Comedy and humour Books

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Book SynopsisThe comic companion to the BBC sitcom GHOSTS, perfect for all the family. Everybody leaves a trace. The ghosts of Button House may have been dead a long time - some of them a very long time - but they have all left their mark on the world (even if, in Robin’s case, that mark is just a handprint on the wall of a cave). Gathered together in this volume is a treasure trove of unearthed cuttings, original records and rare artefacts that explore the unseen lives of those who died at Button House: from Thomas's love letters to Pat's ‘Summer Camp Rap’, and from Julian's campaign promises to Lady Button's Rules of Etiquette. There are even documents dictated to the one person who can see and hear the ghosts: Alison Cooper. Written by the show’s creators – Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond – this eclectic archive is a unique chance to discover more about the beloved ghosts of Button House. Thank be to Moonah! A book for all the family, it is as warm-spirited and deliriously daft as the series itself. GHOSTS: The Button House Archives ranked #5 in Sunday Times bestseller chart week ending 29/10/2023

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Book SynopsisNominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Adapted ScreenplayShe''s everything. He''s just Ken. The exclusive screenplay of the film phenomenon by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach.*Featuring an exclusive introduction by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach and 8 pages of full-colour photos from the film*''Greta Gerwig's bold and inventive Barbie breaks the mold.'' BBC Culture''A near-miraculous achievement.'' Independent''Brilliant, beautiful, and fun as hell.' The New YorkerFor the first time, the BARBIE screenplay is now available in print. Anarchically hilarious and unexpectedly emotional, BARBIE is a magical cinematic confection of absurdity, heart, and Technicolor musicals. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have created a deeply personal and idiosyncratic film from the polarizing icon that is the Barbie doll. The movie celebrates the perfection of imperfection, and affirms that everyone, ev

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Book SynopsisCrochet your favorite characters, iconic outfits, delightful décor, and more from the beloved sitcom, Friends!There’s nothing better than enjoying an activity with your friends! Gather yours and re-create iconic moments with this deluxe collection of over 25 official patterns for amigurumi, housewares, costume replicas, inspired apparel, and more both inspired by and pulled directly from the hit TV show, Friends. Featuring patterns for all skill levels, beautiful full-color photography, step-by-step instructions, and clearly presented charts and schematics, Friends: The One with the Crochet is the ultimate crocheter’s guide to the show that’s always been there for you. PROJECTS FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS: This comprehensive, officially licensed guide includes fun projects for every skill level and a wide range of stitches and techniques. STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: Includes meticulous step-by-step instructions and easy-to-understand charts and schematics. 25+ ORIGINAL PATTERNS: More than 25 unique Friends-inspired patterns including patterns for amigurumi, housewares, costume replicas, inspired apparel and more. GORGEOUS PHOTOS: With beautiful full-color photography and iconic images from the show, this is the perfect way to celebrate Friends. COMPLETE YOUR FRIENDS COLLECTION: Also available are Friends: The Official Cookbook, Friends: The Official Central Perk Cookbook, Friends: The Official Recipe Journal, Friends: The Official Advent Calendar, Friends: Yellow Frame Softcover Notebook, and more!Trade ReviewA truly fun reference book for readers to use to make gifts for Friends lovers in their life or themselves * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“It’s gossipy and funny and sometimes wistful and sad, but it’s page-turning. . . . For a film lover like me, Alright, Alright, Alright is an endless feast of facts and revelations. I’m gonna guess that for the casual filmgoer (and even someone who’s never seen Dazed and Confused) it will be fascinating just for the thrill of reading older people looking back with joy, bewilderment and sometimes anger at a time when they were not only young, but when their youth blazed.” — Patton Oswalt, New York Times Book Review “The story of Dazed and Confused has been told before, but never with the depth, breadth, or remarkable reproduction of the film’s conversational rhythms found in Melissa Maerz’s new oral history. . . . Like Linklater’s depiction of the last day of school circa 1976, Maerz’s book envelops readers in time and place. But while the movie’s more of a snapshot, Alright, Alright, Alright is a panorama, enriched by deep background…. It’s a class reunion that doesn’t suck, attended by almost all of the living principals.” — AV Club “[Maerz] does a lot more than just weave the oral history behind a famous movie. She makes it feel like the story of a generation….. This book does for the Nineties what the movie did for the Seventies: a lovingly detailed portrait of an era, celebratory but inevitably elegiac, full of tiny comic moments that seem to sum up the decade’s craziest hopes and dreams…. Like the movie, the book is pure pleasure because makes you feel like you’re hanging out with these friends—it’s a joy to jump and join them on a slow ride.” — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone “A charming oral history of everyone’s favorite stoner film. . . . Essential for fans of the film but also for anyone with ambitions to work in film on either side of the camera.” — Kirkus, starred review “Fun reading, enhanced by veteran entertainment journalist Maerz’s expert chapter introductions and many, well-organized conversations with everyone from Linklater to the stars to the film crew. But Alright, Alright, Alright is also an interesting peek into the many relationships that must be navigated in the making of a film, and a surprising foray into the nature of memory and nostalgia. A must for fans of the movie and readers interested in the moviemaking experience.” — Booklist, starred review “Thorough, funny, and bittersweet.” — Texas Monthly “Touches on the volatility of young artists, the hormones of youthful performers, the conflicts between corporate and artistic stakeholders, the ways our entertainment is presented to us and how we consume it. The book, like the film, is a story about time. ... One of the joys in Alright, Alright, Alright is the perspective Maerz attains with the time that has passed since the making of “Dazed,” as well as its release, its lukewarm reception and its long-tail embrace. Her book becomes less specifically tied to the film and more about how time affects all of us after adolescence.” — Houston Chronicle “An at times humorous chronicle of how a small film became a touchstone of 1990s cinema, with introspective analysis of directing techniques, casting, and performance. . . . Linklater devotees, those who love Dazed and Confused, and anyone interested in 1990s indie film will appreciate Maerz’s detailed tribute.” — Library Journal “An intricate oral history… any cinephile would be happy to check out.” — Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Dazzling. … Will delight any reader. … Fans of The Office will enjoy Welcome to Dunder Mifflin.” — New York Times Book Review, "Best Books to Give This Season" “This definitive oral history…is as sharp and well crafted as the comedy that inspired it. … A true insider’s guide filled with sweet surprises for fans and the brainy charm to make new ones.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Fascinating. … The ultimate behind-the-scenes account.” — Washington Post “A must for fans of The Office. With a foreword by Greg Daniels and interviews with cast members, behind-the-scenes photos and more, it’ll put you right back in Scranton, Pennsylvania.” — CNN.com “The definitive history of The Office. … Spills all of the tea on NBC's iconic sitcom. … The perfect gift for your cousin who is currently on their fifth rewatch.” — E! Online, Top Books to Read This Month "Any Office stan worth their salt needs a copy." — Bon Appétit “The definitive history of the landmark TV show, based on hundreds of hours of interviews with the cast and creators who share their favorite stories and untold secrets, complete with behind-the-scenes photographs.” — USA Today “Provides a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the beloved show.” — People "A pretty package, large and wide, full of production art; it’s solace that a sitcom about a paper company generated a warm printed artifact on nice paper. Like the show itself, there are also recollections here so tender, I felt myself tearing up, and rejected plots so ridiculous, I convulsed with belly laughs. Of these TV oral histories, it’s also the smartest on how actual creative choices play out." — Chicago Tribune

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Book SynopsisWelcome to Pawnee: First in Friendship, Fourth in Obesity. Let Leslie Knope (as played by Amy Poehler on NBC's hit show Parks and Recreation) take you on a hilarious tour through her hometown, the Midwestern haven known as Pawnee, Indiana. Meet the city's colorful citizens, like much-loved public servant and man of nature Ron Swanson; learn about industrial giants such as Sweetums and the Kernston's Rubber Nipple factory; and explore hopping nightlife venues such as the Snake Hole, or indulge in the greatest waffles in the world at JJ's Diner (specialty meal: The Four Horse-Meals of the Egg-Pork-alypse). The book also delves into Pawnee's rich and varied history, including the time the whole town was on fire, or when that cult that took over in the 1970s, and how we overcame decades of conflict with (and some unfortunate massacres of) the Wamapoke Indians to live in harmony. Everything's definitely totally cool with them now. Packed with laugh-out-loud photographs, illustrations, and commentary by all the characters from the show, Pawnee is a must-read that will make you enjoy every moment of your stay in the Greatest Town in America.Trade ReviewCarrying this book around is a good way of picking up girls with glasses. -- Tom HaverfordI have read over four books, and this is by far the one that has me in it the most. -- Andy DwyerLiterally the greatest endeavor of human creativity in the history of mankind. -- Chris Traeger

