Review of “A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice,” by Caty Borum Chatoo and Lauren Feldman, 2020.
Oakland: University of California Press, paper, 198 pages.
This book deals with how to use humor effectively—and carefully—to talk about a lot of issues in social justice that need attention. The comedy comes from the streets and from other grassroots sources, and from the Internet and Second City in Chicago.
This is NOT a silly book, an entertaining chuckle of a read, or light reading for the bus. This is NOT a bunch of simple accounts of how some people who tell funny stories have been able to talk about dangerous topics and accidentally get away with that.
This IS a serious book using methods and protocols from qualitative research…
…and as such is an interesting addition to topics courses and advanced courses in social justice and social work. Great planning goes into using humor to talk about some of the most pressing problems out there.
Great thinking occurs when serious people use humor to make a point, to get people to think, to get people to change their minds, and to get people to act in ways that can make a difference. This can include changing how people treat others, how they conduct their daily business, how they protest wrongs, and how they vote their conscience.
Known for having a great sense of humor (at least I think I have a great sense of humor) I really enjoyed reading this book. I am so lucky I get to read such a very wide range of books and deal with so many different settings, personalities, and issues in my work helping others. This book gives the serious side of comedy—the efficacy of using humor to move mountains.
I recommend this book to all students of social justice…
…and hope they will profit from seeing how comedy can be a strong tool indeed when helping move crowds, audiences, and associates toward better decisions—and better treatment of other people.
This is a good book for credit classes in higher education (as mentioned above) and for boards and panels of helpers who deal with people in need. It is serious reading and should be on the bookshelf of open-minded persons who help—and who have a sense of humor.