New Atheism’s Gender Problems
Can critical humorists help combat the sexism inherent to both religious and secular organizations?
wit attitude
The Rebel Rockin’ Roots of Punk Rock Humor
Humorists have served as the conscience of cultures ever since (and before) court jesters ridiculed omnipotent royalty for its hypocrisy, pomposity, and corruption. Punk continues to fulfill that essential social role in relation to the powers-that-be of the modern world.
What Happened to British Culture When Alternative Comedy Went from Posh to Punk?
If Alexei Sayle and Rik Mayall represented the Pistols/Clash in-your-face assault and battery side of British punk comedy, Ben Elton was its Elvis Costello, complete with geeky wide-rimmed glasses.
Haven’t You Learned How to Take a Joke? The Comedy-on-Campus Debates
The college comedy deficit means that we are neither taught how to take a joke nor how to interpret one.
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.
One Nation, Divided by Humor
We may be one nation in America, but today we appear to be living on different planets.
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?
Believe Me! Trumpism and the Messianic Impulse
Mario Cuomo once said that candidates campaign in poetry then govern in prose; Trump’s utterances, however, might better be characterized as speaking in tongues.
Richard Dawkins and the Need for a New Science Populism
Now, more than ever, public intellectual scientists like Dawkins are needed to counter the forces of faith, fiction, and farce dominating our so-called “post-fact” society.
Nutty Professors? The Case for Scientist-Humorists in the Culture Wars
It's time for the personalities of the science community to emerge from their labs and to get into the ring.
Can Satire Bring Down Donald Trump?
Michael Moore calls for humorists everywhere to satirize Donald Trump, but what if our best satire simply cannot (yes, we'll say it) "trump" reality?
Who’s Better Than Mark Twain at Bible-bashing?
Sounding more like Christopher Hitchens than a lapsed Presbyterian from the 19th century, Mark Twain rips apart Testaments Old and New.
