Caught in the Crosshairs: Feminist Comedians and the Culture Wars (Comedy & Culture)

By: Amber Day

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Synopsis: The landscape of comedy has undergone a seismic shift in recent years with an increasing number of female comedians breaking through to mainstream audiences. Women are claiming high-profile roles as late-night hosts, sketch comedians, television producers, and standup stars. As they disrupt industry norms and transgress cultural boundaries, they have also become lightning rods for controversy, eliciting flares of anger, amazement, revulsion, or hope.Caught in the Crosshairs delves not only into the work of feminist icons like Samantha Bee, Amy Schumer, Leslie Jones, Michelle Wolf, and Hannah Gadsby, but also into the discourse surrounding their comedy. Author Amber Day argues that these debates transcend mere entertainment; they are cultural battlegrounds for larger philosophical and political conflicts, interrogating ideals of gender, race, power, and public space. We see conflicts over what should be considered scandalous or beyond the pale, who should be in the intended audience, what is appropriate behavior for which performing bodies, and what the boundaries of comedy ultimately are. Caught in the Crosshairs is an examination of how feminist comedy reflects the tensions of our times, disrupting established narratives and challenging traditional power structures.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
Book Size:: 150 Pages
ISBN-13:: 9780253073174
Related ISBNs:: 9780253073167, 9780253073150, 9780253073143
Publisher:: Indiana University Press
Date of Addition:: 07/01/25
Copyrighted By:: IUP
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: Entertainment, Nonfiction, Art and Architecture, Social Studies, Humor
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.