Description
Book SynopsisFrom dour old women to buzzkills who can’t take a joke, the stereotype of the humourless feminist has repeatedly been deployed to derail and delegitimize the women’s rights movement. This collection skips the tired debates that ask whether feminists can be funny – we know the answer to this already – to instead investigate contemporary expressions and functions of humour within international feminist movements and communities. This interdisciplinary volume showcases critical analyses of cultural texts and events, personal accounts of producing and encountering feminist humour, and creative interruptions that pair laughter with insight. As a whole, this work seeks to sideline caricatures of the humourless feminist by promoting a vision of a diverse movement vibrant with innovative, generous, threatening, and, ultimately, triumphant laughter.
Trade ReviewWho’s Laughing Now? Feminist Perspectives on Humour and Laughter is a collection of engaging, creative, and academic contributions that illustrate the sociopolitical importance of humour in our lives. This collection, masterfully assembled by Anna Frey, will make you laugh, reflect, and – mostly - question the power of humour to shape how we understand gender. This is a must read! - Pamela J. Downe, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan Past-President/Présidente sortante, Canadian Anthropology Society/Société canadienne d'anthropologie // This collection makes an engrossing contribution to an evolving body of feminist literature on humour. The range of perspectives and writing styles featured appeal to a broad readership, engaging in both academic and general feminist considerations of humour. The content has cross-disciplinary relevance to academic teaching and research, as well as underscoring personal and experiential voices for a broadly accessible discussion. An effective and timely interdisciplinary contribution! - J. Maki Motapanyane, Associate Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies, Mount Royal University.
Table of ContentsIntroduction - Anna Frey I Would Come Up With a Funny Title, But I'm Just a Girl: Women, Comedy, and an Evolved Sense of Humour - Vanessa Voss Phenomenology Of a Feminist Joke and the Quintessential Emotional Labour in Maria Bamford’s Comedy - Natalja Chestopalova I Have To Laugh Or I'll Die - Aba Amuquandoh “Man, That Guy’s Sad... But He Killed”: Survivors Of Sexual Violence Joke about Rape - Anna Frey The Bad Mothers Club: In Cyberspace You Can Hear the Unruly Women Laughing - Anitra Goriss-Hunter Making It Up as They Go Along: An Analysis of Feminist Comedy in the Prairies - Marley Duckett “Immoral, Slut, Arsehole”: Feminist Memes Reclaim Stereotypes - Sai Amulya Komarraju Queens Of the Castle: Intergenerational Conversations about Elaine Benes' (Imperfect) Feminism - Hayley R. Crooks, Stephanie Patrick Lighten Up!: Life as a Vegetarian Feminist, Or, the Most Uptight Person in the World - Margaret Betz That Time I Tried to Date a Frat Boy - Alyson Rogers