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Book SynopsisThe Big Bang Theory is a television phenomenon. To the casual viewer, it's a seemingly effortless comedy, with relatable characters tackling real-life issues, offering a kind of visual comfort food to its millions of dedicated fans. But the behind-the-scenes journey of the show from a failed pilot to a global sensation is a fascinating story that even the most die-hard fans don't know in its entirety.The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series is a riveting, entertaining look at the sitcom sensation, with the blessing and participation of co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, executive producers Steve Molaro and Steve Holland, as well as Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Melissa Rauch, Mayim Bialik, and more. Glamour senior editor Jessica Radloff, who has written over 150 articles on the series (and even had a cameo in the finale!), gives readers an all-access pass to its intrepid producing and writing team and beloved cast. It's a story of on-and-off screen romance told in hilarious and emotional detail, of casting choices that nearly changed everything (which even some of the actors didn't know until now), of cast members bravely powering through personal tragedies, and when it came time to announce the 12th season would be its last, the complicated reasons why it was more difficult than anyone ever led on. Through hundreds of hours of interviews with the sitcom's major players, Radloff dives into all this and much more. The book is the ultimate celebration of this once-in-a-generation show and a must-have for all fans.AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA USA TODAY BESTSELLERNAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2022 BY GLAMOUR"Talking with Jessica, I realized how easy it had been for me to kind of put all 12 years of my time on Big Bang Theory under one general umbrella, as it were. The questions she asked and the information she'd reveal to me from someone else she'd interviewed forced me into a frame of mind where each season - and sometimes each episode - became it's own, separate entity again. . . Frankly, it turned into a version of therapy I hadn't realized I'd needed and couldn't have known how much I'd enjoy." -Jim Parsons

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Book SynopsisAVAILABLE NOW - THE PERFECT GIFT FOR FATHER'S DAY'Delightful. A great, fun read.' DAVID JASON'Mel Brooks is the king of comedy.' DAVID BADDIEL'Riotous' DAILY MAIL'A jaunty romp across Brooks's career' THE TIMES__________________________At 95, the legendary Mel Brooks continues to set the standard for comedy across television, film, and the stage. Now, for the first time, this EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner shares his story in his own words.Here are the never-before-told, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and remembrances from a master storyteller, filmmaker, and creator of all things funny.From The Producers to Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein to Anxiety and more, All About Me! offers fans fascinating and hilarious insight into Mel Brooks's outstanding collection of boundary-breaking work. Filled with tales of struggle, achievement and camaraderie, Brooks shares riveting details about his upbringing, his career and his many close friendships and collaborations including those with Gene Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, and the great love of his love, Anne Bancroft.'Not since the Bible have I read anything so powerful and poignant. And to boot - it's a lot funnier!' M. BrooksTrade ReviewConvivial and chirpily amusing...Wisecracking Mel's journey from tragedy to comedy. * Telegraph *Riotous * Daily Mail *A jaunty romp across Brooks's career * The Times *Brooks writes evocatively and with huge affection about his show business breakthrough as a writer * iNews *Such an enjoyable read * RTE *

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Book SynopsisNew York Times bestselling author and star of 2 Dope Queens Phoebe Robinson is back with a new, hilarious, and timely essay collection on gender, race, dating, and the dumpster fire that is our world. Wouldn't it be great if life came with instructions? Of course, but like access to Michael B. Jordan's house, none of us are getting any. Thankfully, Phoebe Robinson is ready to share everything she has experienced to prove that if you can laugh at her topsy-turvy life, you can laugh at your own. Written in her trademark unfiltered and witty style, Robinson's latest collection is a call to arms. Outfitted with on-point pop culture references, these essays tackle a wide range of topics: giving feminism a tough-love talk on intersectionality, telling society's beauty standards to kick rocks, and calling foul on our culture's obsession with work. Robinson also gets personal, exploring money problems she's hidden from her parents, how dating is mainly a warmed-over bowl of hot mess, and definitely most important, meeting Bono not once, but twice. She's struggled with being a woman with a political mind and a woman with an ever-changing jeans size. She knows about trash because she sees it every day--and because she's seen roughly one hundred thousand hours of reality TV and zero hours of Schindler's List. With the intimate voice of a new best friend, Everything's Trash, But It's Okay is a candid perspective for a generation that has had the rug pulled out from under it too many times to count.

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER *The long-awaited return of the comedy national treasure*

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Book SynopsisPresents a backstage view of the author's own struggle, crisis, and discovery, revealing the early life and career that took place out of the public eye and before he became a nationally known star. In this title, he raises the curtain on the making of one of our most beloved actors.Trade Review"Drama is a cut above-touching, self-aware, and beautifully written." -- People "Warm and generous... Lithgow is relentlessly likable... A brisk book, packed with funny stories... A buoyant, heartwarming account of coming into one's own." -- The New York Times Book Review "Anyone interested in an actor's life-especially backstage-will find this book enlightening." -- USA Today "A memoir as finely crafted as one of Lithgow's performances. Lithgow tells of transgressions, indiscretions, and a tabloid-worthy affair that my PR people could only have wished for. An exciting and revealing book, and what's more, it's about ACTING!" -- Steve Martin "John Lithgow's memoir is more than an insider's view of his craft. The portrait of his father is as finely articulated as it is heartfelt, and the account of the young actor's struggles with his too-young, too-early first marriage is both moving and candid. I loved this book." -- John Irving "This book has all the drama we've come to expect from John Lithgow, the alternately dark, tender, romantic, dangerous, deranged actor we find in Drama, which is also a family tale of the richest variety. A great read." -- Mary Karr "John Lithgow's memoir is both unflinching and irresistible. It captures the long, hard road to the stage for any actor, or for virtually anyone trying to make it in New York, and shows how putting all of your hopes into the one thing you love isn't so crazy after all." -- Gay Talese "Drama recounts in graceful, considered prose a life that after a few wrong turns is now happier and more well adjusted than most."- -- Charles McGrath, The New York Times "Lithgow rises to the occasion with courageous honesty and fairness... There's something breath-catchingly poignant in the simple, hard-won wisdom he imparts before taking his final bow: 'Acting is pretty great. But it isn't everything.'" -- The Los Angeles Times "John Lithgow's memoir, Drama, reminded me that the world is indeed all a stage and that professionals have some great ideas about how to perform on it." -- Drew Gilpin Faust, The Wall Street Journal

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Book Synopsis?Kenan is a master storyteller with extraordinary stories to tell. I wouldn?t miss this for the world.??Leslie JonesWhen I Was Your Ageis a hilarious, heartwarming and surprising ode to growing up, getting older and wiser, and luck, life, and learning from the school of hard knocks, from SNL''s longest-serving actor, Kenan ThompsonKenan Thompson isSaturday Night Live?slongest-ever-serving cast member and a star of such pioneering sketches as ?Black Jeopardy? and is hugely beloved thanks to a tidal wave of nostalgic fans who grew up on early 2000s classicsAll That, Good Burger, andKenan & Kelon Nickelodeon.He?s also a dad (to two girls) in his mid-40s living in suburbia, and whose universal, relatable, family-friendly humor has created unbelievable appeal and engagement from fans from middle America to coastal elites. Becoming a dad sucked the cool right out of him -- and he''s OK with that!When I Was Your Ageis packed with hilarious yet poignant essays that are aimed to offer any reader valuable advice on parenting, focusing on positivity, and having fun in life. Kids, new parents, fellow fathers, budding comics, and aunties who want to pinch his cheeks, can all learn from his biggest mistakes and most triumphant victories. There?s something for everybody here!Trade Review “Kenan is a master storyteller with extraordinary stories to tell. I wouldn’t miss this for the world!” — Leslie Jones

