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This article furthers the study of American comedy by examining the emerging relationship between celebrity, podcast and other new media, in the careers of Doug Stanhope, Marc Maron and Louis CK. By studying their creative work, and their celebrity images as evidenced in their press coverage, this article suggests that this new generation of ‘outsider’ comedians is challenging the power of an American television industry which largely excluded them. Most significantly, this article suggests that through the low-budget, less conspicuously mediated form of the podcast, these comedians have been able to manufacture a perceived ‘authentic’ celebrity image, differing from that which is historically possible in television or film. By result, these ‘authentic outsiders’ have created a new niche audience for themselves, contributing towards the current transformation of American comedy – the dominance of the major networks being increasingly challenged by smaller cable and online platforms, which reflect an increasingly fragmented audience. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article furthers the study of film comedy examining how perceived distinctions of "high culture" give rise to a sociological "problem" in the reputation of comedians. This article explains how Woody Allen's acclaimed film Annie Hall (1977) was perceived by critics as a transitional comedy--moving from the immediate, visual jokes seen in Allen's previous films, to more cognitive, script-based humor. Whereas many critics perceived this shift as Allen's ascension to "high" culture, according to the same critical distinctions, some critics were disappointed by what was also perceived as his move away from expectations of the "comedy" genre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies carried out by Susan Bennett (1997), Jonathan Burston (1998) and Maurya Wickstrom (1999) suggest that American theatre has become a massculture business. This critique is now even more apparent given the current state of Broadway comedy -- best exemplified by Mel Brooks's adaptations of his film The Producers (1968), including his Broadway show The Producers (2001) and his movie remake of that show, The Producers (2005). Brooks's original film may have been topical, shocking and full of controversy, but by 2001 those same old gags about Nazis, dumb blondes and homosexuals had become outdated. For this reason, the international acclaim of The Producers (2001) with theatre critics, as well as the critical backlash by many film critics, illustrates scholars' observations -- namely that modern Broadway's mass audience is not necessarily interested in provocative or original comedy but applauds recycled jokes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although American film comedy has been condemned by mass culture critics as indiscriminating and simplistic, the 1968 reception of Mel Brooks's controversial movie The Producers demonstrates otherwise. Through sociological investigation, the film's period readings display the sophistication of engagement and the unique audience disposition of an American avant-garde. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]