Comedy book: how comedy conquered culture-and the magic that makes it work - jesse david fox

From a beloved comedy critic, a wisecracking, heartfelt, and overdue chronicle of comedys boom--and its magic.

Comedy is king.

From multimillion-dollar TV specials to sold-out stand-up shows and TikTok stardom, comedy has never been more popular, democratized, or influential.

Comedians have become organizing forces across culture--as trusted as politicians and as fawned-over as celebrities--yet comedy as an art form has gone under-considered throughout its history, even as it has ascended as a cultural force.

In Comedy Book , Jesse David Fox--the countrys most definitive voice in comedy criticism and someone who, in his own words, enjoys comedy maybe more than anyone on this planet--tackles everything you need to know about comedy.

Weaving together history and analysis, Fox unravels the genres political legacy through an ode to Jon Stewart, interrogates the divide between highbrow and lowbrow via Adam Sandler, and unpacks how marginalized comics create spaces for their communities.

Along the way, Fox covers everything from comedy in the age of political correctness and Will Smiths slap to the right wings relationship with comedy and, for Fox, comedys ability to heal personal tragedy.

With memorable cameos from Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Ali Wong, Kate Berlant, and countless others, Comedy Book is an eye-opening education in how to engage with our most omnipresent art form, a riotous history of American pop culture, and a love letter to laughter.