Taboo Comedy

Reviews / Votes

"A much-needed book on the deeper meanings of comedy's darker side. Treat yourself to some death, faeces, racism, and Oedipal desire, and to the contributors' compelling, insightful interpretations of how and why they work on television." (Jonathan Gray, author of "Watching with The Simpsons: Television, Parody, and Intertextuality")

"Taboo humor, often offensive, challenging, dismissive, ridiculing, mean-spirited, and threatening, is anathema to television's central principles of social inclusion and acceptability. This brilliant collection of essays provides a much needed exploration and explanation for why TV now includes the once forbidden form of comedy. Taboo humor is not for everyone, but this volume very much is for those seeking to understand the current landscape of television, comedy, and quite often, politics." (Jeffrey P. Jones, director, The Peabody Awards and author of "Entertaining Politics: Satiric Television and Political Engagement " )

"Whether new or old, taboos attract humour that risks offence, especially on television -- should censorship prevail? This insightful book strips away simplistic ideas about how television humour tackles forbidden subjects using nuanced and carefully researched case studies. An indispensable resource-book for the student of television and humour, its strength derives from contributions by a wide range of authoritative and interesting scholars." (Jessica Milner Davis, author of "Farce")