The ironic state

British comedy and the everyday politics of globalization

Bibliographic Data

ID9903602
AuthorsZoe Walker (0000-0002-5640-2944, University of Cambridge, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume97
Issue5
Pages1641-1643
Publication date2021-09-06
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-5850 • E-ISSN: 1468-2346
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/ia/iiab122
OpenAlexW3196844173
LanguageEN
Citations received7

Britain is a nation that takes comedy seriously. For many, to be British is precisely to have a sense of humour of a certain kind, marked by irony and self-deprecation; and the British comedy industry is an extremely prosperous business, with great success both domestically and globally. Given the centrality of comedy to the national identity, then, we might wonder: what is the relationship between British comedy and Britain as a (global) political power? How have the changing politics of the nation influenced the output of British comedians over the years? And has comedy in turn influenced the politics? It is these questions about the symbiotic relationship between comedy and British politics that James Brassett tackles in The ironic state, a fascinating book that takes readers on an illuminating journey through the history of British comedy from the postwar period to the present day. The relationship between comedy and

Art · Comedy · Globalization · Irony · Literature · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Sociology · State (computer science · Wonder · Gender, Feminism, and Media · History · Law · Philosophy · Theater, Performance, and Music History · Theatre and Performance Studies

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