Great Male Comedians

Author : Scott Balcerzak
Publisher : Wayne State University Press
Page : 270 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2013-10-15
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9780814339664

Get Book

Buffoon Men by Scott Balcerzak Pdf

Film scholars and fans have used distinctive terms to describe the Classic Hollywood comedian: He is a "trickster," a "rebel," or a "buffoon." Yet the performer is almost always described as a "he." In Buffoon Men: Classic Hollywood Comedians and Queered Masculinity, Scott Balcerzak reads the performances of notable comedians such as W. C. Fields, Eddie Cantor, Jack Benny, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey, and Bud Abbott and Lou Costello through humor and queer theory to expose a problematic history of maleness in their personas. He argues that contrary to popular notions of Classic Hollywood history, these male comedians rearranged or, at times, rejected heteronormative protocols. Balcerzak begins by defining the particular buffoonish masculinity portrayed by early film comedians, a gender and genre construct influenced by the cultural anxieties of the 1930s and '40s. In chapter 1, he considers the onscreen pairing of W. C. Fields and Mae West to identify a queered sexuality and drag persona in Fields's performance, while in chapter 2 he examines the two major constructions of Fields's film persona-the confidence man and the husband-to show Fields to be a conflicted and subversive figure. In chapter 3, Balcerzak considers the assimilation and influence of Eddie Cantor as a Jewish celebrity, while he turns to the cross-media influence of Jack Benny's radio persona in chapter 4. In Chapters 5 and 6, he moves beyond the individual performer to examine the complex masculine brotherhood of comedy duos Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey. Buffoon Men shows that the complicated history of the male comedian during the early sound era has much to tell us about multimedia comedic stars today. Fans and scholars of film history, gender studies, and broadcast studies will appreciate Balcerzak's thorough exploration of the era's fascinating gender constructs.

Author : Wikipedia contributors
Publisher : e-artnow sro
Page : 1328 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2024-06-01
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

Get Book

Focus On: 100 Most Popular English Male Comedians by Wikipedia contributors Pdf

Author : Stuart A. Kallen
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 118 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 156006739X

Get Book

Great Male Comedians by Stuart A. Kallen Pdf

Discusses the lives of such famous male comedians as Charlie Chaplin, Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey, including adversities each has endured before and after establishing themselves as veteran celebrities in their careers.

Author : James Roots
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
Page : 464 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2014-10-23
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9781442236509

Get Book

The 100 Greatest Silent Film Comedians by James Roots Pdf

This book ranks the top 100 silent film stars based on a scale that considers creativity, originality, chemistry with fellow performers, and other factors. The author also promotes some lesser-known performers, singles out each artist’s best works, and identifies key films available on DVD.

Author : Alex Trost/Vadim Kravetsky
Publisher : Booktango
Page : 29 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2013-09-03
Category : Humor
ISBN : 9781468937190

Get Book

100 of the Funniest Male Comedians of All Time by Alex Trost/Vadim Kravetsky Pdf

Are you looking for a journey that will take you through 100 of the Funniest Male Comedians of All Time, along with funny comments and a word puzzle? Then this book is for you. Whether you are looking at this book for curiosity, choices, options, or just for fun; this book fits any criteria. Creating 100 of the Funniest Male Comedians of All Time did not happen quickly. It is thorough look at accuracy and foundation before the book was even started. This book was created to inform, entertain and maybe even test your knowledge. By the time you finish reading this book you will want to share it with others.

Author : Gerald Nachman
Publisher : Pantheon
Page : 688 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2009-08-26
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780307490728

Get Book

Seriously Funny by Gerald Nachman Pdf

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 video Taken 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.

