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Laughing to Keep from Dying: African American Satire in the Twenty-First Century (New Black Studies Series)
by Danielle Fuentes MorganBy subverting comedy's rules and expectations, African American satire promotes social justice by connecting laughter with ethical beliefs in a revolutionary way. Danielle Fuentes Morgan ventures from Suzan-Lori Parks to Leslie Jones and Dave Chappelle to Get Out and Atlanta to examine the satirical treatment of race and racialization across today's African American culture. Morgan analyzes how African American artists highlight the ways that society racializes people and bolsters the powerful myth that we live in a "post-racial" nation. The latter in particular inspires artists to take aim at the idea racism no longer exists or the laughable notion of Americans "not seeing" racism or race. Their critique changes our understanding of the boundaries between staged performance and lived experience and create ways to better articulate Black selfhood. Adventurous and perceptive, Laughing to Keep from Dying reveals how African American satirists unmask the illusions and anxieties surrounding race in the twenty-first century.
Laughter After: Humor and the Holocaust
by Ilan Stavans Marc Caplan Jarrod Tanny David Shneer Anna Shternshis Gabriel N. Finder Jan Schwarz Avinoam Patt David Slucki Steve Whitfield Jennifer Caplan Liat Steir Livny Jordana Silverstein Ferne PearlsteinLaughter After: Humor and the Holocaust argues that humor performs political, cultural, and social functions in the wake of horror. Co-editors David Slucki, Gabriel N. Finder, and Avinoam Patt have assembled an impressive list of contributors who examine what is at stake in deploying humor in representing the Holocaust. Namely, what are the boundaries? Clearly, there have been comedy and laughter in the decades since. However, the extent to which humor can be ethically deployed in representing and discussing the Holocaust is not as clear. This book comes at an important moment in the trajectory of Holocaust memory. As the generation of survivors continues to dwindle, there is great concern among scholars and community leaders about how memories and lessons of the Holocaust will be passed to future generations. Without survivors to tell their stories, to serve as constant reminders of what they experienced, how will future generations understand and relate to the Shoah? Laughter After is divided into two sections: "Aftermath" and "Breaking Taboos." The contributors to this volume examine case studies from World War II to the present day in considering and reconsidering what role humor can play in the rehabilitation of survivors, of Jews and of the world more broadly. More recently, humor has been used to investigate the role that Holocaust memory plays in contemporary societies, while challenging memorial conventions around the Holocaust and helping shape the way we think about the past. In a world in which Holocaust memory is ubiquitous, even if the Holocaust itself is inadequately understood, it is perhaps not surprising that humor that invokes the Holocaust has become part of the memorial landscape. This book seeks to uncover how and why such humor is deployed, and what the factors are that shape its production and reception. Laughter After will appeal to a number of audiences—from students and scholars of Jewish and Holocaust studies to academics and general readers with an interest in media and performance studies.
Laughter In The Wings
by Arnold BremanAfter nearly a half-century of directing American performing arts centers, impresario Arnold N. Breman has seen it all: eccentric songwriters, spotlight-craving comedians and insecure entertainers. In his memoir, Breman recalls encounters with some of the most beloved performers of our time, including: Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Sarah Vaughan, Sammy Davis, Jr. , Cab Calloway, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Beverly Sills, Marcel Marceau, Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly, Gregory Hines, Linda Ronstadt, Red Skelton, Victor Borge and many others. This is the story of crowd-pleasers who left audiences dazzled and managers frantic, told with wit and candor of a presenter who kept laughing through it all.
