Can We Laugh at That?
Comedy in a Conflicted Age
Format:Paperback
Publisher:University of California Press
Published:24th Mar '26
Should be back in stock very soon
Did you hear the one about the comedian who was canceled?
Comedians are no strangers to controversy or crossing the line. But some things do change. Humorists the world over are no longer simply denounced in grouchy op-eds. Now comedians are being hounded by criminal investigations and civil suits, or forced off the airwaves. They are menaced by vigilantes and religious fundamentalists. Some have been forced into exile, imprisoned, or even murdered. In the age of social media and global digital distribution, the audience is everyone, ensuring that criticism can be as vicious as it is unavoidable.
With a flair for storytelling, Jacques Berlinerblau explores the high stakes of the low blow in this darkly witty examination of American comedians such as Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Shane Gillis, and Sarah Silverman as well as humorists in France, Denmark, Zimbabwe, and Egypt.
"A thought-provoking portrait of the consequences of contemporary offensive humor."
* Kirkus Reviews *"[Berlinerblau] delivers a thought-provoking survey of contemporary comedians who have sparked controversy. . . . a thorough report on the shifting landscape of modern comedy.”
* Publishers Weekly *"Berlinerblau argues that the United States still agrees--mostly--on the importance of free speech, in all its complexity and messiness...[and assesses] changing norms in an era of ideological contention and internet vitality."
* Forward *"Smart, nuanced, and well-informed...By covering–and insightfully analysing–a broad range of comedy controversies, Berlinerblau effectively sets out the landscape stand-ups have to negotiate, why things are the way they are, and how sometimes comedians can be their own worst enemy."
* Chortle *“In his new book, Berlinerblau, who describes himself as ‘neither right nor left’ politically, explores the genre of modern comedy and the recent cultural hostility toward jokes perceived by some as ‘crossing the line.’”
* The College Fix *"Meticulously researched."
* ABC-TV World News Now ‘Barry’s Bookshelf’ *"Can We Laugh at That? Comedy in a Conflicted Age will be a positive step for lay citizens and possibly even thoughtful government officials to work together to reduce the current conflicts in comedy. Free speech should remain at least mostly free in America and elsewhere in the world."
* Pittsburgh Review of BooISBN: 9780520403031
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
256 pages