100 Years of Laughter: American Comedy in the Twentieth Century

A comprehensive look at how comedy evolved across mediums throughout the twentieth century. Comedians have always helped us find relief through laughter as the uncertainty of world events threatens to disrupt our collective state of well-being.Through the good times and bad times, from Prohibition and the Great Depression to two World Wars and Vietnam, comedians evolved their craft to define pop culture and keep America entertained through their gags, stunts, and legendary performances. In 100 Years of Laughter: American Comedy in the Twentieth Century, Garry Berman celebrates a beloved genre, revisiting how audiences enjoyed comedy across the decades from vaudeville and radio to film and television, and more.From early pioneers such as Charlie Chaplin to comedy groups like The Three Stooges and trailblazing women such as Lucille Ball to stand-up comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, Berman chronicles how everything from new ways of consuming media, political upheaval, changes in taste, and d