Laughter Is the Best Medicine: @Work
by Editors of Reader's DigestLighten up and laugh your way through the 9-to-5 grind with this mix of hilarious wisecracks, uproarious one-liners, full-color cartoons, and quotations from famous (and not-so-famous) wits. The hundreds of jokes and quips in Laughter the Best Medicine @ Work have been collected from more than eight decades' worth of Reader's Digest magazines and are guaranteed to brighten up your workday. You'll find everything from outrageous resumes to creative excuses for calling in sick. So whether you suffer from an e-mail gone wrong, an irritating coworker, or a dreadful boss, you'll see that laughter is the best medicine for all your work woes. A survey sent out to our contractors posed the question, "What motivates you to come to work every day?" One guy answered, "Probation officer."--E. Hewitt One of the less difficult blanks to fill in on our job-agency application is "Position Wanted." One job seeker wrote "Sitting."--Flo Traywick, Lynchburg, Virginia What do you call twin policemen? Copies.--Tyler Meason My sister Angela was impressed by a job applicant's confidence. "How will you gain your coworkers' respect?" she asked. The reply: "Mainly through my misdemeanor."--Gretchen Duff, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania My laptop was driving me crazy. "The A, E, and I keys always stick," I complained to a friend.She quickly diagnosed the problem. "Your computer is suffering from irritable vowel syndrome."--Angie Bulakites My coworker at the hotel was miserable at his job and was desperately searching for a new one."Why don't you work for your mother?" I suggested. <
Laughter Really Is The Best Medicine
by Editors of Reader's DigestThis collection of laugh-out-loud jokes, one-liners, and other lighthearted glimpses of life-drawn from Reader's Digest magazine's most popular humor columns-is sure to tickle the funny bone. Packed with more than 1,000 jokes, anecdotes, cartoons, quotes, and stories contributed by professional comedians, joke writers, and readers of the magazine, this side-splitting compilation pokes fun at the facts and foibles of daily routines, illustrating that life is often funnier than fiction Did you hear about the Broadway actor who broke through the floorboards? He was just going through a stage What did the ill comic say in the hospital? "I'm here...all weak!" Charles Dickens walks into a bar and orders a martini. The bartender asks, "Olive or twist?" Posted in a dental office: "Be kind to your dentist. He has fillings too." "The main advantage of being famous is that when you bore people at dinner parties, they think it is their fault." -Henry Kissinger, Nobel Peace Prize, 1973 As Groucho Marx once said, "A laugh is like an aspirin, only it works twice as fast."
Laughter Still Is the Best Medicine
by Editors of Reader's DigestThis hilarious collection offers up some of the funniest moments that get us through our day, in the form of jokes, gags and cartoons that will have readers laughing out loud. Editors have mined the Reader's Digest archives to bring readers Laughter the Best Medicine, All-Time Faves, a collection of the most hilarious jokes and anecdotes we've come across over the years. As you turn the pages of our newest collection, you'll realize once againthat laughter is always the best medicine. "Did you hear the one about the hitchhiker who never got anywhere? He'd get up early to avoid traffic." --Chuck Welch, Houston, TX "When my husband was a home builder, his thumb ended up on the business end of a sledgehammer, and our three-year-old daughter, Kiana, was eager to tell the entire world. When her caregiver asked how the accident had happened, Kiana shook her head sadly and said, "You know, sometimes at work, my daddy just gets hammered." --Stasia Uhlmann, Rocky Mountain House, Canada "After one of my students acted up, I took him to our school psychiatrist, who asked if he had ADHD. "No," said the boy. "I just have a normal TV." -Matthew Hughes, Fort Collins, CO "I've been told that when you meet the right person, you know immediately. How come when you meet the wrong person, it takes a year and a half?" --Comedian Phil Hanley
Laughter Totally is the Best Medicine: Reader's Digest's Funniest Jokes, Quotes, and Cartoons
