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Humor Studies Caucus

Humor studies has been a central part of American Studies since its inception, as marked by early scholarly contributions from Constance Rourke and Henry Nash Smith, who underscored the importance of humor as a key aspect of studying American character and ideology. The study of humor within American Studies is evolving from the nationalist paradigm of earlier scholarship to a post-nationalist paradigm based on connections between local communities and international mass media; on cross-cultural comparisons and contrasts; and on multi-lingual and multi-ethnic comic practices as central to understanding American humor.[1] The study of humor is also increasingly informed by interdisciplinary modes of inquiry that pay close attention to textual construction, historical context, and cultural norms and the dynamics of race, gender, class, region, sexuality, and other valences of positionality.

The Humor Studies Caucus works to support the critical study of all aspects of American humor at the annual American Studies meeting. Our goal is to create a network of scholars interested in the multidisciplinary study of American humor through a large number of approaches: material and visual culture; ethnography, history, and literary analysis; performance and film studies; audience and reception studies, etc.

We are pleased to welcome you to the Humor Studies Caucus of the American Studies Association. We invite and encourage all ASA members who are interested in exploring the place of humor in American Studies and promoting the study and teaching of humor within American Studies to join.

Contact: Tracy Wuster, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Community Blog

ASA 2011—Humor Studies Panels

HUMOR AS REPARATION AND REPRESENTATION

Schedule Information:
Scheduled Time: Sat, Oct 22 - 10:00am - 11:45am Building/Room: Hilton Baltimore, Key Ballroom 09

Session Participants:
Chair: Leah Dilworth (Long Island University, Brooklyn (NY))

Against All Odds: Imagination, Transformation, and Humor after the Dred Scott Decision
Ellen J. Goldner (City University of New York, College of Staten Island (NY))

Stop Addressing Us as ‘Sir’: Women, Imagination, and the Humor of the World Wars
Scott Hamilton Suter (Bridgewater College (VA))

Supreme Laughter: The Reparative Function of Laughter in the American Courtroom
Fran McDonald (Duke University (NC))

Comment: Thomas Ferraro (Duke University (NC))

*****

ETHNIC HUMOR: PLEASURES AND PROBLEMS

Scheduled Time: Sun, Oct 23 - 10:00am - 11:45am, Building/Room: Hilton Baltimore / Key Ballroom 10

Participants:
Chair: Holger Kersten (Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Germany)

Claiming an Asian American Comedic Tradition: The Case of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
Caroline Kyungah Hong (City University of New York, Queens College (NY))

Listening to Change: Radio, Humor, and the Future of Cuban Miami
Albert Sergio Laguna (Columbia College (IL))

Beyond a Cutout World: Ethnic Humor and Discursive Integration in South Park
Nick Marx (University of Wisconsin, Madison (WI)), Matt Sienkiewicz (University of Wisconsin, Madison (WI))
Comment: Holger Kersten (Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Germany)

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By Tracy Wuster, Sun, September 11, 2011 - 12:48 pm
Categories:

“Humor in America”

****Announcing: Humor in America!****

A new web publication on American humor and humor studies…

http://humorinamerica.wordpress.com/

Please consider reading and contributing.

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By Tracy Wuster, Sun, September 11, 2011 - 12:45 pm
Categories: News Ideas

Discussion List—“American Humor”

Please consider joining the joint discussion list of the Humor Studies Caucus and the American Humor Studies Association:

http://groups.google.com/group/american-humor

Most communication for both groups flows through this list, as well as general academic discussion of American Humor.

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By Tracy Wuster, Thu, June 16, 2011 - 12:12 pm
Categories:

CFP: ALA 2011

American Humor Studies Association Call for Papers
American Literature Association Conference
Boston, MA May 26-29, 2011

Session 1: Exploring distinctions between wit and humor. Admittedly some of the distinctions between and definitions of humor and wit are often less than helpful. AHSA invites papers that look at “historical” definitions, attempt to create and sustain new distinctions, or demonstrate shifts in how humor scholars think about and negotiate humor and wit. Email abstracts (250 words) to Bruce Michelson

by1/20/2011.

Session 2: Humoring Genre. From classic films such as Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein to more modern examples like Scream and Scary Movie, humor has been used as commentary on various genres. AHSA invites papers concerning film, literature, or other media that use pastiche to comment on genre conventions. Abstracts of 250 words should be sent to Jan McIntire-Strasburg

by January 20, 2011.

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By Tracy Wuster, Tue, January 11, 2011 - 12:13 pm
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