The Sanity of Satire: Surviving Politics One Joke at a Time

The Sanity of Satire: Surviving Politics One Joke at a Time
ISBN-10
1538129728
ISBN-13
9781538129722
Category
Performing Arts
Pages
207
Language
English
Published
2020-10-07
Publisher
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Authors
Al Gini, Abraham Singer

Description

Political humor and satire are, perhaps, as old as comedy itself, and they are crucial to our society and our collective sense of self. Satire is confrontational. It’s about pushback, dissent, discord, disappointment, and demonstrating the absurdity of the status quo. This book is an attempt to explore how these aspects of satire help secure our sanity. Aristotle famously said that humans are naturally political animals. We need political community to flourish and live good lives. But politics also entails unpopular decisions, oppression, and power struggles. Satire is a vehicle through which we reflect on and challenge the irrational, incomprehensible, and intolerable nature of our lives without becoming totally despondent or depressed. In a poignant, pithy, but not ponderous manner, Al Gini and Abraham Singer delve into the history of satire to rejoice in its triumphs and watch its development from ancient graffiti to the latest late-night TV talk show.

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