by Reader'S Digest<p>More than 1,000 of the funniest, laugh-out-loud jokes, quips, quotes, anecdotes, and cartoons from Reader’s digest magazine—guaranteed to put laughter in your day. <p>This collection of laugh-out-loud, clean jokes, one-liners, and other lighthearted glimpses of life—drawn from Reader’s Digest magazine’s most popular humor columns—is sure to tickle the funny bone. Packed with more than 1,000 jokes, anecdotes, funny things kids say, cartoons, quotes, and stories contributed by professional comedians, joke writers, and readers of the magazine, this side-splitting compilation pokes fun at the facts and foibles of daily routines, illustrating that life is often funnier than fiction. <p>“If evolution really works, how come mothers have only two hands? – Milton Berle The game card said: “Name three wars.” My teenage daughter’s response: “Civil War, Revolutionary War, and Star Wars.” Why do Pilgrims’ pants fall down? Because their belts are on their hats! Check out this billion-dollar idea. A smoke detector that shuts off when you yell, “I’m just cooking!” Overheard in an office: Supervisor to team leader: "So our people aren’t astute enough to understand these comments on the document?" Leader: "What does astute mean?"</p>
Laughter and Ridicule: Towards a Social Critique of Humour (Published in association with Theory, Culture & Society)
by Michael Billig`From Thomas Hobbes' fear of the power of laughter to the compulsory, packaged "fun" of the contemporary mass media, Billig takes the reader on a stimulating tour of the strange world of humour. Both a significant work of scholarship and a novel contribution to the understanding of the humourous, this is a seriously engaging book' - David Inglis, University of Aberdeen This delightful book tackles the prevailing assumption that laughter and humour are inherently good. In developing a critique of humour the author proposes a social theory that places humour - in the form of ridicule - as central to social life. Billig argues that all cultures use ridicule as a disciplinary means to uphold norms of conduct and conventions of meaning. Historically, theories of humour reflect wider visions of politics, morality and aesthetics. For example, Bergson argued that humour contains an element of cruelty while Freud suggested that we deceive ourselves about the true nature of our laughter. Billig discusses these and other theories, while using the topic of humour to throw light on the perennial social problems of regulation, control and emancipation.
Laughter from Heaven
by Barbara JohnsonLaughter from Heaven is a joyful reminder of the wonderful life awaiting us in heaven. With her humorous approach to all life's circumstances, Barbara wants her readers to catch a light-hearted look at the hereafter. Filled with hope and encouragement, this book is sure to become a favorite of many women who long for a sense of joy in the midst of everyday struggles. In classic Barbara Johnson style, these hilarious pages will show you how to put life's trials into heavenly perspective. She hopes you will find encouragement through your difficulties, renewal for your spiritual doldrums, and laughter when you think you'll never laugh again. Similar in nature to her best-selling title Humor Me, this delightful look at heaven reveals it as a place that will be not only without pain, but will actually be fun! Jokes, stories, cartoons and Barbara's famous one-liners make this another joy-filled book that all her fans will love. Picture captions and descriptions present.
Laughter, Humor, and the (Un)Making of Gender
by Anna Foka Jonas LiliequistHumor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. Throughout history, it has played a crucial role in defining gender roles and identities. This collection offers an in-depth thematic examination of this relationship between humor and gender, spanning a variety of historical and cultural backdrops. Bringing together a medley of case studies diachronically and across cultures, the book examines gendered humorous expressions from classical antiquity to the late eighteenth century and across visual culture, literature and performance in both European and Asian premodern contexts.
Laughter, The Best Medicine: Those Lovable Pets
by Editors of Reader's DigestPeople are funny, but so are the animals we love-and our day-to-day relationships with them can be even more entertaining. Dogs and cats obviously rule the comedic roost, but parrots, parakeets, and other talking birds are often an endless source of amusement as well. Even our connection to bunnies, hamsters, and the occasional white rat can evoke a good laugh. The 500-plus pet anecdotes, cartoons, and quotes in Laughter Is The Best Medicine: Those Lovable Pets have been collected from more than eight decades' worth of Reader's Digest magazines and are guaranteed to cheer up your day. You'll meet the woman whose dog trembled at the "Beware of Dog" sign in their front yard until she told him, "Relax! It's you!"; the vet whose advice to a woman whose cat had swallowed lots of unpopped popcorn was, "first, keep him out of the sun"; the mother-in-law who concealed her way-too-plump piglet's weight loss pills in ice cream; and much more. Our furry or fine feathered friends not only warm our hearts but also amuse us (and our joke writers, too) with their antics-one reason, no doubt, the market for this book is so vast: At the minimum, 40 percent of American households own at least one pet.
