Seriously Funny: The bRebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s
by Gerald Nachman
- Used
- Fine
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Fine/fine
- ISBN 10
- 0375410309
- ISBN 13
- 9780375410307
- Seller
-
Bordentown, New Jersey, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
The comedians of the 1950s and 1960s were a totally different breed of relevant, revolutionary performer from any that came before or after, comics whose humor did much more than pry guffaws out of audiences. Gerald Nachman presents the stories of the groundbreaking comedy stars of those years, each one a cultural harbinger: - Mort Sahl, of a new political cynicism - Lenny Bruce, of the sexual, drug, and language revolution- Dick Gregory, of racial unrest - Bill Cosby and Godfrey Cambridge, of racial harmony - Phyllis Diller, of housewifely complaint- Mike Nichols & Elaine May and Woody Allen, of self-analytical angst and a rearrangement of male-female relations- Stan Freberg and Bob Newhart, of encroaching, pervasive pop media manipulation and, in the case of Bob Elliott & Ray Goulding, of the banalities of broadcasting - Mel Brooks, of the Yiddishization of American comedy- Sid Caesar, of a new awareness of the satirical possibilities of television- Joan Rivers, of the obsessive craving for celebrity gossip and of a latent bitchy sensibility- Tom Lehrer, of the inane, hypocritical, mawkishly sentimental nature of hallowed American folkways and, in the case of the Smothers Brothers, of overly revered folk songs and folklore- Steve Allen, of the late-night talk show as a force in American comedy- David Frye and Vaughn Meader, of the merger of showbiz and politics and, along with Will Jordan, of stretching the boundaries of mimicry- Shelley Berman, of a generation of obsessively self-confessional humor - Jonathan Winters and Jean Shepherd, of the daring new free-form improvisational comedy and of a sardonically updated view of Midwestern archetypes- Ernie Kovacs, of surreal visual effects and the unbounded vistas of videoTaken together, they made up the faculty of a new school of vigorous, socially aware satire, a vibrant group of voices that reigned from approximately 1953 to 1965. Nachman shines a flashlight into the corners of these comedians' chaotic and often troubled lives, illuminating their genius as well as their demons, damaged souls, and desperate drive. His exhaustive research and intimate interviews reveal characters that are intriguing and all too human, full of rich stories, confessions, regrets, and traumas. Seriously Funny is at once a dazzling cultural history and a joyous celebration of an extraordinary era in American comedy.From the Hardcover edition.
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Details
- Bookseller
- The Old Book Shop of Bordentown (ABNJ) (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- E27849
- Title
- Seriously Funny: The bRebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s
- Author
- Gerald Nachman
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- ISBN 10
- 0375410309
- ISBN 13
- 9780375410307
- Publisher
- Pantheon
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2003
- Keywords
- comedy, comedians, borsch belt, humor, performers,
- Bookseller catalogs
- Entertainment;
Terms of Sale
The Old Book Shop of Bordentown (ABNJ)
TRACKING AND INSURANCE AT OPTION OF BUYER. ON UNINSURED ITEMS, OUR RESPONSIBILITY ENDS WITH PROOF OF SHIPPING---NO EXCEPTIONS! Books are returnable if misdescribed; we must be notified within 48 hours of receipt if making a return. We conform to accepted ABAA grading. "First edition" means "first printing" unless noted; if it doesn't say it has a jacket then it doesn't; faults such as ownership signatures, price clipping, etc. will be noted in the listing. Member ABAA, ILAB, ABNJ.
About the Seller
The Old Book Shop of Bordentown (ABNJ)
About The Old Book Shop of Bordentown (ABNJ)
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...