Behind the Laughs
eBook - ePub

Behind the Laughs

Community and Inequality in Comedy

  1. 240 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Behind the Laughs

Community and Inequality in Comedy

About this book

Comedy is a brutal business. When comedians define success, they don't talk about money—they talk about not quitting. They work in a business where even big names work for free, and the inequalities of race, class, and gender create real barriers. But they also work in a business where people still believe that hard work and talent lead to the big time. How do people working in comedy sustain these contradictions and keep laughing?

In Behind the Laughs, Michael P. Jeffries brings readers into the world of comedy to reveal its dark corners and share its buoyant lifeblood. He draws on conversations with comedians, as well as club owners, bookers, and managers, to show the extraordinary social connections professional humor demands. Not only do comedians have to read their audience night after night, but they must also create lasting bonds across the profession to get gigs in the first place. Comedy is not a meritocracy, and its rewards are not often fame and fortune. Only performers who know the rules of their community are able to make it a career.

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Yes, you can access Behind the Laughs by Michael P. Jeffries in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Scienze sociali & Cultura popolare. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Copyright
  3. Title Page
  4. Series Page
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Lights
  9. 1. Chemistry of a Comedian
  10. 2. From Funny to Family
  11. 3. Succeeding at Not Failing
  12. 4. Celebrity in the Making
  13. 5. Privilege, Patriarchy, and Performance
  14. Curtains
  15. Appendix
  16. Notes
  17. Index
  18. Series List