Cultural Studies
This book uses a folkloristic approach to stand-up comedy, engaging the discipline's central method of studying interpersonal, artistic communication and performance. Because stand-up comedy is a ...
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This book uses a folkloristic approach to stand-up comedy, engaging the discipline's central method of studying interpersonal, artistic communication and performance. Because stand-up comedy is a rather broad category, people who study it often begin by relating it to something they recognize—“literature” or “theater”; “editorial” or “morality”—and analyze it accordingly. This book begins with a more fundamental observation: someone is standing in front of a group of people, talking to them directly, and trying to make them laugh. So this book takes the moment of performance as its focus, that stand-up comedy is a collaborative act between the comedian and the audience. Although the form of talk on the stage resembles talk among friends and intimates in social settings, stand-up comedy remains a profession. As such, it requires performance outside of the comedian's own community to gain larger and larger audiences. How do comedians recreate that atmosphere of intimacy in a roomful of strangers? This book regards everything from microphones to clothing and LPs to Twitter as strategies for bridging the spatial, temporal, and socio-cultural distances between the performer and the audience.Less
This book uses a folkloristic approach to stand-up comedy, engaging the discipline's central method of studying interpersonal, artistic communication and performance. Because stand-up comedy is a rather broad category, people who study it often begin by relating it to something they recognize—“literature” or “theater”; “editorial” or “morality”—and analyze it accordingly. This book begins with a more fundamental observation: someone is standing in front of a group of people, talking to them directly, and trying to make them laugh. So this book takes the moment of performance as its focus, that stand-up comedy is a collaborative act between the comedian and the audience. Although the form of talk on the stage resembles talk among friends and intimates in social settings, stand-up comedy remains a profession. As such, it requires performance outside of the comedian's own community to gain larger and larger audiences. How do comedians recreate that atmosphere of intimacy in a roomful of strangers? This book regards everything from microphones to clothing and LPs to Twitter as strategies for bridging the spatial, temporal, and socio-cultural distances between the performer and the audience.
Willard Spiegelman
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195368130
- eISBN:
- 9780199852192
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195368130.003.0010
- Subject:
- Literature, Poetry
This chapter criticizes the works of American poet Irving Feldman. It suggests that Feldman can be considered a poet comedian and a multifaceted performer extraordinaire and explains that the ...
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This chapter criticizes the works of American poet Irving Feldman. It suggests that Feldman can be considered a poet comedian and a multifaceted performer extraordinaire and explains that the development of his poetry over more than four decades roughly parallels the changes of fashion in American poetry. It argues that though Feldman is connected to some of the styles and truisms of post-modern thought, he remains solidly rooted in many traditions of the 19th century.Less
This chapter criticizes the works of American poet Irving Feldman. It suggests that Feldman can be considered a poet comedian and a multifaceted performer extraordinaire and explains that the development of his poetry over more than four decades roughly parallels the changes of fashion in American poetry. It argues that though Feldman is connected to some of the styles and truisms of post-modern thought, he remains solidly rooted in many traditions of the 19th century.
Fatemeh Keshavarz
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780748696925
- eISBN:
- 9781474408608
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748696925.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature
This chapter discusses the light-hearted ways in which Sa’di connects to his readers as a comedian. His goal the chapter argues is to infuse the most sacred and serious moments with laughter. For ...
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This chapter discusses the light-hearted ways in which Sa’di connects to his readers as a comedian. His goal the chapter argues is to infuse the most sacred and serious moments with laughter. For this purpose the chapter makes use of Sa’di’s long and celebrated poem the tarji’band, and provides the full translation of the poem.Less
This chapter discusses the light-hearted ways in which Sa’di connects to his readers as a comedian. His goal the chapter argues is to infuse the most sacred and serious moments with laughter. For this purpose the chapter makes use of Sa’di’s long and celebrated poem the tarji’band, and provides the full translation of the poem.
Peter Buse, Núria Triana Toribio, and Andy Willis
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719071362
- eISBN:
- 9781781700952
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719071362.003.0023
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
Muertos de risa tells the story of the rise and fall of two fictional stars of Spanish popular television, the comedians Nino and Bruno. One of its most striking aspects is its retro style and 1970s ...