Laughter, the Best Medicine: Holidays
by Editors of Reader's DigestIf ever there was a time of year in which we need a sense of humor, it's the holidays in America--and the latest little book in this best-selling series is here to help! Brimming with America's funniest stories, one-liners, cartoons, quotes, and jokes, this side-splitting collection explodes the myth that the holidays are the picture of clean homes, well-behaved children, meticulously wrapped gifts, absolutely perfect food, distinguished guests, and perpetual, shiny white smiles. Here is just a sampling of the holiday havoc we all recognize--and love: "Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence." --Erma Bombeck Last Christmas morning, after all the presents were opened,it was clear that my five-year-old son wasn't thrilled with the ratioof toys to clothes he'd received. As he trudged slowly up the stairs,I called out, "Hey, where are you going?" "To my room," he said, "to play with my new socks." "The one thing women don't want to find in their stockings on Christmas morning is their husband." --Joan Rivers
Laughter-Silvered Wings: Remembering the Air Force II
by J. Douglas HarveyLaughter-Silvered Wings: Remembering the Air Force II
Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic
by Henri Bergson Cloudesley Brereton Fred RothwellIn this great philosophical essay, Henri Bergson explores why people laugh and what laughter means. Written at the turn of the twentieth century, Laughter explores what it is in language that makes a joke funny and what it is in us that makes us laugh.One of the functions of humor, according to Bergson, is to help us retain our humanity during an age of mechanization. Like other philosophers, novelists, poets, and humorists of his era, Bergson was concerned with the duality of man and machine. His belief in life as a vital impulse, indefinable by reason alone, informs his perception of comedy as the relief we experience upon distancing ourselves from the mechanistic and materialistic. "A situation is always comic," Bergson notes, "if it participates simultaneously in two series of events which are absolutely independent of each other, and if it can be interpreted in two quite different meanings." The philosopher's thought-provoking insights (e.g., "It seems that laughter needs an echo. Our laughter is always the laughter of a group.") keep this work ever-relevant as a thesis on the principles of humor.
Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic
by Henri BergsonIn this great philosophical essay, Henri Bergson explores why people laugh and what laughter means. Written at the turn of the twentieth century, Laughter explores what it is in language that makes a joke funny and what it is in us that makes us laugh. One of the functions of humor, according to Bergson, is to help us retain our humanity during an age of mechanization. Like other philosophers, novelists, poets, and humorists of his era, Bergson was concerned with the duality of man and machine. His belief in life as a vital impulse, indefinable by reason alone, informs his perception of comedy as the relief we experience upon distancing ourselves from the mechanistic and materialistic. "A situation is always comic," Bergson notes, "if it participates simultaneously in two series of events which are absolutely independent of each other, and if it can be interpreted in two quite different meanings. " The philosopher's thought-provoking insights (e. g. , "It seems that laughter needs an echo. Our laughter is always the laughter of a group. ") keep this work ever-relevant as a thesis on the principles of humor.
Lava Chase (Diary of a Roblox Pro)
by Ari AvatarAri Avatar is just your average Roblox kid living in a blocky world! Battle monsters and avoid disasters in a Roblox world -- all through the eyes of Ari and his friends. Diary of a Roblox Pro is a must-read for any kid who loves to game!Ari and his friends have to go on a boring geography field trip to a dormant volcano. Ugh! Ari and his friends sneak off... only to get lost. Then they realize their class went home without them! Much to their surprise, Ari, Zeke and Jez also discover that the volcano may not be quite as dormant as they thought. It's time to get out of here! It's the ultimate lava chase adventure in the next unauthorized Roblox Pro book!
