A Comedian and an Activist Walk Into a Bar - (Communication for Social Justice Activism) by Caty Borum Chattoo & Lauren Feldman (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The contemporary intersection of comedy and social justice is embodied in the voices of comedians who are saying something serious about the world they inhabit while they make us laugh. But it also resides in the actions of social justice advocates who embrace comedy's artistic ability to grab and hold attention, to persuade and mobilize, to focus a critical lens on injustice, to humanize, and to allow optimism into seemingly hopeless social problems. Through rich case studies, audience research, and interviews with comedians and social justice leaders and strategists, A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice explains how comedy--both in the entertainment marketplace and leveraged as cultural strategy--can engage audiences with issues such as global poverty, climate change, immigration, and sexual assault, and how activists work with comedy to reach and empower publics in the networked, participatory digital media age"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"A comprehensive and insightful examination of the ways comedy can help shape social justice movements."--Hasan Minhaj, Comedian and Host of the Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

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.

Comedians who say something serious about the world while they make us laugh are capable of mobilizing the masses, focusing a critical lens on injustices, and injecting hope and optimism into seemingly hopeless problems. By combining communication and social justice frameworks with contemporary comedy examples, authors Caty Borum Chattoo and Lauren Feldman show us how comedy can help to serve as a vehicle of change.

Through rich case studies, audience research, and interviews with comedians and social justice leaders and strategists, A Comedian and an Activist Walk Into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice explains how comedy - both in the entertainment marketplace and as cultural strategy - can engage audiences with issues such as global poverty, climate change, immigration, and sexual assault, and how activists work with comedy to reach and empower publics in the networked, participatory digital media age.

From the Back Cover

"Kudos to Caty Borum Chattoo and Lauren Feldman for teaching me so much about my own job. A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar is a comprehensive and insightful examination of the ways comedy can help shape social justice movements. It is an important read for anyone interested in understanding our current media landscape as a whole."--Hasan Minhaj, Comedian/Host of the Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

"If there is another book about how comedy can change the world, I haven't found it. A Comedian and An Activist Walk into a Bar goes beyond the punchline--Caty Borum Chattoo, Lauren Feldman and their subjects explain how comedy can be leveraged for more than just singular laughter; it can be a means to the end of creating social change on our most pressing social justice problems. And if comedy can't help us now, we're totally screwed. That's what makes this book a must read." --Erika Soto Lamb, Vice President, Social Impact Strategy, Comedy Central

"A Comedian and An Activist Walk into a Bar is not simply a setup looking for a punchline. It is a profound book, full of mirth and insight, about the increasingly central roles that comedy is playing in efforts to transform the world. What was once unthinkable (don't make me laugh!) is now seemingly everywhere, and these authors understand where the poop jokes are and also why those jokes work to change our awareness, beliefs, and actions."--Henry Jenkins, Coeditor of Popular Culture and the Civic Imagination: Case Studies of Creative Social Change

"This book works from a simple premise--that comedy can bring people together. Borum Chattoo and Feldman demonstrate how comedy has become a fresh and powerful means for addressing some of our most intransigent and pressing problems. In turn, traditional conceptions of "activism" as an ideological or partisan pursuit are also transformed. What better way for democracy to flourish than through political engagement that is driven by the commonality that laughter provides?"--Jeffrey Jones, Executive Director of the Peabody Awards and author of Entertaining Politics

Review Quotes

"The strength of the book lies in its breadth of topics, the specificity of observations, and the directness of recommendations. With clear and accessible language, the authors advise social justice organizations to collaborate with comedians while giving them creative freedom, and embracing the messiness of the creative process."-- "International Journal of Communication"

"How do we open up social research and discourse to wider audiences; how do we highlight the absurdities of our world, making us laugh and think? . . . Bringing together researchers, activists and comedians can only serve to support more informed, engaged and hopeful audiences."-- "LSE Review of Books"

"The book is a nourishing read that is both practical and accessible. It is certainly worth the time for anyone interested in either comedy or activism."-- "Mass Communication and Society"

About the Author

Caty Borum Chattoo is Director of the Center for Media & Social Impact and Assistant Professor at American University's School of Communication in Washington, DC.

Lauren Feldman is Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University.