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Book SynopsisDrawing from 20 interviews with credited episode writers, key show-runners, and Black gay men, The Generic Closet situates Black-cast sitcoms as a unique genre that uses Black gay characters in service of the series' heterosexual main cast and deconstructs the concept of a monolithic Black audience.Trade ReviewIn The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom, Alfred L. Martin Jr. embarks on a detailed case study of five U.S. shows that aired between 1996 and 2014 and outlines the circumscribed roles available to Black gay characters. Martin unpacks the television industry's imagination of Black audiences as monolithically intolerant of homosexuality, traces the implications of these industrial assumptions from the writers' room to the screen, and concludes with the voices of Black gay viewers themselves. . . . Martin's work is timely given the present climate of growing awareness of structural racism, especially in the United States. This book also underscores the need for intersectional analysis, highlighting the disparate conditions of representation for White gay characters and Black gay characters during the so-called Gay '90s and the problematic depiction of the "coming out" narrative as universal to the LGBTQ+ experience, despite studies showing that it is less salient to the Black LGBTQ+ experience. -- Aiden James Kosciesza * International Journal of Communication *The Generic Closet gives readers a language to describe the pernicious industrial strategy as a structure for containing Black gayness–something that the television industry and audiences wtill cannout seem to escape. -- Brandy Monk-Payton - Fordham University * Film Quarterly *With The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom, Martin illustrates not only how Black gayness has been mediated on the Black-cast sitcom but also why it has been mediated in the ways it has. The use of his various research methods helps to make clear how systems of power produce and recycle ideologies that satisfy racial hegemony and heteronormativity. Deviation from these industrial modes is deemed risky in terms of capital gain and losing an established audience. The possible "good intentions" in producing and sustaining narratively important Black gay characters while diversifying televisual identity is unfortunately tertiary to network fears and the heterosexist American norm. To move forward from this banishment of Black gay men to the generic closet, the assumed monolithic Black audience must first be deconstructed to make way for new representational possibilities. -- Adrien Sebro * The Communication Review *In The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom, Alfred L. Martin Jr. constructs a rigorous, persuasive account of the historical inclusion of Black gay characters in Black-led sitcoms. Zeroing in on the period in the 1990s and 2000s when, in US television, a significant increase in on-screen Black and gay representation occurred, Martin uses interviews with audiences and industry professionals to produce nuanced understandings of the industrial moment itself, the programs created during it, and, most centrally to the monograph's arc, Black gayness as it appeared in Black-cast sitcoms. . . . Notably, throughout The Generic Closet, Martin holds space for the positive and productive aspects of representations of Black gay characters, even while highlighting areas worthy of critique. This tension is something many scholars studying media industries (while also attending to implications of race, sexual identity, and other minoritized identity categories within those industries) are required to balance: while there is willingness, and even desire, to acknowledge advancements around diversity, engaging with the potential of what could be can make it difficult to maintain a critical lens toward understanding which elements have limited or continue to limit possibilities around more authentic, dynamic representations of minoritized groups. Martin successfully strikes this balance through careful deployment of his multifaceted analytical approach, the facets of which are ultimately unified by his illumination of the previously obfuscated generic closet and the revelation of how it functions to uphold boundaries around Black gay inclusion in US television. -- Lauren E. Wilks * Media Industries Journal *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Television in Black and Gay1. Building and Rebuilding Generic Closets within the Black-Cast Sitcom Industry2. Scripting the Generic Closet in the Writers' Room3. Comedy, Laughter and the Generic Closet4. Black Queens Speak: The Generic Closet, Black-Cast Sitcoms and Reception PracticesConclusion: Trapped in the Black-Cast Sitcoms' Generic ClosetAppendix A: List of Black-Cast Sitcoms with Black Gay CharactersAppendix B: Interview Script for Black-Cast Sitcom ViewersAppendix C: Interview Script for Industry ProfessionalsBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisDrawing from 20 interviews with credited episode writers, key show-runners, and Black gay men, The Generic Closet situates Black-cast sitcoms as a unique genre that uses Black gay characters in service of the series' heterosexual main cast and deconstructs the concept of a monolithic Black audience.Trade ReviewIn The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom, Alfred L. Martin Jr. embarks on a detailed case study of five U.S. shows that aired between 1996 and 2014 and outlines the circumscribed roles available to Black gay characters. Martin unpacks the television industry's imagination of Black audiences as monolithically intolerant of homosexuality, traces the implications of these industrial assumptions from the writers' room to the screen, and concludes with the voices of Black gay viewers themselves. . . . Martin's work is timely given the present climate of growing awareness of structural racism, especially in the United States. This book also underscores the need for intersectional analysis, highlighting the disparate conditions of representation for White gay characters and Black gay characters during the so-called Gay '90s and the problematic depiction of the "coming out" narrative as universal to the LGBTQ+ experience, despite studies showing that it is less salient to the Black LGBTQ+ experience. -- Aiden James Kosciesza * International Journal of Communication *The Generic Closet gives readers a language to describe the pernicious industrial strategy as a structure for containing Black gayness–something that the television industry and audiences wtill cannout seem to escape. -- Brandy Monk-Payton - Fordham University * Film Quarterly *With The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom, Martin illustrates not only how Black gayness has been mediated on the Black-cast sitcom but also why it has been mediated in the ways it has. The use of his various research methods helps to make clear how systems of power produce and recycle ideologies that satisfy racial hegemony and heteronormativity. Deviation from these industrial modes is deemed risky in terms of capital gain and losing an established audience. The possible "good intentions" in producing and sustaining narratively important Black gay characters while diversifying televisual identity is unfortunately tertiary to network fears and the heterosexist American norm. To move forward from this banishment of Black gay men to the generic closet, the assumed monolithic Black audience must first be deconstructed to make way for new representational possibilities. -- Adrien Sebro * The Communication Review *In The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom, Alfred L. Martin Jr. constructs a rigorous, persuasive account of the historical inclusion of Black gay characters in Black-led sitcoms. Zeroing in on the period in the 1990s and 2000s when, in US television, a significant increase in on-screen Black and gay representation occurred, Martin uses interviews with audiences and industry professionals to produce nuanced understandings of the industrial moment itself, the programs created during it, and, most centrally to the monograph's arc, Black gayness as it appeared in Black-cast sitcoms. . . . Notably, throughout The Generic Closet, Martin holds space for the positive and productive aspects of representations of Black gay characters, even while highlighting areas worthy of critique. This tension is something many scholars studying media industries (while also attending to implications of race, sexual identity, and other minoritized identity categories within those industries) are required to balance: while there is willingness, and even desire, to acknowledge advancements around diversity, engaging with the potential of what could be can make it difficult to maintain a critical lens toward understanding which elements have limited or continue to limit possibilities around more authentic, dynamic representations of minoritized groups. Martin successfully strikes this balance through careful deployment of his multifaceted analytical approach, the facets of which are ultimately unified by his illumination of the previously obfuscated generic closet and the revelation of how it functions to uphold boundaries around Black gay inclusion in US television. -- Lauren E. Wilks * Media Industries Journal *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Television in Black and Gay1. Building and Rebuilding Generic Closets within the Black-Cast Sitcom Industry2. Scripting the Generic Closet in the Writers' Room3. Comedy, Laughter and the Generic Closet4. Black Queens Speak: The Generic Closet, Black-Cast Sitcoms and Reception PracticesConclusion: Trapped in the Black-Cast Sitcoms' Generic ClosetAppendix A: List of Black-Cast Sitcoms with Black Gay CharactersAppendix B: Interview Script for Black-Cast Sitcom ViewersAppendix C: Interview Script for Industry ProfessionalsBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisA spirited dive into the life and career of a performer, writer, and director who dominated twentieth-century American comedyTrade Review“[Dauber] has written a piece of criticism as elegant and sympathetic as Brooks is vulgar and savage.”—Tanya Gold, The Spectator“In a new biography, Jeremy Dauber breaks down how the comedian and director just couldn’t help being a loving iconoclast skewering the establishment.”—Times of Israel“The energy, the sass, the inexhaustible comic brio that define Mel Brooks seem too volcanic to fit between the covers of a book. But, miracle of miracles, Jeremy Dauber has made it happen, simultaneously entertaining and enlightening as he takes us along on a very wild ride.”—Kenneth Turan, author of Not to Be Missed: Fifty-Four Favorites from a Lifetime of Film“When someone has been as significant an influence on culture as Mel Brooks, it can be tough to tell their story in a fresh, cohesive way. But Jeremy Dauber has done it, giving us a limpid, inviting, and lively new look at Brooks, his work, and the ways his Jewishness shapes everything he’s done. In the process, he shows how Brooks’s fingerprints are all over our shared cultural lives—whether or not we share his cultural identity. It’s a fascinating read, and pure pleasure.”—Alissa Wilkinson, senior culture writer, Vox