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Muertos de risa tells the story of the rise and fall of two fictional stars of Spanish popular television, the comedians Nino and Bruno. One of its most striking aspects is its retro style and 1970s look. Costume is another essential ingredient in the film, recreating the past. The costumes in Muertos de risa are fastidiously created to complement the sets and give the impression of verisimilitude. Muertos de risa emphasises how important television was as a shared experience and how it produced memories held in common. The film, as a whole, suggests that the political legacy of the past should not be forgotten as the past is revisited from the safety of the present. And yet, one is entitled to be critical about the nostalgia, which remains in the film for such ‘communal’ viewing events.Less
Muertos de risa tells the story of the rise and fall of two fictional stars of Spanish popular television, the comedians Nino and Bruno. One of its most striking aspects is its retro style and 1970s look. Costume is another essential ingredient in the film, recreating the past. The costumes in Muertos de risa are fastidiously created to complement the sets and give the impression of verisimilitude. Muertos de risa emphasises how important television was as a shared experience and how it produced memories held in common. The film, as a whole, suggests that the political legacy of the past should not be forgotten as the past is revisited from the safety of the present. And yet, one is entitled to be critical about the nostalgia, which remains in the film for such ‘communal’ viewing events.
Indira Ghose
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719076923
- eISBN:
- 9781781700983
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719076923.003.0004
- Subject:
- Literature, Shakespeare Studies
This chapter focuses on changes in early modern humour. The first few decades of the professional theatre had been dominated by star comedians such as Dick Tarlton and Will Kemp. In the 1590s, ...
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This chapter focuses on changes in early modern humour. The first few decades of the professional theatre had been dominated by star comedians such as Dick Tarlton and Will Kemp. In the 1590s, tragedians took over. A shift in taste is discernible, away from the pratfalls and improvisational repartee of the early generation of comedians. Shakespearean clowns are largely replaced by wise fools, quibbles and puns take the place of malapropisms and scurrilous humour. A similar development might be traced in the burgeoning genre of jestbook literature. A closer look at Twelfth Night reveals that, in William Shakespeare's last romantic comedy, he incorporates many of the trends in laughter outlined so far.Less
This chapter focuses on changes in early modern humour. The first few decades of the professional theatre had been dominated by star comedians such as Dick Tarlton and Will Kemp. In the 1590s, tragedians took over. A shift in taste is discernible, away from the pratfalls and improvisational repartee of the early generation of comedians. Shakespearean clowns are largely replaced by wise fools, quibbles and puns take the place of malapropisms and scurrilous humour. A similar development might be traced in the burgeoning genre of jestbook literature. A closer look at Twelfth Night reveals that, in William Shakespeare's last romantic comedy, he incorporates many of the trends in laughter outlined so far.
Kathryn H. Fuller-Seeley
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780520295049
- eISBN:
- 9780520967946
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520295049.003.0009
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Radio
Jack Benny and his radio program faced numerous challenges during World War II – difficult performances at military camps, key personnel lost to the draft, mediocre comedy, and creative ennui. Benny ...
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Jack Benny and his radio program faced numerous challenges during World War II – difficult performances at military camps, key personnel lost to the draft, mediocre comedy, and creative ennui. Benny and new writers bounced back, starting in 1945, innovating with new radio characters like Mel Blanc’s violin teacher and train announcer, Frank Nelson’s obnoxious functionaries, and disdainful neighbors Ronald and Benita Colman. The “I Can’t Stand Jack Benny” context brought critical acclaim. Then a new generation of radio critics, led by John Crosby, used Benny as the symbol of all that was stale and old in primetime network broadcasting. Benny and his writers alternately complained, fought back, and innovated to regain both popular and critical acclaim.Less
Jack Benny and his radio program faced numerous challenges during World War II – difficult performances at military camps, key personnel lost to the draft, mediocre comedy, and creative ennui. Benny and new writers bounced back, starting in 1945, innovating with new radio characters like Mel Blanc’s violin teacher and train announcer, Frank Nelson’s obnoxious functionaries, and disdainful neighbors Ronald and Benita Colman. The “I Can’t Stand Jack Benny” context brought critical acclaim. Then a new generation of radio critics, led by John Crosby, used Benny as the symbol of all that was stale and old in primetime network broadcasting. Benny and his writers alternately complained, fought back, and innovated to regain both popular and critical acclaim.
