Every issue has one section dedicated to a particular question. Collecting responses from a range of perspectives, these symposia prompt us to think about the values and ideas that shape our most urgent cultural and personal decisions.
“There’s reverence at the ballet. But the comic is not supposed to be a revered person. They’re supposed to be themselves.”
Saint Bart
For over a decade, starting as early as I can remember and going on into the middle of adolescence, The Simpsons was the most important…
Comedy Studies
The following are actual titles of papers published in peer-reviewed academic journals.
Things Don’t Make Sense
I think for me, the comedic impulse comes from the same place as the philosophical one.
Shock and Ow
The first time I noticed the blood on the inside of my bra, I figured it was barbecue sauce. (You know the old adage “Is…
Insert Punchline
Comedy is for making people laugh. Had the editors not demanded an additional 1,494 words, I would happily have left my contribution to this symposium…
Punching Down
I recently found myself at an academic conference that featured a presentation by graduate students on “combating racism with humor.”
The Audacity of Jokes
I never considered Trevor Noah until I found myself on the set of The Daily Show last August.
Rallying Sigh
In October of 2010 I attended a mass demonstration on the National Mall, which also happened to be a live taping of The Daily Show.
Letter on Satire
What to do on Saturday night is a philosophical problem. Notwithstanding the scheduling idiosyncrasies created by our “flexible” economy, it remains the time of week…
