Jews and Humor: 22 (Studies In Jewish Civilization) - Softcover

What constitutes Jewish humor from Al Jolson and the Marx brothers to"wild women" comedians and Woody Allen is taken seriously, and its rootsare traced back to the immigrant experience, parodies in rabbinic literature, and Job and other biblical stories. Greenspoon (classical and Near Eastern studies and theology/Jewish civilization, Creighton U., Omaha, Nebraska) introduces 14 papers presented at his campus in October 2009 with a selection of examples of wordplay, role reversals, self-deprecation and other forms of humor from each. (Annotation C2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Jews and humour is, for most people, a natural and felicitous collocation. In spite of, or perhaps because of, a history of crises and living on the edge, Jews have often created or resorted to humour. But what is "humour"? And what makes certain types, instances, or performances of humour "Jewish"? These are among the myriad queries addressed by the fourteen authors whose essays are collected in this volume. And, thankfully, their observations, always apt and often witty, are expressed with a lightness of style and a depth of analysis that are appropriate to the many topics they cover. The chronological range of these essays is vast: from the Hebrew Bible to the 2000s, with many stops in between for Talmudic texts, medieval parodies, eighteenth century joke books, and twentieth century popular entertainment. The subject matter is equally impressive.In addition to rounding up many of the "usual suspects," such as Woody Allen, the Marx Brothers, and Gilda Radner, these authors also scout out some unlikely comic resources, like the author of the biblical book of Exodus, the rabbinic writer of Genesis Rabbah, and the party records star Belle Barth. Without forcing any of these characters into a pre-constructed mould, the scholars who contributed to this collection allow readers both to discern the common features that make up "Jewish humour" and to delight in the individualism and eccentricities of the many figures whose lives and accomplishments are narrated here. Because these essays are written in a clear, jargon-free style, they will appeal to everyone-even those who don't usually crack a smile!