Gabriella Oldham and Mabel Langdon
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780813169651
- eISBN:
- 9780813169996
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813169651.003.0001
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
This section sets the background for the telling of Langdon’s story, which is divided into three phases. It also tells the story of how this biography came to be and expresses the author’s hope that ...
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This section sets the background for the telling of Langdon’s story, which is divided into three phases. It also tells the story of how this biography came to be and expresses the author’s hope that after many years of development, this book reflects both the hard work of the scholars involved and the memories of wife Mabel and son Harry Jr. of this man who was a comic genius.Less
This section sets the background for the telling of Langdon’s story, which is divided into three phases. It also tells the story of how this biography came to be and expresses the author’s hope that after many years of development, this book reflects both the hard work of the scholars involved and the memories of wife Mabel and son Harry Jr. of this man who was a comic genius.
Alex Symons
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780748649587
- eISBN:
- 9780748676484
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748649587.003.0004
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
This chapter focuses on Brooks's career as a film and TV comedian. Brooks, like so many other comedians, capitalised on each subsequent role by recycling material from previous appearances. In fact, ...
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This chapter focuses on Brooks's career as a film and TV comedian. Brooks, like so many other comedians, capitalised on each subsequent role by recycling material from previous appearances. In fact, his career can be usefully divided into three distinct campaigns, in which he cultivated an evolving persona. While Brooks's idiolect is certainly dependent on audience familiarity, his image is characterised by regular and significant change. Through a broad and prolonged history of intermedial adaptations, Brooks's career has been marked by transitions into various personas, ranging from his zany Yiddish goof in his 2000 Year Old Man audio performances, to his anarchic, Groucho Marx-style persona in his film Blazing Saddles (1974), to his endearing old gent ‘Uncle Phil’ in the sitcom Mad About You. These shifts demonstrate his ability to drastically adapt the material to meet the expectations of new eras as the cultural industries continue to change.Less
This chapter focuses on Brooks's career as a film and TV comedian. Brooks, like so many other comedians, capitalised on each subsequent role by recycling material from previous appearances. In fact, his career can be usefully divided into three distinct campaigns, in which he cultivated an evolving persona. While Brooks's idiolect is certainly dependent on audience familiarity, his image is characterised by regular and significant change. Through a broad and prolonged history of intermedial adaptations, Brooks's career has been marked by transitions into various personas, ranging from his zany Yiddish goof in his 2000 Year Old Man audio performances, to his anarchic, Groucho Marx-style persona in his film Blazing Saddles (1974), to his endearing old gent ‘Uncle Phil’ in the sitcom Mad About You. These shifts demonstrate his ability to drastically adapt the material to meet the expectations of new eras as the cultural industries continue to change.
Ian Brodie
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781628461824
- eISBN:
- 9781626740921
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781628461824.003.0004
- Subject:
- Literature, Film, Media, and Cultural Studies
This chapter talks about how stand-up comedy requires the presence of someone at the comedian's performance to react and move the performance along. Taking the “unmediated performance” as a starting ...
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This chapter talks about how stand-up comedy requires the presence of someone at the comedian's performance to react and move the performance along. Taking the “unmediated performance” as a starting point, the chapter examines the possibility of an immediate and spontaneous coding and decoding of linguistic, paralinguistic, and kinesic symbols between performer and audience. Such an event is communicative, where there is at least one “encoder” (performer) and one “decoder” (audience member), between whom there is direct communication. Within stand-up comedy, the aim is to retain both the connection with the audience and the notion of the stage as a concession to performance. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of the microphone, since the use of amplification allowed for comic performances in a voice that did not have to struggle to be heard above a crowd. The microphone, together with the stage, allows for the performer to control the situation by drawing focus to him- or herself.Less
This chapter talks about how stand-up comedy requires the presence of someone at the comedian's performance to react and move the performance along. Taking the “unmediated performance” as a starting point, the chapter examines the possibility of an immediate and spontaneous coding and decoding of linguistic, paralinguistic, and kinesic symbols between performer and audience. Such an event is communicative, where there is at least one “encoder” (performer) and one “decoder” (audience member), between whom there is direct communication. Within stand-up comedy, the aim is to retain both the connection with the audience and the notion of the stage as a concession to performance. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of the microphone, since the use of amplification allowed for comic performances in a voice that did not have to struggle to be heard above a crowd. The microphone, together with the stage, allows for the performer to control the situation by drawing focus to him- or herself.
