The landscape of comedy has undergone a seismic shift in recent years with an increasing number of female comedians breaking through to mainstream audiences. Women are claiming high-profile roles as late-night hosts, sketch comedians, television producers, and standup stars. As they disrupt industry norms and transgress cultural boundaries, they have also become lightning rods for controversy, eliciting flares of anger, amazement, revulsion, or hope. Caught in the Crosshairs delves not only into the work of feminist icons like Samantha Bee, Amy Schumer, Leslie Jones, Michelle Wolf, and Hannah Gadsby, but also into the discourse surrounding their comedy. Author Amber Day argues that these debates transcend mere entertainment; they are cultural battlegrounds for larger philosophical and political conflicts, interrogating ideals of gender, race, power, and public space. We see conflicts over what should be considered scandalous or beyond the pale, who should be in the intended audience, what is appropriate behavior for which performing bodies, and what the boundaries of comedy ultimately are. Caught in the Crosshairs is an examination of how feminist comedy reflects the tensions of our times, disrupting established narratives and challenging traditional power structures.
Amber Day is Professor of Media and Performance Studies and Chair of the History, Literature, and the Arts Department at Bryant University. She is author of Satire and Dissent: Interventions in Contemporary Political Debate (IUP, 2011) and editor of DIY Utopia: Cultural Imagination and the Remaking of the Possible.
Acknowledgments 1. Ambivalence: Feminist Comedy Past and Present 2. Ridicule: Leslie Jones and the Growing Visibility of the Alt-Right 3. Loathing: Amy Schumer and White Feminism 4. Revulsion: Samantha Bee, Michelle Wolf, and Twin Comedic Controversies 5. Hope: Hannah Gadsby and the Expansion of Comedy's Borders 6. Conclusion: Female Comedians and the Cultural Imaginary Notes Works Cited Index
"In this most necessary book, Amber Day demolishes the myth that women can't be funny. But more importantly, she helps us understand why too many people struggle to make sense of funny women, and why the debate around female comedy matters so much in our complicated cultural times."-Geoffrey Baym, author of From Cronkite to Colbert: The Evolution of Broadcast News "Day dives into the heart of contemporary cultural ruptures with clarity and nuance, demonstrating how women's stand-up comedy serves as a lightning rod for broader public debates, influencing collective values, shaping identities, and navigating ethical boundaries in public life. Essential reading for scholars, practitioners, and comedy fans alike, this book deepens our understanding of humor's political and affective complexities and capacities and convincingly argues that comedy-especially when women are the provocateurs-can provoke, persuade, and sometimes perilously divide."-Beck Krefting, author of All Joking Aside: American Humor and Its Discontents
