The Year’s Work in Humor Studies, 2023

As we submit this essay in late October, 2024, we cannot help but be struck by the time of year, a time when our world is beset by ghoulish delight and terrifying creatures: election season. But fear not, gentle reader, your intrepid coauthors have weathered the slings and arrows of outrageous rhetoric to bring you the year’s work in humor studies for 2023. As always, delving into humor scholarship has been edifying, entertaining, and at times challenging. While reading and reviewing the vast corpus of work produced by scholars in a diversity of disciplines, one thing became clear: categorization is an imperfect art. To wit, we found several studies that span genres, such as the many articles examining political satire on late-night TV, raising the question of whether they should be classed with other considerations of film and television comedy, or whether they should be categorized by their research methods. Similarly, should a theoretical essay on comic performance be featured in the performance or the theory section? In the interest of clarity and coherence, we did what celebrated scholars throughout history have often done—we overthought it and ultimately went with our intuition.Happily, our assiduous efforts yielded six categories (five of which include two topics): literature and history, film and television, satire and political humor, performance, online and virtual humor, and theory and pedagogy. The preponderance of studies, as has been the trend the past several years, fall into the film/television and online/virtual areas and pay special attention to the power of humor in—fittingly—genre hybridization, the rhetorical entailments of memes, communicating political news, effecting social change, and eliciting cringes, if not downright fear. Indeed, the relationship between humor and horror seems especially salient for consideration at this point in our nation’s history.We begin our survey of scholarship in humor studies in the overlapping fields of literary studies and historiography. Scholarly work in these fields in 2023 takes on the comic and satiric strategies of a wide swath of authors, genres, and time periods, with a notable shift toward recognizing the importance of publication context (particularly in periodicals) in the reception of humor. Scholars also delve into the cultural work achieved through humor by writers from underrepresented groups and genres.Though research trends in humor studies come and go over the years, interest in the literature and legacy of Mark Twain remains constant. Given the massive amount of work that has already been produced on Twain’s humor, one might think there was nothing to say about it, but scholars keep finding new ways to read his classics or treat relatively understudied works. In “Sick of War or Just the War Stories? Reading the Harper’s Weekly Civil War Romances with Mark Twain,” Joe B. Fulton revisits one of Twain’s early comic sketches, his 1864 story “Lucretia Smith’s Soldier.” This parody of popular Civil War–era romances, with its hilariously inappropriate burlesque on mistaken identity plots in field hospitals, was one of Twain’s most popular Civil War writings, as it was reprinted in Eastern newspapers and reissued in his first book, the 1867 collection The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Sketches.Fulton skillfully recontextualizes Twain’s sketch as a conversation with the maudlin stories—which Twain saw and Fulton sees as “war propaganda dressed up as fiction” (130)—that it parodies. Fulton’s acerbic distaste for these stories is apparent and amusing as he does a deep dive into Harper’s Weekly during the war, offering detailed context of the publication, its contents, and its shifting politics. Most tellingly, Fulton points to incongruities between the “grim realism” of war illustrations by Homer Winslow and other artist-correspondents and the “trite” (140) or “overheated romance” (139) fiction featured in the same issues of Harper’s. And Harper’s featured lots of these stories: Fulton counts 146 war stories in Harper’s between 1862 and 1864, 90 of them featuring heroines from the North. Twain, Fulton argues, “was indeed sick of war stories, for he blamed the Civil War romance for contributing to our tolerance for war” (133) because it abstracted or put at a remove the war’s very real and continuing horrors. In mocking such stories in “Lucretia Smith’s Soldier,” Twain attacked not just their writers but also their readers and all others who used literature to beat the war drum. As Fulton puts it, “He was a literary rebel, attacking a spoony genre that was used to promote a brutal war” (142). Fulton relates this story to Twain’s career-long antiwar attitude and writings.In “‘We Were Homeless Wanderers Again’: The Ambivalence of Mark Twain’s Vision of American Westward Travel,” Joshua Fagan pushes back against scholarship that creates “an almost primordial and ontological link between Mark Twain and the American West” (57), instead arguing that Twain’s travel writing critiques the pretentiousness of Europe and the American Northeast as well as the violence and rampant materialism of the American West. While Twain, Fagan asserts, appreciated the freedom and focus on individualism offered on the frontier, “the rapacious brutality” he saw there disturbed him, and to his mind, the hierarchies he witnessed in the West were similar to those of the Northeast. “Both the stolid Northeast and West” were for Twain and Indeed, Twain’s of the Northeast as a to the of the West” essay does not focus on Twain’s of humor, it does Twain’s in his travel writing as he in with his Fagan argues, travel by travel was because it a with the between and up Twain’s writings, the in This The of Mark Twain’s such as War and the in “the to to in the by the of the these a of American the of the and in their of of American and also of these two with an toward them in the a focus on Twain’s the of at and political and that in Mark Twain’s The essay by offering a between the and the nation’s as a through which to Twain’s on the of American and American of Mark Twain’s Vision of of Twain’s pushes back against scholars who have Twain’s late story from to as an about the and a parody of The argues, is a satire that on issues of and and is of of satire as an with or or with of the for as a satire because of its its on and its because a survey of this and of be also on of and the to the of in as a of In this argues, Twain through to “the of many American of the come to but also to and the of Twain’s of and to B. as a of of a As points to Twain in late about a of by Twain to the the and offered to an of it for that as an to the Twain read from his at several to the and