Ian Brodie
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781628461824
- eISBN:
- 9781626740921
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781628461824.003.0005
- Subject:
- Literature, Film, Media, and Cultural Studies
This chapter focuses on determining who the stand-up is by exploring some conceptions about what stand-up comedy is and what the stand-up comedian does. To identify oneself as a “stand-up comedian” ...
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This chapter focuses on determining who the stand-up is by exploring some conceptions about what stand-up comedy is and what the stand-up comedian does. To identify oneself as a “stand-up comedian” is to assume a social identity with various connotations and expectations. Stand-up comedians understand themselves as cultural figures: they have an informed understanding on the role of the stand-up comedian in modern society. Referring to comedian Ron James as its primary example, the chapter examines how fans and comedians understand the role of the comedian and comedy through the lens of vernacular theory. It then turns to a study of the narratives that comedians tell about themselves, which complement their onstage performances of non-autobiographic material. These narratives frame the performed material for the audience, providing the lens through which it is meant to be interpreted.Less
This chapter focuses on determining who the stand-up is by exploring some conceptions about what stand-up comedy is and what the stand-up comedian does. To identify oneself as a “stand-up comedian” is to assume a social identity with various connotations and expectations. Stand-up comedians understand themselves as cultural figures: they have an informed understanding on the role of the stand-up comedian in modern society. Referring to comedian Ron James as its primary example, the chapter examines how fans and comedians understand the role of the comedian and comedy through the lens of vernacular theory. It then turns to a study of the narratives that comedians tell about themselves, which complement their onstage performances of non-autobiographic material. These narratives frame the performed material for the audience, providing the lens through which it is meant to be interpreted.
Ian Brodie
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781628461824
- eISBN:
- 9781626740921
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781628461824.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, Film, Media, and Cultural Studies
This chapter considers how the stand-up comedian makes claims to further complement social identities that locate her or him in relation to the audience beyond that single pairing of “stand-up ...
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This chapter considers how the stand-up comedian makes claims to further complement social identities that locate her or him in relation to the audience beyond that single pairing of “stand-up comedian” and “stand-up comedy audience.” Comedians locate themselves and their narratives in a specific time and place; their sense of marginalization is made more explicit, and they establish a relationship with the audience in terms of shared, overlapping, or oppositional social identities that exist independent of the performance relationship. While on stage, stand-up comedians project their personal charisma and tell their stories just like other professional performers do. But stand-up comedy is a different kind of performance. Musicians, for example, perform music, and the non-musical moments are easily distinguishable from the musical ones. Such is not the case with stand-up comedy, where the narrator is understood as similar to the protagonist of his or her first-person narratives.Less
This chapter considers how the stand-up comedian makes claims to further complement social identities that locate her or him in relation to the audience beyond that single pairing of “stand-up comedian” and “stand-up comedy audience.” Comedians locate themselves and their narratives in a specific time and place; their sense of marginalization is made more explicit, and they establish a relationship with the audience in terms of shared, overlapping, or oppositional social identities that exist independent of the performance relationship. While on stage, stand-up comedians project their personal charisma and tell their stories just like other professional performers do. But stand-up comedy is a different kind of performance. Musicians, for example, perform music, and the non-musical moments are easily distinguishable from the musical ones. Such is not the case with stand-up comedy, where the narrator is understood as similar to the protagonist of his or her first-person narratives.
Ian Brodie
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781628461824
- eISBN:
- 9781626740921
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781628461824.003.0007
- Subject:
- Literature, Film, Media, and Cultural Studies
This chapter delves into what the comedian says is a detached observer. In this manner, the stand-up comedian is seen as “outside” enough that what he or she has to say is interesting, as opposed to ...
