Sarcasm is often treated as a cultural fault line - the old joke goes that Americans don’t get it, or don’t use it, or somehow take everything just a little too literally. But behind that joke is a much bigger story about how humor works in America: what Americans find funny, how comedy has evolved across the last century, and how jokes reveal deeper truths about national identity, power, and social norms.

We’re going to look closer at the history of comedy in America - how it evolved, how it compares to the rest of the world, and what makes American comedy American.

So in this episode, I’m asking… why don't Americans get sarcasm?

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Special Guest:

Beck Krefting a Professor of American Studies and Director of the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning at Skidmore College. She is a leading scholar in feminist comedy studies, performance, and the cultural history of stand-up.

Her acclaimed book, All Joking Aside: American Humor and Its Discontents, explores how comedians use “charged humor” to challenge social norms and push for justice.

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Highlights:

02:00 - Comedic Styles and Politics

06:54 - Vaudeville and Blackface

11:35 - The History of Jewish Comedy

20:21 - The Emergence of Radio and TV

25:03 - Standup and Late Night TV

29:49 - The American Sense of Humour

33:56 - Is Hollywood Owned by the Left?

40:31 - The N Word

45:30 - Comedy Comes Full Circle

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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Contact us: america@podcastsbyliam.com

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