Shelter from the Norm: Umbrellas Aren’t Always What They Seem in ‘Brolliology’
Mary Poppins, Mrs. Gamp, Egyptian deities, a Japanese umbrella spirit, and a supporting cast of hundreds of brollies fill Marion Rankine’s lively history, Brolliology.
humor
John Hodgman’s ‘Vacationland’ Is Worth the Trip
Hodgman makes no secret that the relatively inconsequential, real-life stories of an artistically and financially successful white middle-aged man are hardly what the world needs right now. But his humor sure helps in these times.
‘The Deep Whatsis ‘ Offers a Scathing Yet Funny Critique of Corporate Culture
Peter Mattei's 2013 novel echoes Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club, AMC's Mad Men, Ayn Rand's characters, and Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho, albeit without the violence.
On the Cathartic POW!er of Appropriating Trumpisms
R. Sikoryak's The Unquotable Trump is devious, dark, disturbing, brilliant delight that will prove the standard bearer for texts from the resistance.
‘Thanks, Obama’: The Upside/Downside of Life as Non-Essential White House Personnel
Applying for a public service job? Put "sense of humor" at the top of your resume.
Inane Political Discourse, or, Alan Partridge’s Parody Politics
That the political class now finds itself relegated to accidental Alan Partridge territory along the with rest of the twits and twats that comprise English popular culture is meaningful, to say the least.
‘Seinfeld, the Show About Nothing, Might Have Been, Like ‘The Da Vinci Code’, About the Everlasting
Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code feels like a Johnny-the-Baptist-come-lately of preexisting Seinfeld scripture.
Why, After All These Years, Are We Still Speaking in Sein Language?
Just like with hip-hop, Seinfeld has broadened our collective slang and everyday rhetorical wit.
Can Satire Provoke Real Change in a Nation Divided by Humor?
We may be one nation in America, but today we appear to be living on different planets, as we are divided by humor, among other things.
‘Til Death Do You Part: And Other Thoughts About Family
Annabelle Gurwitch's humorous memoir, Wherever You Go, There They Are, captures how one is forever in the thralls of the family -- no matter the form that family takes.
Can We Say the F Word Yet? On Fascism and Humor
In light of the decrees and executive orders signed thus far by Donald Trump, we might reasonably ask: is fascism relevant to America's current political state?
Dave Barry Does the Unimaginable in an Exploration of the Sunshine State
Tired of fielding questions about what's the matter with Florida, a treasured American humorist takes matters into his own hands and finds out for himself.