Overview

Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism presents a contemporary account of religious satire as evidenced by the modern art of stand-up comedy. Focused on the context of the post-9/11 American culture phenomenon, sometimes referred to as the New Atheism – as embodied by public intellectuals such as Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins – it documents the rise of comedic satire in relation to evangelical beliefs and religious dogma. Drawing on the author’s own experience of stand-up performance, it examines the comedy of figures such as Mark Maron, Bill Maher, and Ricky Gervais and presents material from interviews with comedians including Lewis Black, John Fugelsang, and Leigh Ann Lord to provide unique insights into some of the issues and definitions surrounding satire. With attention to the demonstrable rise in religious satire following the events of September 11, 2001, the author considers the clear link between this increase and the New Atheist movement, exploring shared themes and presence at specific events, such that stand-up comedy represents the Avant Garde of the New Atheists.

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9781032536323

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Reviews

“Jerry Jaffe's a passionate expert on comedy in this deep-dive of how the craft has evolved post-9/11. From how comedians addressed the tragedy to the role of wit in fighting religious fundamentalism, he writes fearlessly about fearless writers. His literary, comedic & pop cultural reference points are mind-bending in this wide-ranging analysis on the tragically misunderstood art of satire.” John Fugelsang, SirusXM “Jerry Jaffe’s Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism is an accessible and entertaining look at the ways comedians grappled with religion in the wake of September 11th. Jaffe’s primary focus is an elucidation of the rhetorical devices that humorists use to lampoon religious fundamentalism. Along the way, though, Jaffe also sheds light on the contours of the many debates about religion in the 21st Century. The book is recommended for anyone with an interest in contemporary satire or religion.” David Gillota, author of Dead Funny: The Humor of American Horror “Jerry C. Jaffe’s new monograph offers an original, scholarly focus on stand-up comedy by prominent names, including Ricky Gervais, Marc Maron, Bill Maher, and others, reflecting on their dialogue with the ideas of prominent public intellectuals and authors who embodied the New Atheist movement, including Christopher Hitchens, Richad Dawkins, and Sam Harris. These are all very suitable figures for this topic, and his book makes an important contribution by capturing this popular movement, unifying the intellectual and the comic […]. The book is also strong scholarship throughout, spanning a broad range of sources which elevates the field of contemporary Comedy Studies. A continual fluidity between ‘old’ and ‘new’ [sources] is provocative through its proximity and makes for an engaging read […]. It is also a great strength of this book that Jaffe takes a highly cerebral and neutral approach in confronting what could easily be the highly polarising issues of religion and politics in America –offering education, information, and reflection, through a mixture of theoretical approaches and intertwined case studies […]. I would recommend this book to researchers, teachers or students who are interested in performance technique and the cultural function of religious satire during this important moment in American history. By capturing the historical conflation of stand-up,television comedy, and New Atheist intellectualism, Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism provides a useful reference point for future studies.” Alex Symons, The European Journal of Humour Research

Author Information

Jerry C. Jaffe is Professor of Theater at Lake Erie College. He has directed or performed in over 100 shows. Before coming to Lake Erie College, Jerry lived and worked in Japan and New Zealand, teaching, acting, and directing there. Many of his articles on the theater have been published in various academic journals, including “ ‘I needed to go to this tabernacle of ignorance’: Marc Maron’s critique of the Creation Museum” (Bulletin for the Study of Religion, Vol. 42, No. 3 (2013)); and he co-edited the 2008 book Performing Japan: Contemporary Expressions of Cultural Identity. Recent productions he has directed include The Memo, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Crave, Murder by Poe, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, The Jungle Book, Proof, and Almost, Maine. He also performs stand-up comedy professionally, in venues around the country.

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