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Book Synopsis The woman behind the icon known as the undisputed Queen of Halloween, reveals her full story, filled with intimate bombshells, told by the bombshell herself. The paperback includes 32 new images and an original poem composed by Cassandra when she was 16, perfect for fans to collect. At only eighteen months old, Cassandra Peterson reached for a pot on the stove and doused herself in boiling water, resulting in third-degree burns over 35 percent of her body. She miraculously survived, but burned and scarred, the impact would stay with her and become an obstacle she was determined to overcome. Cassandra left home at fourteen and supported herself as a go-go dancer. By age seventeen, she was performing as a showgirl in Las Vegas. Then a chance encounter with the “King” himself, Elvis Presley, inspired her to travel to Europe where she worked in film and toured Italy as lead singer of a band. She eventually made her way to Los Angeles, where she joined the famed comedy improv group, The Groundlings. In 1981, as a struggling actress considered past her prime, Cassandra auditioned for a local LA station as hostess for their late-night horror movies. She got the job as “Elvira,” never imagining it would lead to fame and a forty-year career. Yours Cruelly, Elvira is an unforgettably wild memoir. Cassandra doesn’t shy away from revealing exactly who she is and how she overcame seemingly insurmountable odds. Always original and sometimes outrageous, her story is loaded with twists, travails, revelry, and downright shocking experiences. It is the candid, often hilarious, and sometimes heartbreaking tale of a Midwest farm girl’s long, strange trip to become the world’s sexiest, sassiest Halloween icon.  Instant New York Times Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller.  A New York Times Best Books to Give This Season selection.

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Book SynopsisIf there's one thing the nation can agree on--we all love Betty White! This spirited homage to Betty captures her unique humor, timeless wisdom, and impish irreverence that's made her one of America's longest lasting and most beloved stars. An unparalleled American icon, Betty White started show business in 1939 in radio and was a pioneer in the early days of TV. Over eight decades, she's appeared on countless sitcoms, game shows, and talk shows, including the iconic comedy hits The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls. Her accolades over the years include two Emmy nominations, a Grammy, and induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, while she had her best decade yet as a nonagenarian: becoming the oldest person to host SNL, starring in a Super Bowl ad, and winning praise with her popular supporting role in Hot in Cleveland. Through it all, her 'don't take yourself too seriously' attitude appeals to legions

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Book SynopsisLet your lobster know how much they mean to you with this officially licensed, charming DIY gift book, inspired by Friends. Whether you and your other half are a Ross and Rachel or more of a Chandler and Monica, show your SO how much they mean to you with dozens of sweet, silly, and endearing expressions of love inspired by Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey, and Phoebe. Once completed, this book becomes a personalized gift for your loved one to cherish for years to come. Also features full-color photography from the show throughout.  

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Book SynopsisEach entry in this comprehensive book celebrates another corner of the Friends universe and offers new discoveries and facts concerning cherished characters and themes. From every time Joey says, How you doin''? to memorable holiday episodes, each list will delight fans and remind them why Friends is one of the most beloved comedy series of all time. Lists include:* Family Trees * Chick and Duck Appearances * Every Time Ross Says, We were on a break!* Ugly Naked Guy''s Activities* Chandler''s Top Four Reasons to Get Married* Phoebe''s Songs* Imaginary Things on Joey''s Resumé* Ross''s Spray Tan Disaster* Janice''s Appearances* Guest Star Appearances And more!Including full-colour photos and visuals throughout, The Friends Book of Lists is an officially licensed must-have collector''s item for the ultimate Friends fan.

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Book SynopsisCelebrate the nerdiest friend group with this ultimate fan guide packed with trivia, facts, and memories from all twelve seasons of The Big Bang Theory. With more than 100 inventive lists, charts, and timelines, The Big Bang Theory Book of Lists offers fans a creative way of looking at and celebrating the iconic and beloved early 2000s sitcom. Revisit some of your favorite moments, pairings, cameos, and geeky references (or test your super-fan knowledge) with these fun groupings exploring the variables of life in apartment 4A.Lists include: Timelines of all the characters, their romantic partnerships, vows, and weddings   Analysis of Sheldon's Public Restroom Kit All of Penny’s Relationship Advice Pictorial Records for Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, Howard, Raj, Amy, and Bernadette Record of all of the guests (cameos) in the apartment Diagram of The Universe of All Women Everything that's in Bernadette's Grab Bag A break-down of all of Sheldon's geeky shirts and their references And more!Illustrated with full-color photographs and visuals from the show throughout, The Big Bang Theory Book of Lists is an officially licensed, must-have collector's item for the ultimate fan.THE BIG BANG THEORY and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s22) 

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Book SynopsisThis stunning package offers a rich, intimate, and highly entertaining look at the remarkable life and work of the television pioneer, the First Lady of Comedy, the legend, Lucille Ball—AKA Lucy.   Full of fresh perspective, gorgeously designed, and richly informative, this is a book on Lucille Ball like none other. With profiles spotlighting the many different facets of the woman, AKA Lucy details how Ball changed the face of comedy and the entertainment industry. It sheds new light on the star's history, from her childhood through hard-scrabble days trying to make it in show business, falling head over heels in love and embarking on one of the great romances of the twentieth century, to becoming the biggest star in the world, a pioneer in television, and an icon for the ages. Filled with photos and highlighted by bright illustration and design, this is a volume almost as vivid and entertaining as the woman herself.AKA Luc

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Book Synopsis NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERGLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLERThe official tie-in book for the beloved, nine-time Emmy® Award-winning series Schitt's Creek. This beautifully produced, keepsake coffee-table book is the ultimate celebration of the series, the town, the characters, and the state of mind that is Schitt's Creek. Capturing the essence and alchemy of all six seasons of what is now considered to be one of the most groundbreaking comedy television series of the last decade, Best Wishes, Warmest Regards is a gift to fans everywhere who have made the show their own.Included are character profiles from the cast of Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis, and all of the characters that populate the town, major moments from Moira's endorsement of Herb Ertlinger Winery, to Patrick and David's first kiss, to Cabaret and the Rose Family Christmas episode. Also included are special features, such as the complete, illustrated catalogs of David's knits and Moira's wigs, Moira's vocabulary, Alexis's adventures, and behind-the-scenes moments from Dan and Eugene Levy and the cast of Schitt's Creek.

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Book SynopsisAll in the Family creator Norman Lear takes fans behind the scenes of the groundbreaking sitcom on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.The face of television was changed forever in 1971 with the premiere of All in the Family. The working-class Bunker family of Queens, New York—lovable bigot Archie (Carroll O'Connor), his long-suffering “dingbat” wife Edith (Jean Stapleton), their liberal daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers), and son-in-law Mike Meathead Stivic (Rob Reiner)—instantly became, and half a century later still are, four of the most iconic characters in television.In All in the Family: The Show that Changed Television, Norman Lear shares his take on fifty essential episodes that exemplify why the show remains as funny and relevant as ever. Its boundary-pushing approach to hot-button topics is examined with commentary from co-stars O’ Connor, Stapleton, Reiner, and Struthers, as well as writers, directors,

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Book SynopsisPlaces Will & Grace in its historical context of the late 1990s and early 2000s, considering how it contributed to contemporary debates concerning queer life. Tison Pugh demonstrates that while heralding a new age of queer representation, characters were homogenized to normalize queerness for a mainstream US audience.Trade ReviewWill & Grace is a thorough overview of the cultural tensions inherent in gay representation in the ’90s sitcom and in the revival. It is refreshingly open to the possibilities of visual and performative queerness that persist in the series, despite the cultural and generic constraints it faced." - Becca Cragin, Department of Popular Culture, Bowling Green State University"As the twentieth century recedes in the rearview mirror, it becomes difficult to convey the impact of past media milestones in shaping the present. Pugh provides an insightful, comprehensive, and nuanced account that will ensure that the importance of Will & Grace is understood and remembered." - Larry Gross, author of Up from Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men, and the Media in America"Pugh persuasively proves that Will & Grace deserves its reputation as a classic sitcom and a milestone for LGBTQ+ representation." - Library Journal

