A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice

— —

Caty Borum Chattoo Lauren Feldman

A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar

The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice

Caty Borum Chattoo, Lauren Feldman, Norman Lear

$157.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

University of California Press
24 March 2020

Media studies; Political structure & processes

Series: Communication for Social Justice Activism

Comedy is a powerful contemporary source of influence and information. In the still-evolving digital era, the opportunity to consume and share comedy has never been as available. And yet, despite its vast cultural imprint, comedy is a little-understood vehicle for serious public engagement in urgent social justice issues – even though humor offers frames of hope and optimism that can encourage participation in social problems. Moreover, in the midst of a merger of entertainment and news in the contemporary information ecology, and a decline in perceptions of trust in government and traditional media institutions, comedy may be a unique force for change in pressing social justice challenges.

Comedians who say something serious about the world while they make us laugh are capable of mobilizing the masses, focusing a critical lens on injustices, and injecting hope and optimism into seemingly hopeless problems. By combining communication and social justice frameworks with contemporary comedy examples, authors Caty Borum Chattoo and Lauren Feldman show us how comedy can help to serve as a vehicle of change.

Through rich case studies, audience research, and interviews with comedians and social justice leaders and strategists, A Comedian and an Activist Walk Into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice explains how comedy – both in the entertainment marketplace and as cultural strategy – can engage audiences with issues such as global poverty, climate change, immigration, and sexual assault, and how activists work with comedy to reach and empower publics in the networked, participatory digital media age.

By: Caty Borum Chattoo, Lauren Feldman
Foreword by: Norman Lear
Imprint: University of California Press
Country of Publication: United States
Volume: 1
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 544g
ISBN: 9780520299771
ISBN 10: 0520299779
Series: Communication for Social Justice Activism
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 24 March 2020
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

List of Illustrations Foreword by Norman Lear Acknowledgments PART I: COMEDY AMDIST A CONTMEPORARY LANDSCAPE OF INFLUENCE AND INFORMATION Introduction 1. Why Comedy, and Why Now? 2. How Comedy Works as a Change Agent 3. From Stand-Up to Sitcoms: Socially Critical Comedy across Genres PART II: COMEDY IN SOCIAL JUSTICE CHALLENGES 4. Can Laughter Help Save the Planet? Comedy’s Role in Communicating about Climate Change 5. Beyond Poverty Porn: How Comedy Reframes Poverty and Engages Publics PART III: LEVERAGING COMEDY FOR SOCIAL CHANGE 6. Comedians’ Perspectives on the Intersections of Art and Activism 7. Creative Collaborations: How Comedians and Social Justice Advocates Work Together 8. Imagining the Future of Comedy’s Role in Social Justice Appendix A: Methodological Details and Full Results from Chapter 4 Appendix B: Methodological Overview and Main Results from Chapter 5 Appendix C: Comedy Professionals Interviewed for Chapter 6 Notes About the Authors Index

Caty Borum Chattoo is Director of the Center for Media & Social Impact and Assistant Professor at American University’s School of Communication in Washington, DC. Lauren Feldman is Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University.

Reviews for A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice

[T]he book is a nourishing read that is both practical and accessible. It is certainly worth the time for anyone interested in either comedy or activism. * Mass Communication and Society *