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Because I Tell a Joke or Two explores the complex relationship between comedy and the social differences of class, region, age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and nationhood. It shows how comedy has been used to sustain, challenge and to change power relationships in society. The contributors, who ...

Because I Tell a Joke or Two explores the complex relationship between comedy and the social differences of class, region, age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and nationhood. It shows how comedy has been used to sustain, challenge and to change power relationships in society. The contributors, who include Stephen Wagg, Mark Simpson, Stephen Small, Paul Wells and Frances Williams, offer readings of comedy genres, texts and performers in Britain, the United States and Australia. The collection also includes an interview with the comedian Jo Brand.Topics addressed include:* women in British comedies such as Butterflies and Fawlty Towers * the life and times of Viz , from Billy the Fish to the Fat Slags * queer readings of Morecambe and Wise , the male double act* the Marx Brothers and Jewish comedy in the United States* black radical comedy in Britain* The Golden Girls , Cheers , Friends and American society.

British Culture: An Introduction provides a comprehensive introduction to central aspects of culture and the arts in Britain today, and uses a factual approach to place them within a clear, historical context.Topics include:* the social and cultural setting: politics and society 1950-1999 ...

British Culture: An Introduction provides a comprehensive introduction to central aspects of culture and the arts in Britain today, and uses a factual approach to place them within a clear, historical context.Topics include:* the social and cultural setting: politics and society 1950-1999, including immigration, feminism, Thatcherism and the arts and the Blair revolution* language and culture: accents and minority languages, broadcasting and public life* the novel, poetry and theatre* cinema: Hammer Horror, James Bond, Ealing comedies, black British film, Trainspotting , The Full Monty and historical epics* television and radio: soap opera, crime series and sitcoms* popular music and fashion: The Beatles, punk, Britpop, subculture and style* art and sculpture: Bacon, Hockney, Gilbert and George and Hirst* architecture and interiors.Each chapter focuses on key themes of recent years, and gives special emphasis to outstanding artists within each area. The book also strengthens study skills, through follow-up activities and suggestions for further reading which appear at the end of each chapter. A real must-read for all students of British history and culture.

In less than a century, the flickering blue-grey light of the television screen has become a cultural icon. What do the images transmitted by that screen tell us about power, authority, gender stereotypes, and ideology in the United States? Television, History, and American Culture addresses this ...

In less than a century, the flickering blue-grey light of the television screen has become a cultural icon. What do the images transmitted by that screen tell us about power, authority, gender stereotypes, and ideology in the United States? Television, History, and American Culture addresses this question by illuminating how television both reflects and influences American culture and identity.The essays collected here focus on women in front of, behind, and on the TV screen, as producers, viewers, and characters. Using feminist and historical criticism, the contributors investigate how television has shaped our understanding of gender, power, race, ethnicity, and sexuality from the 1950s to the present. The topics range from the role that women broadcasters played in radio and early television to the attempts of Desilu Productions to present acceptable images of Hispanic identity, from the impact of TV talk shows on public discourse and the politics of offering viewers positive images of fat women to the negotiation of civil rights, feminism, and abortion rights on news programs and shows such as I Spy and Peyton Place.Innovative and accessible, this book will appeal to those interested in women's studies, American studies, and popular culture and the critical study of television.Contributors. Julie D'Acci, Mary Desjardins, Jane Feuer, Mary Beth Haralovich, Michele Hilmes, Moya Luckett, Lauren Rabinovitz, Jane M. Shattuc, Mark Williams

Nervous Laughter examines 40 years of situation comedy, decade by decade, providing the first truly panoramic view of TV's most popular dramatic form. Within this context, Hamamoto traces what he describes as the dominant liberal democratic ideology implicit within situation comedy and explains its ...

Nervous Laughter examines 40 years of situation comedy, decade by decade, providing the first truly panoramic view of TV's most popular dramatic form. Within this context, Hamamoto traces what he describes as the dominant liberal democratic ideology implicit within situation comedy and explains its enduring popularity. "Critically analyzing four decades of television situation comedies from The Honeymooners to The Bill Cosby Show, Hamamoto shows how the sitcom reflects, explains, legitimates, and challenges the society in which it is grounded, illuminating the power of laughter both to reaffirm and to question existing social structures. . . . Hamamoto offers a well-researched and refreshingly lucid study, immensely readable for its astute scholarship. Indispensable for students and scholars of television, popular culture, and comedy." Choice