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1954, this was the first factual history of comedy films and the men and women who had since 1894 kept us laughing in the cinema. It traces the beginning of comic motion pictures and the pioneer work of Paul, Gaumont, Hepworth, Pathe and Zecca. Then comes the picture palace craze and the success of the early Italian and French comedies and trick films. The work of Al Christie and Mack Sennett in America, and the rise of American films, is fully described, as knockabout gives way to slapstick, and salaries and box-office receipts soar.Now come Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and all the other bright figures of the Roaring Twenties, with favourites like Buster Keaton and Will Rogers to the fore. The development of sound and its effect on the comedians is explained, and the story comes up to date through the thirties and forties to 1954.Some of the hundreds of names to whom tribute is paid include Mabel Normand, Larry Semon, Roscoe Arbuckle, Monty Banks, MaxTrade ReviewReviews for the original 1954 edition:"Loaded with facts, names, titles, biographies and anecdotes, but trotting along easily enough to make reading comfortable, I can’t think of any other book devoted to the cheerful screen which bundles together not only the internationally famous English-speaking comics, but also the great army of good comedians, the multitude of players and the multitude of films too." Dilys Powell wrote in The Sunday Times"Highly informative and interesting and, for the middle-aged, almost unbearably nostalgic," said the New Statesman"A little monument to painstaking research made readable by unswerving love," wrote Paul Dehn"A valuable and fascinating book," said Maryvonne Butcher in The TabletTable of ContentsPreface by Norman Wisdom. Foreword. 1. The First Comedies 2. The Hepworth Story 3. The Fun Continues 4. Early Film Studios 5. The Rise of the American Film 6. The Keystone Touch 7. Chaplin – The Perfect Clown 8. Harold Lloyd 9. The Roaring Twenties 10. The End of Visual Comedy 11. All Talking! 12. The Thirties 13. The British Quota Boom 14. Crosby and Company 15. Walt Disney 16. The Eccentrics 17. The Forties 18. The Summing Up 19. Flashback. Acknowledgements. Index of Names.

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Book Synopsis''There was none like her before and there''s been none like her since'' Dawn FrenchIn the five years since Victoria Wood''s death, one great sadness has been the realisation that we will never again be surprised by new material from her.But as part of the research for Let''s Do It, the critically acclaimed Sunday Times bestseller, her official biographer Jasper Rees uncovered a treasure chest of unseen work. From her first piece of comic prose, for the school magazine, through to material written for the great TV shows of her maturity, this joyful hoard of unreleased material spans nearly half a century.Victoria Wood: Unseen on TV is a unique and intimate insight into the working of an irreplaceable genius of comedy.From the first to the last, here are sketches, songs and stand-up monologues that no one else could have written, which will make you laugh in the way that only she could.''He was a lovTrade ReviewA bundle of laughs... brighten your days with a much-loved British comedian's newfound gems. -- Emma Lee Potter * SUNDAY EXPRESS S MAGAZINE *A unique and intimate insight into the working of a special entertainment talent. Fans of comedy - or life, or laughing - will want to find this in their stocking. -- Adele Parks * PLATINUM *The perfect gift for fans who thought they'd never hear a new Victoria Wood joke again. -- Zoe West * WOMAN'S WEEKLY *

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Book SynopsisIn his inspirational new memoir Big Beacon, Alan tells two stunning stories of triumph over mild adversity: somehow managing to rebuild both his TV career and an abandoned lighthouse in Kent.Trade ReviewNot only has Alan Partridge created an entirely new storytelling structure, it's very funny indeed * JON RONSON *Partridge... has become the man our time deserves. Aha! * THE TIMES *This is a deeply silly book. It's also glorious...[with] proper belly laughs on pretty much every page * i NEWS *Every sentence screams pure Partridge...a spoof that comes close to comic genius * DAILY EXPRESS *Expect plenty of laughs * HEAT *

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Rylan is pure class and so is his book. Big attitude, big teeth, big heart.' - Louis TherouxFunny and outspoken, Rylan is one of the UK's most-loved presenters and a true household name. Rylan first emerged on our screens in September 2012 and in the ten years since then has become a one-of-a-kind national treasure. In this brand-new memoir, Rylan invites us deeper into his world to reflect on all the things he's learnt from a decade in the limelight, whilst also pulling back the curtain on his personal journey. Covering everything from fame and celebrity to his mental health and identity, family and relationships to his love of reality TV, he recounts his life lessons with humour, candour and a huge amount of heart. From the moments that have shaped him to the mistakes that have made him, and the unusual pastimes that have obsessed him along the way. With unforgettable stories about his rise to fame, his biggest regrets and his special bond wiTrade Review'Rylan writes humbly, honestly and with laugh-out-loud humour, his personality coming across in the chatty writing style... It would be a cold heart that wasn't warmed by Rylan' - Charlotte Heathcote, Daily Express/Daily Mirror'Honest, real and just so uplifting. Rylan is the most authentic man I know, This made me cry, laugh and I just couldn't put it down from the moment I picked it up!' - Alison Hammond'Rylan is pure class and so is his book. Big attitude, big teeth, big heart.' - Louis Theroux

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Book SynopsisPre-order the brand-new paperback from Rylan - fully updated to include stories from the last 12 months! Funny and outspoken, Rylan is one of the UK's most-loved presenters and a true household name. Rylan first emerged on our screens in September 2012 and in the ten years since then has become a one-of-a-kind national treasure.    In this surprising new memoir, Rylan invites us deeper into his world to reflect on all the things he's learnt from a decade in the limelight, whilst also pulling back the curtain on his personal journey. Covering everything from fame and celebrity to his mental health and identity, family and relationships to his love of reality TV, he recounts his life lessons with humour, candour and a huge amount of heart. From the moments that have shaped him to the mistakes that have made him, and the unusual pastimes that have obsessed him along the way.   With unforgettable stories about his rise to fame, his

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Book SynopsisThe real story behind Dame Edna, the international superstar!Written by the legendary Barry Humphries himself.''I''m suing!!'' Dame Edna Everage''Humphries is Australia''s John Betjeman'' Mail on Sunday''Full of the hilarious innuendo that we love'' Woman''s WeeklyIn this unauthorised biography of Dame Edna Everage, acquired for an unprecedented advance and in spectacular secrecy, her long-time manager and the man who was there from the very beginning, Barry Humphries, takes a behind-the-scenes, no-holds-barred look at an icon of our times. Superstar, swami, confidante and advisor to royalty, Hollywood stars and international political leaders, Dame Edna''s life has catapulted her from her humble Moonee Ponds beginnings as a suburban housewife to the most elite social and artistic circles in the world. Who would have thought that this modest Australian woman could achieve so much froTrade ReviewI'm suing!! -- Dame Edna EverageHumphries' use of language and his plangent memory... true artistry... Humphries is Australia's John Betjeman * Mail on Sunday *Full of the hilarious innuendo that we love * Woman's Weekly *A most entertaining read * Irish Times *Good fun...nicely written, easy to read and often very funny...the photos are great too * Belfast Telegraph *Very funny * DAILY EXPRESS *Full of the hilarious innuendo that we love * WOMAN'S WEEKLY *

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Book Synopsis''Bliss on Toast'', the perfect Christmas giftA facsimile of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard Training Manual recently discovered in the attic of a house in the town. Found in a trunk amongst a pile of HOTSPUR comics, it belonged to Private Pike and features his handwritten marginal notes on the text plus his personal jottings on matters of rather less importance than the defence of the realm, such as films he has seen, girls he has dated and the progress of Aston Villa FC. The book bears the official crest and stamp of the Queen''s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, to which the platoon belongs. Although aged and covered with stains, boot prints, tears and scorch marks, it is in a reasonable condition for facsimile printing. The manual is Capt Mainwaring''s attempt to ready the platoon to face (and recognize) the enemy in the coming invasion of Britain.Trade ReviewArguably wittier than the original series, it is carefully designed to give that shabby, wartime look and contains the martial thoughts of Captain Mainwaring and his lads, with sarky comments in red ink by the sardonic Sergeant Wilson. The essential guide to turning signposts round, removing manhole covers and communicating with deaf Home Guard members at a distance (try semaphore - but not if its's dark). * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *DAD'S ARMY remains timelessly popular; it was Perry and Croft's great genius to create a vision of the English as they like to see themselves * THE ULTIMATE TV GUIDE *