Lavash at First Sight
by Taleen VoskuniSparks fly between two women pitted against each other in this delectable new romantic comedy by Taleen Voskuni, author of Sorry, Bro. Twenty-seven-year-old Nazeli &“Ellie&” Gregorian enjoys the prestige of her tech marketing job but is sick of the condescending Patagonia-clad tech bros, her micromanaging boss, and her ex-boyfriend, who she&’s forced to work with every day. When Ellie&’s lovingly overbearing parents ask her to attend PakCon—a food packaging conference in Chicago—to help promote their company and vie to win an ad slot in the Superbowl (no big deal), she&’s eager for a brief change and a delicious distraction. At the conference, she meets witty, devil-may-care Vanya Simonian. Ellie can&’t believe how easy it is to talk to Vanya and how much they have in common—both Armenian! From the Bay Area! Whose families are into food! Their meet-cute is cut short, however, when Ellie&’s parents recognize Vanya as the daughter of the owners of their greatest rival, whose mission (according to Ellie&’s mother) is to whitewash and package Armenian food for the American health-food crowd. Sworn as enemies, Ellie and Vanya must compete against each other under their suspicious parents' scrutiny, all while their feelings for each other heat to sizzling temps.
Law School: How to Get in, Get Through, and Get Practicing
by Michael J. Reppas II<p>Filled with personal anecdotes about his law school years, Law School, How to Get in, Get Through, and Get Practicing, by Michael J. Reppas II, Esq., offers all future law students a peek into the ever-surprising, nerve-racking, adventure known as law school, where no book is left unturned and no hour spent resting. This is your law school guide from start to finish. <p>You'll laugh at the author's own experiences as a fledgling one-L and read how he gains the confidence and skill to land a spot at the prestigious Law Review, get published, get awards, pass the bar, and become an attorney. You'll be entertained while gaining valuable insight into what it really takes to get into law school, get through it, and get practicing! <p>Your first mistake before going to law school would be to not read this book! Your second mistake would be to not read this book a second time. When you're finished you'll want to experience it all for yourself.</p>
Law and Disorder: Absurdly Funny Moments from the Courts
by Charles M. Sevilla Lee LorenzMore hilarious, unbelievable-but-true stories from our nation's courts, from the author of Disorder in the Court and Disorderly Conduct. Charles M. Sevilla finds comic gems in court transcripts-- and now brings readers a delightful, all-new collection. Starting with a chapter on the defendants (one of whom, when asked his marital status, replies after a long pause, "Adequate") and following with sections on lawyers, experts, witnesses, evidence, and even one called "Malaprops" (DA: The status of the boat has no relevance to this case at all. This is a total fishing expedition). Stories from the previous books have become viral Internet sensations, priming readers for more legal disorder, such as: Clerk: Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to given in the cause now pending before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Witness: Yes, I swear. I'll say anything but the truth, nothing but the truth.
Law and Odor: Dinosaur Graphic Novel (Dinomighty! #3)
by Doug PaleoCrime is bubbling up in Dinotown . . . and it stinks! In this hilarious graphic novel, the Dinomighties need to sniff out their smelliest mystery yet. Will their noses lead them to the culprit? Or will the odor of their enemies prevail? Perfect for fans of The InvestiGators, Dog Man, and Real Pigeons Fight Crime. When the mayor tells the Dinomighties that there's been a theft of famous purple beans at the How You've Bean factory, they are hot on the trail.Using their peak investigative skills to hunt down crime clues and interrogate potential suspects, they soon run out of gas and into airtight alibis. A look to the nemesis list points squarely to the gaseous Gasosaurus, but the Dinomighties need proof before they can pin down this baddie.In their grimiest case yet, T-Lex, Teri, Dave, and Bok follow their noses to sniff out and solve this musty mystery with high-tech crime-solving gadgets, action-packed chases, bad-guy-busting buddy power, and a whole lot of laughs.
