The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of

The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy

â€œFunny [and] fascinatingÂ .Â .Â . If youâ€™re a comedy nerd youâ€™ll love this book.â€ â€”Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, National Post, and Splitsider
Based on over two hundred original interviews and extensive archival research, this groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American culture over the past one hundred years.
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Starting with the vaudeville circuit at the turn of the last century, the book introduces the first stand-up comedianâ€”an emcee who abandoned physical shtick for straight jokes. After the repeal of Prohibition, Mafia-run supper clubs replaced speakeasies, and mobsters replaced vaudeville impresarios as the comedianâ€™s primary employer. In the 1950s, the late-night talk show brought stand-up to a wide public, while Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, and Jonathan Winters attacked conformity and staged a comedy rebellion in coffeehouses. From comedyâ€™s part in the civil rights movement and the social upheaval of the late 1960s, to the first comedy clubs of the 1970s and the cocaine-fueled comedy boom of the 1980s, The Comedians culminates with a new era of media-driven celebrity in the twenty-first century.
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â€œEntertaining and carefully documentedÂ .Â .Â . jaw-dropping anecdotesÂ .Â .Â . This book is a real treat.â€ â€”Merrill Markoe, TheWall Street Journal
Country USA
Manufacturer Grove Press
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2018-09-01
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Grove Press
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2018-09-01
Format	Kindle eBook

The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy

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