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Book SynopsisAs the saying goes, Comedy equals tragedy plus time, but in the face of tragedies on a national scale, comedy becomes the medium through which audiences untangle accepted understandings of what it means to be American.Trade ReviewFocusing on comedy programs from the 1990s and early 2000s, including Family Guy, South Park, The Simpsons, and In Living Color, the author adeptly explains how these programs not only offer a means of escape for viewers processing national trauma, but also create new narratives that bleed out into national dialogue, with perhaps unintentional but wide-reaching consequences reverberating in the United States today...A must for media and communication studies departments, this work will also appeal to many comedy fans, traumatologists, and the generally curious. * Library Journal *Tragedy plus Time feels prescient. Reading the book, I got the sense that I was immersed in a discourse that society will be examining for the foreseeable future in trying to understand the relationship between comedy and trauma...Tragedy plus Time advances a noteworthy collection of ideas about how collective trauma is (often unexpectedly) processed through humor...While aimed toward comedy scholars broadly, this book is particularly valuable to those curious about comedy’s intersection with history and politics. * Studies in American Humor *[An] insightful and innovative book...Scepanski is fairly thorough in his writing on both the general topic as well as its neatly-ordered subtopics. * Houston Press *[A] truly excellent new book...Tragedy Plus Time is sophisticated, compelling, timely and well-written. It has a wide appeal for readers of all generations and backgrounds—just like television itself. * Northeast Popular & American Culture Association *Scepanski effectively demonstrates throughout his book that the perceived status of television comedy as lowbrow entertainment, its ever-narrowing target audience, and its propensity to offend combine to place the TV comedy genre in an opportune position to address sensitive topics...Perhaps more than ever, this sort of historical and contextual perspective on television comedy is urgently needed for the complex mapping of the current American media culture and its ramifications. If comedy is an often quickly overlooked or dismissed genre, Scepanski proves that it should not be, given its significance in shaping Americans’ sense of national identity and history. * Film Quarterly *Tragedy Plus Time takes a serious look at how comedy and satire in American media make light of dark matters...thorough and engaging...Scepanki’s study is useful to understand the ways that comedy constructs a view of the past, thereby influencing perceptions of historical events. Those lessons do not disappear but become integrated into worldviews going forward, shaping how national trauma plays a role in both national and individual identity. * PopMatters *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Broadcast Nationalism, National Trauma, and Television Comedy Chapter 1: The Kennedy Assassination and the Growth of Sick Humor on American Television Chapter 2: Censored Comedies and Comedies of Censorship Chapter 3: Emotional Nonconformity in Comedy Chapter 4: Conspiracy Theories and Comedy Chapter 5: African American Comedies and the 1992 Los Angeles Riots Chapter 6: Television Comedy and Islamophobia after 9/11 Chapter 7: Comedy and Trump as Trauma in Narrowcast America Conclusion Afterword Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA 2022 CHOICE Outstanding Academic TitleLove at first sight, whirlwind marriages, break-ups, divorces, remarriage What accounts for the enduring success of the Hollywood madcap comedies of the 1930s? Directed by masters of comedy (Hawks, LaCava, Leisen, Ruggles...) and featuring the decade's most iconic stars (Colbert, Dunne, Grant, Hepburn...), these films set romantic comedy standards for decades to come. Screwball comedy embarked on two challenging missions: to poke fun at established social norms and to undermine stereotypical depictions of gender roles, putting forward a discourse that postulated the possibility of equality between men and women. Grégoire Halbout's reexamination of screwball comedy provides a comprehensive overview of this (sub)genre, eschewing the auteurist approach and including minor works never before analyzed through the screwball lens. His book explains how these screwball stories met the expectations of a booming American middle class eager for theTrade ReviewThe book is smartly written and deeply researched, and it joins foundational work by such scholars of the genre as Stanley Cavell, Kathrina Glitre, and Wes Gehring ... This indispensable book will be valuable for those interested in screwball comedies or Hollywood history. Summing Up: Essential. All readers. * CHOICE *The book is smartly written and deeply researched, and it joins foundational work by such scholars of the genre as Stanley Cavell, Kathrina Glitre, and Wes Gehring ... This indispensable book will be valuable for those interested in screwball comedies or Hollywood history. Summing Up: Essential. All readers. * CHOICE *A rigorous and nuanced work which constantly brings to light the complexities of a highly unstable genre that captured many contemporary ideological challenges … a fresh and insightful perspective. * Miranda *A rigorous and nuanced work which constantly brings to light the complexities of a highly unstable genre that captured many contemporary ideological challenges … a fresh and insightful perspective. * Miranda *The result of Halbout’s insightful analysis is a stimulating appreciation of a beloved genre in American film. * Journal of American Culture *The result of Halbout’s insightful analysis is a stimulating appreciation of a beloved genre in American film. * Journal of American Culture *[The] book will be particularly relevant to scholars of American humor because of its unique interdisciplinary approach to genre studies. It is a much-needed addition to the comedy corpus, for as much as the screwball genre was a reflection of a specific historical moment, Halbout shows that there is also a certain transcendent quality about its style, themes, and democratic aspirations. -- Olympia Kiriakou * Studies in American Humor *[The] book will be particularly relevant to scholars of American humor because of its unique interdisciplinary approach to genre studies. It is a much-needed addition to the comedy corpus, for as much as the screwball genre was a reflection of a specific historical moment, Halbout shows that there is also a certain transcendent quality about its style, themes, and democratic aspirations. -- Olympia Kiriakou * Studies in American Humor *Synthesizing major strands of French and English-language scholarship on the theatrical and cinematic traditions of romantic comedy, Grégoire Halbout’s Hollywood Screwball Comedy,1934-1945 offers a fresh and lively reappraisal of Hollywood screwball comedies as a distinctly American film genre. The scope of his approach alone is impressive. Adroitly side-stepping the pitfalls of genre studies that are limited to the inspection of a handful of celebrated films, Halbout identifies and explores an expansive corpus, one with permeable boundaries and in flux throughout the years bridging the Great Depression and the Second World War. With exactness, he also dives deeply into the records of Production Code Administration to demonstrate how evolving censorship practices in Hollywood triggered the emergence of new visual and verbal comic styles. He charts a cultural discourse crisscrossed with contradictory and conflicting voices, echoing public debates about sex, intimacy, and marriage at a time when a democratic mythos was under great strain. Brought to light in these pages are the institutional practices and creative responses through which the dialects and effects of 'screwball' surfaced and flourished on and beyond the screen. * Charles Wolfe, Professor of Film and Media Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA *Synthesizing major strands of French and English-language scholarship on the theatrical and cinematic traditions of romantic comedy, Grégoire Halbout’s Hollywood Screwball Comedy,1934-1945 offers a fresh and lively reappraisal of Hollywood screwball comedies as a distinctly American film genre. The scope of his approach alone is impressive. Adroitly side-stepping the pitfalls of genre studies that are limited to the inspection of a handful of celebrated films, Halbout identifies and explores an expansive corpus, one with permeable boundaries and in flux throughout the years bridging the Great Depression and the Second World War. With exactness, he also dives deeply into the records of Production Code Administration to demonstrate how evolving censorship practices in Hollywood triggered the emergence of new visual and verbal comic styles. He charts a cultural discourse crisscrossed with contradictory and conflicting voices, echoing public debates about sex, intimacy, and marriage at a time when a democratic mythos was under great strain. Brought to light in these pages are the institutional practices and creative responses through which the dialects and effects of 'screwball' surfaced and flourished on and beyond the screen. * Charles Wolfe, Professor of Film and Media Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA *Initiated and propelled by the writing of Stanley Cavell, Grégoire Halbout offers here a capacious yet discerning analysis of the remarkably fecund genre known by the disarming, perhaps misleading name “screwball.” Delighting in the glories of taking democratic entertainment seriously, Halbout treats readers to a lively taxonomy of the characteristics and criteria that make these films