humor

Trixie Mattel on Horror Movie Gin, Writing a Book, and How Not to Photograph a Drag Queen

Trixie Mattel on Horror Movie Gin, Writing a Book, and How Not to Photograph a Drag Queen

Drag superstar Trixie Mattel spills the beans on her new book and so much more. "It's a wonderful book. I'm ready to have my roller coaster at Universal Studios based on this book."

I Went on a Jewel Bender During Quarantine. This Is My Report.

I Went on a Jewel Bender During Quarantine. This Is My Report.

COVID-19 sure sucked the life out of things. I found some comfort in Jewel. That's right. Jewel.

Alastair Sim: A Very English Character Actor Genius

Alastair Sim: A Very English Character Actor Genius

Alastair Sim belongs to those character actors sometimes accused of "hamming it up" because they work at such a high level of internal and external technique that they can't help standing out.

Patrick Madden’s ‘Disparates’ Makes Sense in These Crazy Times

Patrick Madden’s ‘Disparates’ Makes Sense in These Crazy Times

There's no social distancing with Patrick Madden's hilarious Disparates. While reading these essays, you'll feel like he's in the room with you.

Stressed About COVID-19? Seek the Tao of Coen

Stressed About COVID-19? Seek the Tao of Coen

"Son, you got a panty on your head." As purveyors of gallows humor, filmmakers the Coen Brothers teach us how to laugh at things that aren't funny -- but kinda are.

I Would Like to See My Doctor: Social Distancing and Telemedicine

I Would Like to See My Doctor: Social Distancing and Telemedicine

My first COVID-19-era "telehealth" video call had me looking up my doctor's nose. Who could blame him for turning his camera off?

Be Kind. Please Rewind: An Ode to the VCR

Be Kind. Please Rewind: An Ode to the VCR

Like Netflix, the VCR diluted and transformed the film itself.

John Hodgman Is Flying High in Memoir, ‘Medallion Status’

John Hodgman Is Flying High in Memoir, ‘Medallion Status’

TV star/writer/podcast host -- just don't call him a standup comic -- John Hodgman tackles class aspiration and other inconveniences in his memoir, Medallion Status.

Terry Eagleton’s ‘Humour’ Is Neither Too Prude Nor Too Erudite

Terry Eagleton’s ‘Humour’ Is Neither Too Prude Nor Too Erudite

Terry Eagleton’s Humor wisely makes no argument beyond a survey of all the ways one can debunk some portion of all preceding theories of humor.

Stand-up, Scandal, and Satire: On Iain Ellis’s ‘Humorists vs. Religion’

Stand-up, Scandal, and Satire: On Iain Ellis’s ‘Humorists vs. Religion’

Is a "theology of humor" viable?

Can Yiddish Humor Topple the Tower of Babel?

Can Yiddish Humor Topple the Tower of Babel?

Devorah Baum's The Jewish Joke reminds us of a distinct commonality.

A Cappella Punk: What’s Happening to Alternative Comedy in the US?

A Cappella Punk: What’s Happening to Alternative Comedy in the US?

The DIY strategies and indie allegiances of recent alternative comedians reveal the spirit of punk to be alive and kicking beyond the music world.