Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture – and the Magic That Makes It Work

"Jesse David Fox is a shrewd and incisive critic of a vibrant and mutable art form that historically rejects criticism. Each chapter examines stand-up comedy from a different angle – “Context,” “Truth,” “Politics,” “Timing” and, not to be overlooked, “Funny.” But Fox brings the same level of inquiry and passion to them all, making an argument for comedy’s role in society even as he’s grappling with the shifting alchemy of the thing itself. It’s fascinating to read him making a very good case that, when it comes to stand-up, laziness is and has always been a far worse problem than not being funny. His insights go beyond pat notions of “punching up” and “punching down,” and he writes movingly about the craft of comedy – both its deft, hilarious uses and its hack, cruel abuses."