recognizable, including savvy assessments of the many directors who artfully troped love and sex into conversation—thereby eliding with comic flair the chaste restrictions of the Hays Code. Moreover, despite the madcap and zany attributes of these plots and their characters, pursuits of happiness—in their many incarnations—remain of immanent concern for one and all, on screen and off. In Halbout’s company, we contend with the exigencies of marriage; the charged private and public spaces of intimacy and power; and the vexed romance of democracy. To these ends, Halbout seizes upon the narrative traits that keep these indelible films fresh, while encouraging us to ponder how and why they proliferated. Though readers familiar with Cavell’s contributions will recognize “his films” in the line-up, they will also encounter an expanse of additional works that thrill—placing the achievements of the marquee instances in dialogue with the lesser known. Befitting his signal inspiration, Halbout sustains Cavell’s influential investigation and extends it in dynamic ways, delivering in this volume what amounts to a now-indispensable companion for exploring the moral and aesthetic incitements of the genre—especially among its hilarious and profound exemplars. * David LaRocca, Cornell University, USA and editor of The Thought of Stanley Cavell and Cinema and Movies with Stanley Cavell in Mind *Initiated and propelled by the writing of Stanley Cavell, Grégoire Halbout offers here a capacious yet discerning analysis of the remarkably fecund genre known by the disarming, perhaps misleading name “screwball.” Delighting in the glories of taking democratic entertainment seriously, Halbout treats readers to a lively taxonomy of the characteristics and criteria that make these films recognizable, including savvy assessments of the many directors who artfully troped love and sex into conversation—thereby eliding with comic flair the chaste restrictions of the Hays Code. Moreover, despite the madcap and zany attributes of these plots and their characters, pursuits of happiness—in their many incarnations—remain of immanent concern for one and all, on screen and off. In Halbout’s company, we contend with the exigencies of marriage; the charged private and public spaces of intimacy and power; and the vexed romance of democracy. To these ends, Halbout seizes upon the narrative traits that keep these indelible films fresh, while encouraging us to ponder how and why they proliferated. Though readers familiar with Cavell’s contributions will recognize “his films” in the line-up, they will also encounter an expanse of additional works that thrill—placing the achievements of the marquee instances in dialogue with the lesser known. Befitting his signal inspiration, Halbout sustains Cavell’s influential investigation and extends it in dynamic ways, delivering in this volume what amounts to a now-indispensable companion for exploring the moral and aesthetic incitements of the genre—especially among its hilarious and profound exemplars. * David LaRocca, Cornell University, USA and editor of The Thought of Stanley Cavell and Cinema and Movies with Stanley Cavell in Mind *Table of ContentsForeword Acknowledgements Introduction Being happy Line of descent: from remarriage comedy to screwball film Deploying a new approach to an indeterminate and unstable genre A social and political reading of a typically American genre Part One – The screwball expression: a genre shows its credentials Preamble: the fertility of Hollywood comedy in the 1930s Chapter One: Proof of identity The origins of the genre 1934, a pivotal year The “Americanization” of fictional sources A matter of language The etymology and the improbable “trajectory” of the term screwball Genre signaling in film discourse and movie reviews Chapter Two: Protagonists: the artisans of screwball comedy The directors at the helm The reign of the jack of all trades The director and the “screwballization” of scripts The actors, stars of the genre American actors for American stories The stars, genre reference points Screwball timbres and tones The importance of the background: recurring secondary characters Chapter Three: Narrative tropes and genre categories Preliminary decryption Narrative structures: “New Love”, “Old Love” and fornication forestalled Plot types, a descriptive catalogue A first attempt at a delineation of narrative tropes Conditions precedent: zeroing in on the couple The masquerade and the faces of conflict The ordeal of alterity Crises of identity “Cocktails” and genre mixing The impact of current events Tones and subjects: a repetitive and polymorphic genre A generation fades away Shifting centers of interest and changing expectations Part Two – Screwball discourse: interdiction and indirection Chapter One: A socio-economic context conducive to censorship Hollywood and the consequences of the 1929 financial crisis New audiences, new censors Popular art and popular culture: the ideological straightjacket Men of circumstance take control The censors’ mission and their ideological apparatus An improbable coincidence Chapter Two: Expressions: Screwball comedy and the forms of censorship The objective signs A lengthy, comprehensive and conflictual approval process The imprint of censorship on the Hollywood work process Forms of regulation: rhetoric and frames of reference Phraseology of the PCA How the Hays Office intervened Efforts towards an evolving methodology and judicial policy What analytical tools for which interpretation? The “Charter”, jurisprudence and the reinforcement of prohibitions Chapter Three: Content: Ideological scrubbing Creation under supervision: a system of prohibitions Purified language to fit the needs of Hollywood’s social project Forbidden images: bodies and behavior The Code, protecting institutions from the screwball menace Echo and mirror: the press’s final seal of approval Chapter Four: Indirect discourse: The invention of the screwball style Procedural Delinquency The boomerang effect: censorship becomes fodder for comedy The screenplay for Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife, a model of narrative expurgation and lexical attrition The rule-breakers’ arsenal: words and images Wordplay: the ruses and pleasures of screwball language Gags and the advent of disorder The symbolic function of objects From one image to another: the metaphorization of forbidden gestures An unexpected mirror: the amplifying effect of marketing “Screwball Comedy, Sex Comedies” Part Three – The screwball celebration and the democratic discussion Chapter One: The screwball New Deal and the society of mutual consent The discourse on marriage in 1930s America A consumer society in a civilization of leisure America’s marriage debate “Advice” comes to the rescue of marriage Questioning marriage The failure of authority figures Screwball outlaws and their special arrangements The revolution of modern marriage Chapter Two: The tension of the screwball celebration; preserving the democratic space The persistence of the established order Paternal consent and the wife’s return to domesticity The missions of the screwball couple Negotiation between private and public space Escape from society Invasion and living together Conclusion The romantic relationship, a reinterpretation of the democratic bond Appendices Filmography Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisMothers on American television takes an in-depth look at how motherhood is represented on some of the most popular television series produced this century. Adopting a feminist, Marxist, cultural studies and psychoanalytical approach, the book offers a history of the positioning of mothers within American society. It provides detailed analysis of The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Handmaid’s Tale and more, while reflecting on the newspaper ‘mommy wars’, employment patterns and alternative views of motherhood.Table of ContentsIntroductionPart I: Mothers on network television1 Motherhood, culture and society2 Motherhood on network television, 1940s to 1980s3 Motherhood on network television, 1980s onwardsPart II: Original dramas4 Sex and The City (HBO, 1998-2004)5 The Sopranos (HBO, 1999-2007)6 Six Feet Under (HBO, 2001-5)7 Deadwood (HBO, 2004-6)Part III: Adaptations8 The Killing (AMC/Fox/Netflix, 2011-14)9 Game of Thrones (HBO, 2011-19)10 The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu, 2017-)11 Big Little Lies (HBO, 2017-19)ConclusionSelect bibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis'This is the Pandora's Box of self-help books.' - Conan O'Brien One of this generation's hottest and boldest young comedians, Daniel Sloss presents a transgressive and hilarious analysis of all of our dysfunctional relationships, and attempts to point us in the vague direction of sanity. Including lovers, ex-lovers, ex-lovers who you hate, ex-lovers who hate you, with parents, with best friends (male and female), not-best friends, with children, with siblings, and even with the global pandemic and our own mortality.Trade ReviewThis is the Pandora's Box of self-help books. -- Conan O'BrienWhat a book. Smart, acerbic, and incredibly funny. I suggest you read it. -- Bob SagetThe only thing wrong with this book is that at my age everyone I hate is already dead. -- Peter BartEveryone You Hate... turns out to be a very enjoyable read, unsurprisingly. Written in the rhythm of a seasoned comedian's set, there are laughs liberally sprinkled, serious bits with elements of self-examination, and the impression that each carefully placed word has simply come to him in conversation. Just like any good Edinburgh show. -- Vicky Nangle * Beyond The Joke *Sloss offers insights on toxic masculinity, gender and sexuality that are at once deliciously dark, hilarious and profound. -- Debbie Hall * Daily Record *