Author : Mark Duplass,Jay Duplass
Publisher : Ballantine Books
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2018-05-08
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781101967720

Get Book

Like Brothers by Mark Duplass,Jay Duplass Pdf

The multitalented writers, directors, producers, and actors (as seen on The League, Transparent, and The Mindy Project) share the secrets of their lifelong partnership in this unique memoir. “A book that anyone will love . . . You can enjoy it even if you have no idea who the Duplass brothers are.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times Whether producing, writing, directing, or acting, the Duplass Brothers have made their mark in the world of independent film and television on the strength of their quirky and empathetic approach to storytelling. Now, for the first time, Mark and Jay take readers on a tour of their lifelong partnership in this unique memoir told in essays that share the secrets of their success, the joys and frustrations of intimate collaboration, and the lessons they’ve learned the hard way. From a childhood spent wielding an oversized home video camera in the suburbs of New Orleans to their shared years at the University of Texas in early-nineties Austin, and from the breakthrough short they made on a three-dollar budget to the night their feature film Baghead became the center of a Sundance bidding war, Mark and Jay tell the story of a bond that’s resilient, affectionate, mutually empowering, and only mildly dysfunctional. They are brutally honest about how their closeness sabotaged their youthful romantic relationships, about the jealousy each felt when the other stole the spotlight as an actor (Mark in The League, Jay in Transparent), and about the challenges they faced on the set of their HBO series Togetherness—namely, too much togetherness. But Like Brothers is also a surprisingly practical road map to a rewarding creative partnership. Rather than split all their responsibilities fifty-fifty, the brothers learned to capitalize on each other’s strengths. They’re not afraid to call each other out, because they’re also not afraid to compromise. Most relationships aren’t—and frankly shouldn’t be—as intense as Mark and Jay’s, but their brand of trust, validation, and healthy disagreement has taken them far. Part coming-of-age memoir, part underdog story, and part insider account of succeeding in Hollywood on their own terms, Like Brothers is as openhearted and lovably offbeat as Mark and Jay themselves. “Wright. Ringling. Jonas. I’m sure you could name a bunch of famous brother teams. They’re all garbage compared to Mark and Jay. I can’t wait for you to read this book.”—from the foreword by Mindy Kaling

Author : Dan Nainan
Publisher : Hyperink Inc
Page : 104 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2011-11-30
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781614641308

Get Book

The Best Book On How To Become A Full Time Stand-up Comedian by Dan Nainan Pdf

Becoming a full-time stand-up comedian isn't usually a formulaic process. Unlike college admissions, law school, or medical school, there is no predictable path. Whether you've never written a joke before or are a veteran performer looking to make this a full time profession, learn how to make stand-up comedy your full-time job, and how to make money doing it. Opportunities to perform are everywhere, but they aren't necessarily easy to find. Here an acclaimed and experienced full-time touring performer teaches you how to kickstart your career as a comedian. In this eBook, Dan Nainan shares the secrets of his business and walks readers through building their own careers in comedy.

Author : Wikipedia contributors
Publisher : e-artnow sro
Page : 1221 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2024-06-01
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

Get Book

Focus On: 100 Most Popular Canadian Male Film Actors by Wikipedia contributors Pdf

Author : Drew Friedman
Publisher : Fantagraphics Books
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2006-10-18
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN : 9781560977414

Get Book

Old Jewish Comedians by Drew Friedman Pdf

This comprehensive collection of portraiture of comedians born before 1930 includes the famous (Milton Berle, Groucho Marx, Jerry Lewis, Mel Brooks, Jack Benny), the not-so-famous (Benny Rubin, Shelly Berman) and the largely unknown (Al Kelly, Menasha Skulnik). The Reuben Award-winning Friedman presents a thorough visual history of these greatest Borscht-Belt comedians.

Author : John Limon
Publisher : Duke University Press
Page : 172 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2000-06-23
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 0822325462

Get Book

Stand-up Comedy in Theory, Or, Abjection in America by John Limon Pdf

A cultural theory of stand-up comedy.

