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Carregando... In On the Joke: The Original Queens of Standup Comedyde Shawn Levy
   Nenhum(a) Ainda não há conversas na Discussão sobre este livro.  gpangel | Apr 2, 2022 |  sem resenhas | adicionar uma resenha
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"Today, women are ascendant in standup comedy, even preeminent. They make headlines, fill arenas, spawn blockbuster movies. But before Amy Schumer slayed, Tiffany Haddish killed, and Ali Wong drew roars, the very idea of a female comedian seemed, to most of America, like a punchline. And it took a special sort of woman-indeed, a parade of them-to break and remake the mold. In on the Joke is the story of a group of unforgettable women who knocked down the doors of standup comedy so other women could get a shot. It spans decades, from Moms Mabley's rise in Black vaudeville between the World Wars, to the roadhouse ribaldry of Belle Barth and Rusty Warren in the '50s and '60s, to Elaine May's co-invention of improv comedy, to Joan Rivers' and Phyllis Diller's ferocious ascent to mainstream stardom. These women refused to be defined by type and tradition, facing down indifference, puzzlement, nay-saying, and unvarnished hostility. They were discouraged by agents, managers, audiences, critics, fellow performers-even their families. And yet they persevered against the tired notion that women couldn't be funny, making space not only for themselves but for the women who followed them. Meticulously researched and irresistibly drawn, Shawn Levy's group portrait forms a new pantheon of comedy excellence. In on the Joke shows how women broke into the boys' club, offered new ideas of womanhood, and had some laughs along the way"-- Não foram encontradas descrições de bibliotecas. |
Capas populares 
 Google Books — Carregando...GênerosClassificação decimal de Dewey (CDD)792.702The arts Recreational and performing arts Stage presentations, Theatre Variety shows and theatrical dancing Techniques, procedures, apparatus, materialsClassificação da Biblioteca do Congresso dos E.U.A. (LCC)AvaliaçãoMédia: (3.8)
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1
Talk about a male dominated field!
Not that women aren't still faced with challenges today, but at one time the very idea of a woman, standing alone on a stage, behind a microphone, telling jokes just didn’t sit right.
You will be shocked by some of the comments made about female comedians- and by who made those comments, which is very disappointing, to say the least.
Female comedians were fine- there were many fine comedic actresses on stages, movie theaters and on television, but the idea of a woman being a standup comedian... Well, that was a man's job. For a woman, it was undignified.
Despite the attitude towards women in this role, there were a few very brave and groundbreaking, pioneers who paved the way for the dazzling array female standup artists and comedians we enjoy today.
The women profiled in this book were definitely ahead of their time. Women were to expected to project a certain image, and standup comedians broke that mold.
It took special skill to get past those hurdles, to get the audience to warm up to the idea and enjoy the entertainment.
I had a few belly laughs while reading this book. Some jokes never go out of style, I suppose. On the other hand, there are some brands of humor, I have never found appealing, and those are represented here as well.
Of the eight women profiled, I only recognized three of them. The author gives a mini bio of each person profiled, and a few examples of their work. This isn’t your run of the mill Wikipedia stuff, either. Levy not only did a little digging, but also worked to show a variety of talents and various approaches to comedy.
None of these women had a similar act, and each had a different set of circumstances and faced different obstacles -but were all successful to varying degrees.
All the women featured in this book were talented, and all were comedy pioneers, each contributing to the standup routines and comedy improvisations as we know it today.
I had a great time getting to know these women, or in some cases reacquainted with them. I’m so glad the author humbly took the time to give these comedians some long overdue credit, and was brave enough to tackle the daunting prospect of being a white guy writing about female comedians.
Levy did a good job, though, and I had a lot of fun checking out a few YouTube videos of these funny ladies. It was nice to have a good hearty laugh, while learning some interesting history, and getting a little education in the process.
These types of books are fun and interesting no matter what your usual book choices might be, because who doesn’t like a good laugh? But, for those who like pop culture, biographies, and history, this one will have special appeal.
4 stars (