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The Politics of Humour: Laughter, Inclusion, and Exclusion in the Twentieth Century
Contributor(s): Kessel, Martina (Editor), Merziger, Patrick (Editor)
ISBN: 1442642920     ISBN-13: 9781442642928
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
OUR PRICE:   $60.30  
Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats
Published: January 2012
Qty:
Temporarily out of stock - Will ship within 2 to 5 weeks
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Literary Criticism | Humor
- History | Europe - General
- Literary Criticism | European - General
Dewey: 809.793
LCCN: 2012376635
Series: German and European Studies
Physical Information: 0.9" H x 5.9" W x 9.1" (1.05 lbs) 232 pages
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

The period between the First World War and the fall of the Berlin Wall is often characterized as the age of extremes-while this era witnessed unprecedented violence and loss of human life, it also saw a surge in humorous entertainment in both democratic and authoritarian societies. The Politics of Humour examines how works such as satirical magazines and comedy films were used both to reaffirm group identity and to exclude those who did not belong.

The essays in this collection analyse the political and social context of comedy in Europe and the United States, exploring topics ranging from the shifting targets of ethnic jokes to the incorporation of humour into wartime broadcasting and the uses of satire as a means of resistance. Comedy continues to define the nature of group membership today, and The Politics of Humour offers an intriguing look at how entertainment helped everyday people make sense of the turmoil of the twentieth century.

Contributor Bio(s): Kessel, Martina: - Martina Kessel is a professor in the Faculty of History, Philosophy, and Theology at the University of Bielefeld.

Merziger, Patrick: - Patrick Merziger is a research associate in the Department of Modern and Contemporary History at the Free University of Berlin.