From Mel Brooks and Tommy Smothers to Mort Sahl and Lenny Bruce, the story of America's "Satiric Revolution."
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Jul 16, 2007
Ethan
rated it: 
Kinda good, lots of boring. Some parts were better than others, many good guys got skipped over. It was kinda sad.
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Nov 24, 2010
Joy
rated it:
I listened to this book on tape. It was written by an entertainment journalist. He profiles some humorists "whose satire helped usher in cultural changes of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s." I suspect it was a very accurate picture of these entertainers, including their BIG flaws as well as their successes. I most enjoyed the profiles of Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, and Joan Rivers. It was very obvious what a huge influence Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson had in promoting careers.
Mar 14, 2010
I had to return the book before I had finished it. The author does a pretty good job discussing comics from the 195s and 1960, that are still with us, and that the author had a chance to talk to. His writing stumbles however, when he is writing information about comic that have long since passed on, or that he had not had a chance to meet. Still, it is interesting to read about the background of early comics in radio, tv, the movies, and standup.
Aug 16, 2008
Aaron
rated it: 
"Seriously Funny" is a series of character studies on the premier comedians and comediennes of the 1950s and 1960s. Most of the big ones are here: Mort Sahl, Nichols & May, Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, Jonathan Winters, etc. It's very similar in format to Richard Zoglin's "Comedy At The Edge" -- which examines the comedians of the 1970s -- but it's a notch better in my opinion. The character studies are a bit fuller, and the reader gets a better sense of what inspired the var
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Oct 13, 2010
Bill
rated it:
Great overview of the "rebel comics" of the '50s and '60s. For someone my age (58) it was a real walk down memory lane.
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