Rebellious Laughter: People’s Humor in American Culture

Rebellious Laughter: People’s Humor in American Culture
ISBN-10
0815627475
ISBN-13
9780815627470
Category
History
Pages
272
Language
English
Published
1997-11-01
Publisher
Syracuse University Press
Author
Joseph Boskin

Description

Rebellious Laughter changes the way we think about the ordinary joke. Claiming that humor in America is a primary cultural weapon, Boskin surveys the multitude of joke cycles that have swept the country during the last fifty years. Dumb Blonde jokes. Elephant jokes. Jewish-American Princess jokes. Lightbulb jokes. Readers will enjoy humor from many diverse sources: whites, blacks, women, and Hispanics; conservatives and liberals; public workers and university students; the powerless and power brokers. Boskin argues that jokes provide a cultural barometer of concerns and anxieties, frequently appearing in our day-to-day language long before these issues become grist for stand-up comics.

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