Law of Attraction
by Penny JordanJudge and JuryWith both her professional and personal life in such a mess, Charlotte realized she was lucky to land a position with the prestigious law firm of Jefferson & Horwich-even as a junior partner. But Daniel Jefferson was like salt in a wound. He was everything she'd dreamed of being-acclaimed, honored. And very much in demand.Next to him Charlotte felt like a failure, and Daniel didn't help her confidence, commandeering her as his assistant and watching her closely. Her raw edge of resentment and anger kept her attraction to this very sexy man at bay...until Daniel voiced his very clear objections to the distance.
Law of the Land
by Greg TaylorHow was it that the Torrens system, a mid-nineteenth-century reform of land titles registration from distant South Australia, gradually replaced the inherited Anglo-Canadian common law system of land registration? In The Law of the Land, Greg Taylor traces the spread of the Torrens system, from its arrival in the far-flung outpost of 1860s Victoria, British Columbia, right up to twenty-first century Ontario.Examining the peculiarity of how this system of land reform swept through some provinces like wildfire, and yet still remains completely unknown in three provinces, Taylor shows how the different histories of various regions in Canada continue to shape the law in the present day. Presenting a concise and illuminating history of land reform, he also demonstrates the power of lobbying, by examining the influence of both moneylenders and lawyers who were the first to introduce the Torrens system to Canada east of the Rockies.An exact and fluent legal history of regional law reforms, The Law of the Land is a fascinating examination of commonwealth influence, and ongoing regional differences in Canada.
Lawn Boy
by Jonathan Evison<P><P>For Mike Muñoz, a young Chicano living in Washington State, life has been a whole lot of waiting for something to happen. Not too many years out of high school and still doing menial work—and just fired from his latest gig as a lawn boy on a landscaping crew—he knows that he’s got to be the one to shake things up if he’s ever going to change his life. But how? <P><P>In this funny, angry, touching, and ultimately deeply inspiring novel, bestselling author Jonathan Evison takes the reader into the heart and mind of a young man on a journey to discover himself, a search to find the secret to achieving the American dream of happiness and prosperity. That’s the birthright for all Americans, isn’t it? If so, then what is Mike Muñoz’s problem? <P><P>Though he tries time and again to get his foot on the first rung of that ladder to success, he can’t seem to get a break. But then things start to change for Mike, and after a raucous, jarring, and challenging trip, he finds he can finally see the future and his place in it. And it’s looking really good. <P><P>Lawn Boy is an important, entertaining, and completely winning novel about social class distinctions, about overcoming cultural discrimination, and about standing up for oneself.
Lawn Boy (Lawn Boy #1)
by Gary PaulsenOne day I was 12 years old and broke. Then Grandma gave me Grandpa's old riding lawnmower. I set out to mow some lawns. More people wanted me to mow their lawns. And more and more. . . . One client was Arnold the stockbroker, who offered to teach me about "the beauty of capitalism. Supply and Demand. Diversify labor. Distribute the wealth." "Wealth?" I said. "It's groovy, man," said Arnold.If I'd known what was coming, I might have climbed on my mower and putted all the way home to hide in my room. But the lawn business grew and grew. So did my profits, which Arnold invested in many things. And one of them was Joey Pow the prizefighter. That's when my 12th summer got really interesting.From the Hardcover edition.
Lawn Mower Magic
by Lynne Jonell Brandon DormanWith a POP! and a puff of smoke, the Willows' lawn mower calls it quits. A new mower will cost their parents a lot of money, money Derek had hoped to borrow for a train ticket to visit a friend. Luckily Derek and his brother and sisters find a rusty push mower tucked away in the shed. It doesn't look like much, but it turns out that it's been soaking up magic for years. And it's hungry for grass!Can Derek earn his ticket? Maybe . . . if he, Abner, Tate, and Celia can keep the magic mower under control!Lynne Jonell follows up her Junior Library Guild selection, Hamster Magic, with a second story of the Willow family's rowdy run-ins with mixed-up magic.From the Hardcover edition.