Dead Funny locates humor as a key element in the American horror film, one that is not merely use... more Dead Funny locates humor as a key element in the American horror film, one that is not merely used for extraneous “comic relief” moments but often serves to underscore major themes, intensify suspense, and disorient viewers. Each chapter focuses on a different comic style or device, from the use of funny monsters and scary clowns in movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street to the physical humor and slapstick in movies ranging from The Evil Dead to Final Destination. Along the way, humor scholar David Gillota explores how horror films employ parody, satire, and camp to comment on gender, sexuality, and racial politics. Covering everything from the grotesque body in Freaks to the comedy of awkwardness in Midsommar, this book shows how integral humor has been to the development of the American horror film over the past century.
University Press of Mississippi eBooks, Nov 15, 2021
Louis C.K.’s stage persona often uses stand-up comedy as a forum through which to explore his own... more Louis C.K.’s stage persona often uses stand-up comedy as a forum through which to explore his own privilege as an affluent, heterosexual, white male and as an American citizen who reaps the benefits of a global economy that is built upon the labor force of poorer countries. C.K.’s approach to privilege is often inconsistent, contradictory, and problematic, and this is especially true in light of the revelations about his past history of sexual misconduct. In this chapter, contributor David Gillota shows how C.K.’s humor remains important, as it elucidates the concepts of privilege and inequality in a manner that is accessible to potentially resistant audiences. And more important, C.K.’s inconsistent approach is ultimately revelatory of the contradictory ways in which privilege and inequality are understood and continue to operate in the contemporary United States.
Stand-up comedy is finally starting to get the scholarly attention it deserves. For decades, stan... more Stand-up comedy is finally starting to get the scholarly attention it deserves. For decades, stand-up had remained one of the most undertheorized genres, and scholars looking for an entry point were forced to rely on the useful yet increasingly dated work of a handful of critics such as John Limon (2000), Lawrence Mintz (1985), and Joanne Gilbert (2004). More recently, however, a number of scholars from a variety of disciplines have approached the topic with fresh eyes. Bambi Haggins’s work on the comic persona in Laughing Mad (2007), Judy Batalion’s edited collection on live comedy, The Laughing Stalk (2011), and Rebecca Krefting’s very recent All Joking Aside (2014) have each brought a much-needed critical rigor to the topic. Ian Brodie’s new book, A Vulgar Art, is a welcome addition to this group and is perhaps the most detailed attempt to define and dissect the genre that we have yet seen. Book Reviews
Dead Funny locates humor as a key element in the American horror film, one that is not merely use... more Dead Funny locates humor as a key element in the American horror film, one that is not merely used for extraneous “comic relief” moments but often serves to underscore major themes, intensify suspense, and disorient viewers. Each chapter focuses on a different comic style or device, from the use of funny monsters and scary clowns in movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street to the physical humor and slapstick in movies ranging from The Evil Dead to Final Destination. Along the way, humor scholar David Gillota explores how horror films employ parody, satire, and camp to comment on gender, sexuality, and racial politics. Covering everything from the grotesque body in Freaks to the comedy of awkwardness in Midsommar, this book shows how integral humor has been to the development of the American horror film over the past century.
University Press of Mississippi eBooks, Nov 15, 2021
Louis C.K.’s stage persona often uses stand-up comedy as a forum through which to explore his own... more Louis C.K.’s stage persona often uses stand-up comedy as a forum through which to explore his own privilege as an affluent, heterosexual, white male and as an American citizen who reaps the benefits of a global economy that is built upon the labor force of poorer countries. C.K.’s approach to privilege is often inconsistent, contradictory, and problematic, and this is especially true in light of the revelations about his past history of sexual misconduct. In this chapter, contributor David Gillota shows how C.K.’s humor remains important, as it elucidates the concepts of privilege and inequality in a manner that is accessible to potentially resistant audiences. And more important, C.K.’s inconsistent approach is ultimately revelatory of the contradictory ways in which privilege and inequality are understood and continue to operate in the contemporary United States.
Stand-up comedy is finally starting to get the scholarly attention it deserves. For decades, stan... more Stand-up comedy is finally starting to get the scholarly attention it deserves. For decades, stand-up had remained one of the most undertheorized genres, and scholars looking for an entry point were forced to rely on the useful yet increasingly dated work of a handful of critics such as John Limon (2000), Lawrence Mintz (1985), and Joanne Gilbert (2004). More recently, however, a number of scholars from a variety of disciplines have approached the topic with fresh eyes. Bambi Haggins’s work on the comic persona in Laughing Mad (2007), Judy Batalion’s edited collection on live comedy, The Laughing Stalk (2011), and Rebecca Krefting’s very recent All Joking Aside (2014) have each brought a much-needed critical rigor to the topic. Ian Brodie’s new book, A Vulgar Art, is a welcome addition to this group and is perhaps the most detailed attempt to define and dissect the genre that we have yet seen. Book Reviews
Uploads