DRAM 4020
Comedy and American Culture
Course Description
This course examines the serious business of jokes, joke-telling, and laughter through the lens of stand-up comedy¿s evolution in the United States from the 1920s to the present day. We will explore how stand-up comedians have responded to and shaped pivotal moments in U.S. history and the advent of various mediated forms of entertainment. We will analyze how comedians have challenged, reinforced, and reimagined ideas of American citizenship, and shaped popular entertainment.