Author : W. Kamau Bell
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2017-05-02
Category : Humor
ISBN : 9781101985892

Get Book

The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell by W. Kamau Bell Pdf

You may know W. Kamau Bell from his new, Emmy-nominated hit show on CNN, United Shades of America. Or maybe you’ve read about him in the New York Times, which called him “the most promising new talent in political comedy in many years.” Or maybe from The New Yorker, fawning over his brand of humor writing: "Bell’s gimmick is intersectional progressivism: he treats racial, gay, and women’s issues as inseparable." After all this love and praise, it’s time for the next step: a book. The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell is a humorous, well-informed take on the world today, tackling a wide range of issues, such as race relations; fatherhood; the state of law enforcement today; comedians and superheroes; right-wing politics; left-wing politics; failure; his interracial marriage; white men; his up-bringing by very strong-willed, race-conscious, yet ideologically opposite parents; his early days struggling to find his comedic voice, then his later days struggling to find his comedic voice; why he never seemed to fit in with the Black comedy scene . . . or the white comedy scene; how he was a Black nerd way before that became a thing; how it took his wife and an East Bay lesbian to teach him that racism and sexism often walk hand in hand; and much, much more.

Author : Wayne Federman
Publisher : Independently Published
Page : 180 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2021-03-11
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9798706637026

Get Book

The History of Stand-Up by Wayne Federman Pdf

Today's top stand-up comedians sell out arenas, generate millions of dollars, tour the world, and help shape our social discourse. So, how did this all happen? The History of Stand-Up chronicles the evolution of this American art form - from its earliest pre-vaudeville practitioners like Artemus Ward and Mark Twain to present-day comedians of HBO and Netflix. Drawing on his acclaimed History of Stand-up podcast and popular university lectures, veteran comedian and adjunct USC professor Wayne Federman guides us on this fascinating journey. The story has a connective tissue - humans standing on stage, alone, trying to get laughs. That experience connects all stand-ups through time, whether it's at the Palace, the Copacabana, the Apollo, Mister Kelly's, the hungry i, Grossinger's, the Comedy Cellar, the Improv, the Comedy Store, Madison Square Garden, UCB, or at an open mic in a backyard.

Author : Blythe Roberson
Publisher : Flatiron Books
Page : 201 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2019-01-08
Category : Humor
ISBN : 9781250193445

Get Book

How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson Pdf

From New Yorker and Onion writer and comedian Blythe Roberson, How to Date Men When You Hate Men is a comedy philosophy book aimed at interrogating what it means to date men within the trappings of modern society. Blythe Roberson’s sharp observational humor is met by her open-hearted willingness to revel in the ugliest warts and shimmering highs of choosing to live our lives amongst other humans. She collects her crushes like ill cared-for pets, skewers her own suspect decisions, and assures readers that any date you can mess up, she can top tenfold. And really, was that date even a date in the first place? With sections like Real Interviews With Men About Whether Or Not It Was A Date; Good Flirts That Work; Bad Flirts That Do Not Work; and Definitive Proof That Tom Hanks Is The Villain Of You’ve Got Mail, How to Date Men When You Hate Men is a one stop shop for dating advice when you love men but don't like them. "With biting wit, Roberson explores the dynamics of heterosexual dating in the age of #MeToo" — The New York Times

Author : Patton Oswalt
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2015-10-13
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781451673227

Get Book

Silver Screen Fiend by Patton Oswalt Pdf

"Between 1995 and 1999, Patton Oswalt lived with an unshakable addiction. It wasn't drugs, alcohol or sex: it was film. After moving to L.A., Oswalt became a huge film buff (or as he calls it, a sprocket fiend), absorbing classics, cult hits, and new releases at the New Beverly Cinema. Silver screen celluloid became Patton's life schoolbook, informing his notion of acting, writing, comedy, and relationships. Set in the nascent days of L.A.'s alternative comedy scene, Oswalt's memoir chronicles his journey from fledgling stand-up comedian to self-assured sitcom actor, with the colorful New Beverly collective and a cast of now-notable young comedians supporting him all along the way"--