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This chapter delves into what the comedian says is a detached observer. In this manner, the stand-up comedian is seen as “outside” enough that what he or she has to say is interesting, as opposed to when the comedian is seen as “inside” enough to be permitted to speak frankly with, to, and, for the audience. The chapter argues that stand-up comedy is the professionalization of everyday talk, small talk, or “talking shit”—talk that exists in the informal realm of play and leisure and is distinguished from serious talk. Professionalization brings heightened expectations of consistent competency, particularly stemming from the comedian's place within an exchange economy. The stand-up comedian is, on one level, a professional tourist, endlessly casting his or her gaze on difference, to communicate that experience of difference to an ever-changing audience.Less
This chapter delves into what the comedian says is a detached observer. In this manner, the stand-up comedian is seen as “outside” enough that what he or she has to say is interesting, as opposed to when the comedian is seen as “inside” enough to be permitted to speak frankly with, to, and, for the audience. The chapter argues that stand-up comedy is the professionalization of everyday talk, small talk, or “talking shit”—talk that exists in the informal realm of play and leisure and is distinguished from serious talk. Professionalization brings heightened expectations of consistent competency, particularly stemming from the comedian's place within an exchange economy. The stand-up comedian is, on one level, a professional tourist, endlessly casting his or her gaze on difference, to communicate that experience of difference to an ever-changing audience.
Daniel R. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781529200157
- eISBN:
- 9781529200195
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781529200157.003.0002
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Movements and Social Change
This chapter provides a sociological theory of the stand-up comedian. It seeks to establish a theory of humour which arises in modern societies and the sociality that drives such humour. Although ...
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This chapter provides a sociological theory of the stand-up comedian. It seeks to establish a theory of humour which arises in modern societies and the sociality that drives such humour. Although there are philosophical theories of humour, as well as anthropological theories of comedy figures – clowns, jokers, jesters, fools, tricksters – this chapter argues that a sociological theory of humour needs to be sensitive to the type of sociality, personhood and collective representations which drive contemporary stand-up comedy. To this end it outlines stand-up comedy as the art of ‘intra-personal’ relations where ‘self-other’, stranger sociality is built, improvised and performatively situated.Less
This chapter provides a sociological theory of the stand-up comedian. It seeks to establish a theory of humour which arises in modern societies and the sociality that drives such humour. Although there are philosophical theories of humour, as well as anthropological theories of comedy figures – clowns, jokers, jesters, fools, tricksters – this chapter argues that a sociological theory of humour needs to be sensitive to the type of sociality, personhood and collective representations which drive contemporary stand-up comedy. To this end it outlines stand-up comedy as the art of ‘intra-personal’ relations where ‘self-other’, stranger sociality is built, improvised and performatively situated.
Daniel R. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781529200157
- eISBN:
- 9781529200195
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781529200157.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Movements and Social Change
This chapter brings together themes and arguments from the preceding chapters to outline a theory of stand-up comedians as proto-sociologists. It begins by outlining a potential ‘subterranean’ ...
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This chapter brings together themes and arguments from the preceding chapters to outline a theory of stand-up comedians as proto-sociologists. It begins by outlining a potential ‘subterranean’ history of the elective affinity between New Left, ‘Alt. Comedy’ and British sociology. From this the chapter explores the distinctive figuration of and mode of critique provided by the stand-up comedian as a proto-sociologist. This is then illustrated through a reading of four contemporary stand-up comedians and their potential contribution to sociological knowledge.Less
This chapter brings together themes and arguments from the preceding chapters to outline a theory of stand-up comedians as proto-sociologists. It begins by outlining a potential ‘subterranean’ history of the elective affinity between New Left, ‘Alt. Comedy’ and British sociology. From this the chapter explores the distinctive figuration of and mode of critique provided by the stand-up comedian as a proto-sociologist. This is then illustrated through a reading of four contemporary stand-up comedians and their potential contribution to sociological knowledge.
Russell Frank
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781604739282
- eISBN:
- 9781604739299
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781604739282.003.0010
- Subject:
- Literature, Folk Literature
This concluding chapter sums up the key findings of this study on the so-called newslore or the folklore on the Internet. It speculates on the future of newslore and highlights some observations ...
