Humour is generally celebrated as an attractive human attribute and a desirable public good, but what about when it involves mispresentation and stereotyping, intolerance and hatred? Now available in paperback, this volume brings together wide-ranging contributions exploring the ethics as well as the aesthetics of humour, both in everyday life and media comedy. The book's contributors are experts in their field and internationally renowned. They focus on the abuses and limits of humour, some of which excite considerable social tension and controversy. Beyond a Joke is an exciting intervention, full of probing questions and challenging issues. It will help to move public debate beyond facile objections to political correctness, in forcing us to attend to what is harmful as well as beneficial about humour.
'We all enjoy a good joke but we seldom take humour seriously, examining its role in expressing our anxieties and attitudes to life. This collection of essays, skilfully put together by Sharon Lockyer and Michael Pickering, will not dampen your spirits but cause you to "stop and think" about the place of the joke - and humour generally - in contemporary society.' - Geoff Lealand, Associate Professor of Screen and Media Studies, University of Waikato, New Zealand
'Beyond A Joke is a timely reminder that cultural analysis can illuminate how the best and worst comedy find their mark on the faultlines of society. This superb collection of essays is indispensable for understanding why debates about humour are central to the politics of public expression.' - Simon Cross, Lecturer in Communication, Culture & Media, Nottingham Trent University, UK
'This is a serious book about a serious and important topic. Jokes must be permitted in order to be funny - but are all jokes permissible? What about violently racist jokes, or subtle sexism in television sitcoms? The contributors to this volume explore the ethics of humour, from Sex and the City to the Alf Garnett syndrome. They reject the 'just a joke' excuse for the dodge that it is, but humour gets its own back by refusing to be pinned down with easy answers.' – Moira Smith, editor of the Journal of Folklore Research
Notes on Contributors
Introduction: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Humour and Comedy; S.Lockyer & M.Pickering
Violent Racist Jokes; M.Billig
Race and Ethnicity in Popular Humour; D.Howitt & K.Owusu-Bempah
Humour and the Conduct of Politics; J.Morreall
Parody and Decorum: Permission to Mock; J.Palmer
Breaking the Mould: Conversations with Omid Djalili and Shazia Mirza; S.Lockyer & M.Pickering
Merry Hell: Humour Competence and Social Incompetence; K.Willis
Privacy, Embarrassment and Social Power: British Sitcom; F.Gray
Comedies of Sexual Morality and Female Singlehood; D.Chambers
The Ambiguities of Comic Impersonation; M.Pickering & S.Lockyer
Bibliography
Index
SHARON LOCKYER is Lecturer in Sociology and Communications at Brunel University, UK. She has written on the ethics of humour and was the recipient of the International Society for Humor Studies Emerging Scholar Award 2004.
MICHAEL PICKERING is Professor of Media and Cultural Analysis at Loughborough University, UK. His most recent publications include History, Experience and Cultural Studies (1997), Stereotyping: The Politics of Representation (2001), Creativity, Communication and Cultural Value (2004, with Keith Negus), Blackface Minstrelsy in Britain (2008) and Research Methods for Cultural Studies (2008).
Description
Humour is generally celebrated as an attractive human attribute and a desirable public good, but what about when it involves mispresentation and stereotyping, intolerance and hatred? Now available in paperback, this volume brings together wide-ranging contributions exploring the ethics as well as the aesthetics of humour, both in everyday life and media comedy. The book's contributors are experts in their field and internationally renowned. They focus on the abuses and limits of humour, some of which excite considerable social tension and controversy. Beyond a Joke is an exciting intervention, full of probing questions and challenging issues. It will help to move public debate beyond facile objections to political correctness, in forcing us to attend to what is harmful as well as beneficial about humour.
Reviews
'We all enjoy a good joke but we seldom take humour seriously, examining its role in expressing our anxieties and attitudes to life. This collection of essays, skilfully put together by Sharon Lockyer and Michael Pickering, will not dampen your spirits but cause you to "stop and think" about the place of the joke - and humour generally - in contemporary society.' - Geoff Lealand, Associate Professor of Screen and Media Studies, University of Waikato, New Zealand
'Beyond A Joke is a timely reminder that cultural analysis can illuminate how the best and worst comedy find their mark on the faultlines of society. This superb collection of essays is indispensable for understanding why debates about humour are central to the politics of public expression.' - Simon Cross, Lecturer in Communication, Culture & Media, Nottingham Trent University, UK
'This is a serious book about a serious and important topic. Jokes must be permitted in order to be funny - but are all jokes permissible? What about violently racist jokes, or subtle sexism in television sitcoms? The contributors to this volume explore the ethics of humour, from Sex and the City to the Alf Garnett syndrome. They reject the 'just a joke' excuse for the dodge that it is, but humour gets its own back by refusing to be pinned down with easy answers.' – Moira Smith, editor of the Journal of Folklore Research
Contents
Notes on Contributors
Introduction: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Humour and Comedy; S.Lockyer & M.Pickering
Violent Racist Jokes; M.Billig
Race and Ethnicity in Popular Humour; D.Howitt & K.Owusu-Bempah
Humour and the Conduct of Politics; J.Morreall
Parody and Decorum: Permission to Mock; J.Palmer
Breaking the Mould: Conversations with Omid Djalili and Shazia Mirza; S.Lockyer & M.Pickering
Merry Hell: Humour Competence and Social Incompetence; K.Willis
Privacy, Embarrassment and Social Power: British Sitcom; F.Gray
Comedies of Sexual Morality and Female Singlehood; D.Chambers
The Ambiguities of Comic Impersonation; M.Pickering & S.Lockyer
Bibliography
Index
Authors
SHARON LOCKYER is Lecturer in Sociology and Communications at Brunel University, UK. She has written on the ethics of humour and was the recipient of the International Society for Humor Studies Emerging Scholar Award 2004.
MICHAEL PICKERING is Professor of Media and Cultural Analysis at Loughborough University, UK. His most recent publications include History, Experience and Cultural Studies (1997), Stereotyping: The Politics of Representation (2001), Creativity, Communication and Cultural Value (2004, with Keith Negus), Blackface Minstrelsy in Britain (2008) and Research Methods for Cultural Studies (2008).
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