Search

Woody Allen's short fiction has received much less scholarly attention than his films. Scholars who have investigated the humorous qualities of Allen's short stories and casual pieces have noted his penchant for absurdity and non sequitur, his use of the Little Man as a vehicle for humor, and the linguistic dimensions of his joke scripts rather than his Jewish comic sensibilities. Beginning with a brief overview on how Jewish humor has contributed to the comic achievements of American culture and drawing on analyses of the main characteristics of Jewish humor, this article adds to the scholarship by exploring the influence of Jewish humorous traditions on Woody Allen's short fiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay focuses on the Jewish inflection of the American humor magazine "Mad." Topics covered include the magazine's use of parody to criticize a predominantly Protestant culture, its humor which was grounded in Yiddishisms, sarcasm, and self-mockery, which are all defining features of Jewish humor, and how "Mad" took on Judaism.

An essay is presented on the American Jewish comediennes Belle Barth, Sophie Tucker, and Pearl Williams, focusing on the subversive political, social, and sexual nature of their jokes and comedic routines. A brief biography of each comedian is presented and an analysis of how their views on Jewish culture and public attitudes towards women were reflected in their work is presented.

The article discusses Jewish humor in the context of the U.S. South, noting the film "Borat," starring Sacha Baron Cohen. Topics discussed include the relation of Jews and white Southerners in the television show "King of the Hill," the 1997 article "Jewish Texans Commemorate Holocaust... Texas Style" in the satirical newspaper "The Onion," and the ironic nature of the historic plight of the Jewish diaspora. The relation of Jewish Southerners to the racist Ku Klux Klan movement, racial divisions in U.S. society, and writings by Jewish anti-segregationist Harry Golden are noted.

Copyright of Revue des Sciences Sociales is the property of Universite des Sciences Humaines and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Presents an article on being a Jewish humorist. Development of expertise at witticisms as a young student; Commitment to humor and recognition of it as form of art; Several scholarly writings about humor.

An introduction is presented that discusses issue articles on topics including the nature of Jewish humor, the purported role of former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson in rescuing Jewish refugees during World War II, and the history of Zionism in Lubbock, Texas.