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This concluding chapter sums up the key findings of this study on the so-called newslore or the folklore on the Internet. It speculates on the future of newslore and highlights some observations about newslore. These include the decline in the quality of newer material and the dominance of the latest “bons mots” of the late-night comedian in humor web sites. This chapter also suggests that while much newslore is grounded in skepticism and not cynicism, much of it feeds on credulousness.Less
This concluding chapter sums up the key findings of this study on the so-called newslore or the folklore on the Internet. It speculates on the future of newslore and highlights some observations about newslore. These include the decline in the quality of newer material and the dominance of the latest “bons mots” of the late-night comedian in humor web sites. This chapter also suggests that while much newslore is grounded in skepticism and not cynicism, much of it feeds on credulousness.
David Gurney
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781617030062
- eISBN:
- 9781617030079
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781617030062.003.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Comics Studies
This chapter examines late-night television comedy programs and the reasons why the format largely failed to address the complexity of 9/11, either at all or with humor. It first considers the ...
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This chapter examines late-night television comedy programs and the reasons why the format largely failed to address the complexity of 9/11, either at all or with humor. It first considers the comedic practices of late-night talk show hosts such as Bill Maher, and the discursive formation they constituted before, during, and immediately after the 9/11 attacks. It then discusses the comedians’ reactions to the events and the call to approach news topics more “seriously.” It also assesses the long-term (non)effects of the 9/11 attacks on late-night talk show humor to determine the adaptability and resilience of this form of mediated political comedy. The chapter concludes by arguing that late-night television comedy, despite becoming a more pluralistic space that allows potentially divisive opinions to enter broader public discourse, may also become a venue for external forces to police that space.Less
This chapter examines late-night television comedy programs and the reasons why the format largely failed to address the complexity of 9/11, either at all or with humor. It first considers the comedic practices of late-night talk show hosts such as Bill Maher, and the discursive formation they constituted before, during, and immediately after the 9/11 attacks. It then discusses the comedians’ reactions to the events and the call to approach news topics more “seriously.” It also assesses the long-term (non)effects of the 9/11 attacks on late-night talk show humor to determine the adaptability and resilience of this form of mediated political comedy. The chapter concludes by arguing that late-night television comedy, despite becoming a more pluralistic space that allows potentially divisive opinions to enter broader public discourse, may also become a venue for external forces to police that space.
Lanita Jacobs
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781617030062
- eISBN:
- 9781617030079
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781617030062.003.0003
- Subject:
- Literature, Comics Studies
This chapter examines how, even in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, many African American stand-up comedians displayed an ambivalent patriotism—indeed, a pervasive Du Boisian ...
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This chapter examines how, even in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, many African American stand-up comedians displayed an ambivalent patriotism—indeed, a pervasive Du Boisian “double consciousness” still felt by many African Americans. It shows that these comedians were sympathetic to the victims of 9/11, but whipped up jokes that called into question the clarity of the “us vs. them” distinction that white America largely embraced after the attacks. It discusses the issue of race and racial difference in 9/11-related jokes and considers the Arab or Middle Easterner as the “new nigger” theme in many urban comedy clubs. It also looks at audience reactions to 9/11 humor, noting how not all jokes managed to elicit laughter. Finally, it considers 9/11 jokes as a form of political commentary that offer cautionary perspectives about America’s war on terrorism and its sociopolitical ramifications.Less
This chapter examines how, even in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, many African American stand-up comedians displayed an ambivalent patriotism—indeed, a pervasive Du Boisian “double consciousness” still felt by many African Americans. It shows that these comedians were sympathetic to the victims of 9/11, but whipped up jokes that called into question the clarity of the “us vs. them” distinction that white America largely embraced after the attacks. It discusses the issue of race and racial difference in 9/11-related jokes and considers the Arab or Middle Easterner as the “new nigger” theme in many urban comedy clubs. It also looks at audience reactions to 9/11 humor, noting how not all jokes managed to elicit laughter. Finally, it considers 9/11 jokes as a form of political commentary that offer cautionary perspectives about America’s war on terrorism and its sociopolitical ramifications.
Arna Bontemps
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252037696
- eISBN:
- 9780252094958
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252037696.003.0028
- Subject:
- History, African-American History
This chapter focuses on Negro theater in Illinois. In May 1877, a Negro troupe played Out of Bondage in Chicago, and the Daily Inter Ocean described the performance as “one of the very best ...
