Showing posts with label Biography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biography. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Zoglin, Richard. Comedy at the Edge.

Zoglin, Richard. Comedy at the Edge. NewYork, NY: Bloomsbury, 2008.

A series of biographical vignettes exploring influential American Stand-up comedians from Larry Bruce through Jerry Seinfeld. Zoglin frames his subject within their political contexts and the politically iconoclastic force of comedy in conflict with commericial impulses is a constant theme by which each performer is measured. Popular and non-theoretical, but perhaps all the better for this, as Zoglin does not attempt to force his musings on the political role of comedy into any of the pre-formed boxes. Worthwhile as a historical source, though too in awe of its material and undeveloped in its narrative of 'selling-out' to offer usefully critical comment.