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Book SynopsisKenergy. The word on everybody's lips. But what actually is Kenergy? And how can you unlock your own Kenergy from within? Kenergy is main-side-kick-character energy. It's carrying someone's purse like your life depends on it. It's letting your girlfriend test out her makeup ideas on you first to check they look good. It's hiding in your girlfriend's suitcase to surprise her on vacation, then happily getting the 6 hour flight home alone when she says she doesn't want you there.Someone with Kenergy always takes care of his appearance, but only to make his girlfriend look even hotter - not that it's even possible. He's (somehow) always got a tan and his abs are so shredded you could grate cheese on them. And he polishes his motorcycle every morning just in case he learns to ride it one day. But Kenergy is not all smiles and sparkles. Sometimes he wants so badly to be admired and adored that he can barely carry on when he doesn't get the praise he craves so deeply. But he patiently waits for the crippling invasive thoughts to pass, then merrily resumes making his strawberry daiquiri.In a nutshell, Kenergy is joyful, whimsical and - above all - delights in the absurd. And with this book, you'll become an expert in identifying Kenergy, harnessing your Kenergy, embodying your Kenergy, and learning how to be the ultimate hype-man.*UNOFFICIAL AND UNAUTHORIZED*

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Book SynopsisFor decades, amidst the bright lights, studio-audience laughs, and absurdly large apartment sets, the real-life story of American LGBTQ liberation unfolded in plain sight in front of millions of viewers, most of whom were laughing too hard to mind. From flamboyant relatives on Bewitched to closely-guarded secrets on All in the Family, from network-censor fights over Soap to behind-the-scenes activism on the set of The Golden Girls, from Ellen’s culture clash to Modern Family’s primetime power-couple, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! is the story not only of how subversive queer comedy transformed the American sitcom, from its inception through today, but how our favourite sitcoms transformed, and continue to transform, America. Accessible, entertaining, and informative, Hi Honey, I'm Homo! is filled with exclusive commentary and interviews from celebrities, behind-the-scenes creators, and more

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Book SynopsisNamed one of People Magazine''s 50 Food Faves of 2022! From Jerry’s kitchen to Monk’s café, food is central to many of Seinfeld’s most memorable moments, and this official cookbook teaches fans to prepare favorite dishes from the show right in their own homes!Stash the takeout menus and cancel reservations at Mendy’s, it’s time to stay in for a taste of New York City as only Seinfeld: The Official Cookbook can deliver in this collection of more than 60 recipes inspired by the hit ‘90s sitcom. For a show about “nothing” one constant throughout Seinfeld’s nine seasons is food! Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, George, and the whole gang are always talking about food, shopping for food, or grabbing a bite in Monk’s coffee shop! There are contemplations on the black and white cookie, the Big Salad, proper (or improper) shrimp cocktail etiquette, an irresistible soup stand, lobster revenge omelets, the proper ranking of babka varieties, mouthwatering mackinaw peaches, and so much more. Now these culinary comedy classics are celebrated with a variety of recipes that will help any Seinfeld fan relive their favorite moments. Seinfeld: The Official Cookbook offers a variety of recipes for chefs of all levels. From appetizers to main courses and from drinks to desserts, each chapter includes delicious show-focused food that will have diners raving, “It’s like a circus in your mouth!” 60+ RECIPES INSPIRED BY SEINFELD: Ever wondered “What’s the deal…?” with the delicious eats and treats that Jerry and crew enjoy on the show? Seinfeld: The Official Cookbook let’s you experience mealtime as part of the Seinfeld world. NO SOUP FOR YOU!: Just kidding, there’s recipes from all the greatest food moments in the show that will have fans of all ages gathering around the table to swap favorite Seinfeld scenes! THE FIRST OFFICIAL SEINFELD COOKBOOK: The only cookbook with official recipes directly inspired by Seinfeld! The perfect gift for the Seinfeld fan in your life. RECIPES FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS: With accessible step-by-step instructions and helpful cooking tips, Seinfeld: The Official Cookbook is a great guide for fans of any age and skill level, from kitchen novices to seasoned chefs.

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Book SynopsisThe Simpsons Merchandise Guide for all Simpsons Lovers#1 New Release in Antiques and CollectiblesThis quirky book unleashes the entire story of all Simpsons merchandise, spanning over decades. Warren Evans, the Bart of Darkness, details a massive collection of rare Simpsons memorabilia.Jump right into 90s nostalgia! Simpsons Lovers everywhere can explore the explosion of Simpsons merchandise and products, right in the comfort of their own home. From action figures, video games, comics, lunch boxes, and yes, even cookie jars, this book is a collectors paradise full of insightful information.The perfect collector’s item to have! This full-color guide features high quality photos of Simpsons-inspired products, and never-before-seen interviews from the toys' creators, writers, actors, and producers. This is the perfect gift for fans of Friends, Family Guy, and the like!Inside, you’ll find: Never-before-seen in-depth interviews and collector items from real-life Simpsons lovers Read for fun: all of the words of Warren Evans, a note-worthy expert on The Simpsons family Full-colored photographs of Simpsons merchandise and collector items from the beginning of the Simpsons dynasty If you're looking for one of the best books for tv nerds who like The Big Bang Theory, Welcome to Dunder Mifflin, or The Simpsons Secret, then Collecting the Simpsons belongs right on your bookshelf!Table of ContentsTable of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: Simpsons Mania - The Explosion of Simpsons Merchandise Chapter 2: Toys Chapter 3: Clothing Chapter 4: Comics Chapter 5: Video Games Chapter 6: Trading Cards and Stickers Chapter 7: Home Entertainment VHS/ DVDs Chapter 8: Simpsons House Giveaway Chapter 9: Bootlegs Chapter 10: The fall of The Simpsons Chapter 11: Resurgence Conclusion About the Authors

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Book SynopsisThe world is a bewildering place and we're ill-equipped to deal with it. From the horrors of childhood to the vagaries of old age, from confused people to humiliated animals, we're all just trying - and often failing - to keep it together. How carefully should you answer when asked what you'd take to a desert island? What do you do if your parents are reading your diary? How useful is a Swiss Army Knife? And what's A Brief History of Time really about? Armed with a sharp eye for the absurd and an overwhelming sense of doom, Simon Rich explores the ridiculousness of our everyday lives, from the most minute of anxieties to one of life's biggest questions: Does God really have a plan for us? Yes, it turns out. Now if only He could remember what it was ... 'Simon Rich is very much laugh-out-loud funny. He can conjure authentic, from-the-abdomen laughter on almost every page. He stacks surrealism on top of slick satire on top of pure childish silliness in such a brilliant and condensed way, there are sometimes three laugh-out-loud moments within the same paragraph ... He is exactly the right kind of writer for the internet: funny, high-concept, accessible, short, sharable, a James Thurber for the Twitter age' Matt HaigTrade ReviewSimon Rich is outrageously, lavishly gifted -- Caitlin MoranHow fabulously funny -- Lauren LaverneHilarious. Open this book anywhere, begin reading, and you will laugh -- Jon StewartThe wittiest American humourist of his generation * Guardian *This year's giggliest read * Observer magazine *A remarkably funny writer, likely to make you laugh harder than any other ... there's no funnier writer working today * Shortlist *Rich has a wonderful way of making a familiar situation strange and then presenting it in deceptively simple language, within a perfectly lucid, concise structure ... Genius ... He is a Thurber, even a Wodehouse, for today. Who could ask for more? You can give his books to people and just watch them laugh. Only after you've snorted through them yourself, though -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *Simon Rich is very much laugh-out-loud funny. He can conjure authentic, from-the-abdomen laughter on almost every page. He stacks surrealism on top of slick satire on top of pure childish silliness in such a brilliant and condensed way, there are sometimes three laugh-out-loud moments within the same paragraph ... He is exactly the right kind of writer for the internet: funny, high-concept, accessible, short, sharable, a James Thurber for the Twitter age -- Matt Haig * Guardian *Brilliant ... Slightly nerdy and very sharp -- William Leith * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisDo you know which Cluedo character was killed off in 2016? How about which band has a species of shrimp named after it? Reckon you could guess the name of a song from lyrics where the words have been replaced with synonyms?Then fingers on buzzers, because House of Games is back and it's better than ever!Packed with 104 new, classic and fiendishly difficult rounds from the hit BBC show's question writers, House of Games: Question Smash is the ultimate collection of brainteasers, puzzles and trivia. Pit your wits against friends and family with favourites like Highbrow Lowbrow, Rhyme Time and Don't State the Obvious, as well as brand new games from the brilliant minds behind the show. So limber up your frontal lobes, brush up on your trivia and get ready to return to the House of Games.

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