Encyclopedia of 20th-Century American Humor.

This reference encyclopedia contains information on both the historical and contemporary aspects of humor and comedy in the United States. Arranged in an A-to-Z format, the encyclopedia is a collection of article-length essays that examine humor from many perspectives, from defining terms; to providing information on humor writers, comedians, and actors; to presenting interesting historical and background information. The encyclopedia includes 100 essays exploring such topics as gender and humor; ethnic humor; political correctness; sitcoms; language play; anti-authority humor; the academic study of humor; cartoons; and postmodernism. The encyclopedia's essays conclude with lists of related resources for further study, and over 50 photographs illustrate the text. Subject indexes allow for easy searches for specific comedians or topics. (Contains an extensive bibliography.) (BT)