A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar
March 24, 2020
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Release Date | March 24, 2020 |
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Subtitle |
The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice (Volume 1) (Communication for Social Justice Activism) |
Publisher |
University of California Press |
EAN/ISBN |
978-0520299771 |
Author(s) |
Caty Borum Chattoo (’96, BA in Communication), Lauren Feldman |
Summary |
Comedy is a powerful contemporary source of influence and information. In the still-evolving digital era, the opportunity to consume and share comedy has never been as available. And yet, despite its vast cultural imprint, comedy is a little-understood vehicle for serious public engagement in urgent social justice issues – even though humor offers frames of hope and optimism that can encourage participation in social problems. Moreover, in the midst of a merger of entertainment and news in the contemporary information ecology, and a decline in perceptions of trust in government and traditional media institutions, comedy may be a unique force for change in pressing social justice challenges. |