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This chapter focuses on Negro theater in Illinois. In May 1877, a Negro troupe played Out of Bondage in Chicago, and the Daily Inter Ocean described the performance as “one of the very best representations of slave life as it existed before the war that has ever been presented to the public.” But it was the arrival of Sam T. Jacks and his Creole Show in Chicago in 1893 that ushered in a new phase of the Negro's evolution in the theater. The chapter first considers minstrelsy and minstrel shows featuring actors in blackface before turning to various comedians, vocalists, and dancers who performed in musicals and other shows during the period, including Bert Williams and George Walker. It also looks at Chicago's Pekin Theater, opened by Robert Motts, that showcased black performers such as Charles Gilpin, Bill Robinson, Abbie Mitchell, Lottie Grady, Nettie Lewis, and Elizabeth Hart Scott.Less
This chapter focuses on Negro theater in Illinois. In May 1877, a Negro troupe played Out of Bondage in Chicago, and the Daily Inter Ocean described the performance as “one of the very best representations of slave life as it existed before the war that has ever been presented to the public.” But it was the arrival of Sam T. Jacks and his Creole Show in Chicago in 1893 that ushered in a new phase of the Negro's evolution in the theater. The chapter first considers minstrelsy and minstrel shows featuring actors in blackface before turning to various comedians, vocalists, and dancers who performed in musicals and other shows during the period, including Bert Williams and George Walker. It also looks at Chicago's Pekin Theater, opened by Robert Motts, that showcased black performers such as Charles Gilpin, Bill Robinson, Abbie Mitchell, Lottie Grady, Nettie Lewis, and Elizabeth Hart Scott.
Catherine Diamond
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824835842
- eISBN:
- 9780824871840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824835842.003.0002
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
This chapter discusses how Mae Naak and Phra Ram—characters who exist in parallel worlds, yet on some level must intertwine—both appear prominently in Thai theatre. Mae Naak is a local female ...
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This chapter discusses how Mae Naak and Phra Ram—characters who exist in parallel worlds, yet on some level must intertwine—both appear prominently in Thai theatre. Mae Naak is a local female commoner who becomes an avenging ghost, while Phra Ram is a foreign male king. Mae Naak's cult is that of irrational indigenous women; Phra Ram is the standard-bearer of patriarchal Brahmanism in the court. Bangkok's contemporary working-class comedy, talok café, often juxtaposes the two worlds: a clean and proper world shaped by social rules and morals (public arena), and a dark and absurd world (private space). Many serious dramas reveal the former as the domain of the male and the latter as that of the female. It is the duty of Thai comedians to erase and blur the lines that divide these spaces.Less
This chapter discusses how Mae Naak and Phra Ram—characters who exist in parallel worlds, yet on some level must intertwine—both appear prominently in Thai theatre. Mae Naak is a local female commoner who becomes an avenging ghost, while Phra Ram is a foreign male king. Mae Naak's cult is that of irrational indigenous women; Phra Ram is the standard-bearer of patriarchal Brahmanism in the court. Bangkok's contemporary working-class comedy, talok café, often juxtaposes the two worlds: a clean and proper world shaped by social rules and morals (public arena), and a dark and absurd world (private space). Many serious dramas reveal the former as the domain of the male and the latter as that of the female. It is the duty of Thai comedians to erase and blur the lines that divide these spaces.
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226431642
- eISBN:
- 9780226431659
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226431659.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
By the early 1960s, a few performers and artists were challenging the limits of satiric irreverence with material that was even too indicting, despairing, or profane for the tastes of many educated, ...
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By the early 1960s, a few performers and artists were challenging the limits of satiric irreverence with material that was even too indicting, despairing, or profane for the tastes of many educated, middle-class audiences members. This chapter focuses on the ways in which Paul Krassner's satiric publication the Realist and “sicknik” comedian Lenny Bruce finally and fatefully transgressed the bounds of liberal satire.Less
By the early 1960s, a few performers and artists were challenging the limits of satiric irreverence with material that was even too indicting, despairing, or profane for the tastes of many educated, middle-class audiences members. This chapter focuses on the ways in which Paul Krassner's satiric publication the Realist and “sicknik” comedian Lenny Bruce finally and fatefully transgressed the bounds of liberal satire.
