Beyond a Joke

MICHAEL BILLIG Professor of Social Sciences, Loughborough University, UKDEBORAH CHAMBERS Reader in the Sociology of Culture and Communication, Nottingham Trent University, UKFRANCES GRAY Senior Lecturer in Drama, Sheffield University, UKDENNIS HOWITT Reader in Applied Psychology, Loughborough University, UKJOHN MORREALL Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary, USA and President of Humorworks Seminars (www.humorworks.com)KWAME OWUSU-BEMPAH Reader in Psychology, Leicester University, School of Social Work, UKJERRY PALMER Professor of Communications, London Metropolitan University and Visiting Professor in the Sociology Department, City University, UKKEN WILLIS English teacher currently working in Liverpool, UK

'We all enjoy a good joke but we seldom take humour seriously, examining its role in expressing our anxieties and attitudes to life. This collection of essays, skilfully put together by Sharon Lockyer and Michael Pickering, will not dampen your spirits but cause you to "stop and think" about the place of the joke - and humour generally - in contemporary society.' - Geoff Lealand, Associate Professor of Screen and Media Studies, University of Waikato, New Zealand 'Beyond A Joke is a timely reminder that cultural analysis can illuminate how the best and worst comedy find their mark on the faultlines of society. This superb collection of essays is indispensable for understanding why debates about humour are central to the politics of public expression.' - Simon Cross, Lecturer in Communication, Culture& Media, Nottingham Trent University, UK 'This is a serious book about a serious and important topic. Jokes must be permitted in order to be funny - but are all jokes permissible? What about violently racist jokes, or subtle sexism in television sitcoms? The contributors to this volume explore the ethics of humour, from Sex and the City to the Alf Garnett syndrome. They reject the 'just a joke' excuse for the dodge that it is, but humour gets its own back by refusing to be pinned down with easy answers.' Moira Smith, editor of the Journal of Folklore Research

• Notes on Contributors Introduction: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Humour and Comedy; S.Lockyer & M.Pickering Comic Racism and Violence; M.Billig Race and Ethnicity in Popular Humour; D.Howitt & K.Owusu-Bempah Humour and the Conduct of Politics; J.Morreall Parody and Decorum: Permission to Mock; J.Palmer Breaking the Mould: Conversations with Omid Djalili and Shazia Mirza; S.Lockyer & M.Pickering Merry Hell: Humour Competence and Social Incompetence; K.Willis Privacy, Embarrassment and Social Power: British Sitcom; F.Gray Comedies of Sexual Morality and Female Singlehood; D.Chambers The Ambiguities of Comic Impersonation; M.Pickering & S.Lockyer Bibliography Index