| Description |
xii, 228 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Series |
Sussex studies in culture and communication.
|
| Contents |
1. Introduction -- 2. Concerning comedy -- 3. Notions of nation -- 4. Englishnesses -- 5. Music hall: contours and legacies -- 6. Our gracious queens: English comedy's effeminate tradition -- 7. Lads in love: gender and togetherness in the male double act -- 8. Thirty nibbles at the same cherry: why the 'carry ons' carry on -- 9. Bermuda my arse: class, culture and 'the royle family' -- 10. Anatomising England: Alan Bennett, Mike Leigh, Victoria Wood -- 11. Togetherness through offensiveness: the importance of Roy 'Chubby' Brown -- 12. Conclusion: a national sense of humour? |
| Summary |
"The key moment in A National Joke concerns what Medhurst calls 'the seaside incident' (pp. 20-25). Medhurst recounts a joke he was told by a barman in a bar on Brighton pier. The joke is, as Medhurst admits, offensive in both sexual and racial terms, and precisely the kind of humour which the academy often finds politically problematic. Yet Medhurst, aware of the joke's troubling nature, nevertheless admits that he laughed when he first heard it. Indeed, he goes on to analyze the joke in much detail, suggesting that, in its structure and efficiency, it is an impressive piece of humour whose efficacy is something to be admired. Yet this does not negate the joke's problematic content; it is, therefore, 'one of the best and worst jokes I have ever heard' (p. 21). This moment is telling because it demonstrates Medhurst's willingness to acknowledge the complexity of humour, not only as an aesthetic form but also as a political entity. The po-faced attitude often taken towards comedy by the academy, in which the pleasures it can offer are forever measured against progressive assumptions, is here found wanting. For Medhurst, the joy and astonishment that humour can bring is something to be relished and made sense of, not rejected as inappropriate merely because of the academy's dogma. That said, Medhurst does go on to acknowledge that, at a Roy 'Chubby' Brown gig, he responded less favourably to a similarly well-structured and efficient joke about Kenny Everett's HIV-related illness, precisely because, as a gay man, he 'felt expelled from belonging' (p. 25) from the audience roaring with laughter. These two incidents highlight the contextual nature of comedy and the ways in which analysis of humour must tread a difficult line between ideological criticism and aesthetic appreciation..."--Brett Mills |
| Notes |
Formerly CIP. Uk |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages [210]-225) and index |
| Subject |
Comedy films -- Great Britain -- History and criticism.
|
|
Radio comedies -- Great Britain -- History and criticism.
|
|
Television comedies -- Great Britain -- History and criticism.
|
|
English wit and humor.
|
|
National characteristics, English.
|
|
English wit and humor -- History and criticism.
|
|
Television comedies -- Great Britain -- History and criticism.
|
| LC no. |
2007011485 |
| ISBN |
0415168775 (hbk. : alk. paper) |
|
0415168783 (paperback: alk. paper) |
|
9780415168779 (hbk. : alk. paper) |
|
9780415168786 (paperback: alk. paper) |
|