to its humor for the publication history and Twain’s with it, of Twain’s and of these he over whether or not the by Twain were or and also it was a on the of American or a comic does not this such the question of whether Twain was a or an and social a question that throughout his The Mark and these the massive of popular and reception of Twain over the of years, between and with the of offering “an of the reception of Twain’s and during his as well as of Twain’s The Mark is into two The of reception of Twain’s writing and his from the his in and the of Twain’s in scholarship and popular from his in to the of the most to Twain scholarship and humor studies in his of that he to Twain as a of in the of the and in his detailed of Twain’s and were to and in the that Mark is the legacy of those who read Twain and during his and those who have his is a for Twain scholars to his takes a very to Twain’s reception in Twain his for an and to Twain, as an American and its in the this of Twain for during the cultural War and over and other of the American essay and his work on the Twain of which be found on the for Mark Twain his over Twain’s by Mark Twain and the which with literary that were in a literary that Twain is of a in his to to the Twain’s as a American social in social to Twain scholars and humor scholars the during Twain’s and his over whether he was or a social Twain’s as social the Twain that Twain’s political have to be and be with because they to be or for Mark Twain were by the and who his as political to be of the Twain and its to research on Twain’s reception that Twain’s is not just the of a and of literary and but is also the of a and As puts it, it is that not about Twain was up by or by what research is that of them of Twain scholarship in 2023 new of Twain’s literary in or the American that and was by Twain’s that Twain and he it and and those to his writing between and Twain’s Twain’s and of in and in comic to a and to humor scholars is of Twain’s interest in be used for by of the into a to ultimately the of the In Twain about to and other from especially the of this Twain’s writing his of of While seems to the power of humor in that Twain’s of and in his reading of one that might have a the American literary as a for his essay does a of Twain and by from and and as well as our of what we this comic or or or this of and genre several of of between and of (140) and that of and between for with and which real with and and in between Twain’s burlesque sketch and its of and the of In to plots and in and of points to in between Twain’s story and of of which and “Both argues, not because the a or but because they an and Twain’s stories also in to parody popular that in Twain to a work of fiction that romance and his with a for their and but with a to of a of his essay Mark Twain and the in the by a to those who or to to one of the most if not the most in American humor in the Mark Twain the to American and we the of his in the Twain’s of the with that of his literary such as also to a to the first several their begin reading the The it that the was and is the of that Twain and that he the to those who used his readers that to Twain’s satiric the or it by also Twain’s other with as to to his career-long interest in attacking through and and to and of humor works. the by and come to a on whether of and writing about the should or should not include the with all of this and from his this when from the for the to the power not to the to the that to of at Twain’s in the times in the as for its outrageous by of of and of the in the an in two of in of the West a of history of through its Twain most in as and and Mark The Twain’s but often such as and the the history of a about and political and the Twain and the popular story for their comic the of history is Twain’s and who the on of the and as first to his with of and of to the of the of and stories with of to the and of the and the diversity of the the of In to the with Twain, humor scholars be most in and Other as which an and categorization of several of between burlesque and their to and the and Twain’s in for a from other scholars and the that the a was the of many a and the of many a about 1862 and of by the in and stories, and also and other the of times of the was a of of American and on to for as for in the history of the as to a of in the treat with of their and comic a with a as Mark Twain, “the the most in writers include “the in “the in “the in “the in “the in “the in and “the in two and and these the story of and of the in the the writers were as they were all by other and by and the their literary arguing that they were and and were often ways to not or or to back at and a to these and their is a but not a in The the which also humor and satire about the and in comic and other popular a of this book, in American research in the ways that humor and satire as comic between the and the and and other humor in of and in to the the the of humor, and in the of as well as the interest in the popular of and comic of the readers through their about with who a of popular and humor, and humor by literary comic and comic to the in a American the in over and publication of several about the the of popular about of burlesque of and of them through and travel writing against the in to the of comic to and The several that other scholars might to scholarship about humor and an and to for scholarship on humor and of in the of this in if we say consideration of the of in popular two American humor of the early and early of the and over who and the of the by and in on humor in the and to of the and its detailed and of the comic and stories in and their on the of of from the and the of the their over whether or the their on their and and were of the on and as well as of the and the of such into the of the comic and the of the early as well as into the of the in relatively understudied of comic the satiric of and is the of essay in to the were between and in the and the of which for a and through these as well as through skillfully the by on in the context of the with and through the of the In these and them to other in by he rhetorical to political issues such as and to the and of the for to the and of and to to of and the of political these rhetorical his to in identity and to of the back against that in of and In to of their satire on the cultural that their of comic to and their but illustrations of the of for the essay by issues of and to in the and by legacy his in the as a writers by to by and by writing for a instead of American of humor and satire by whether or not a of in story of is as a the and that story readers to that the be but that the of the is which has the of ultimately satire not just at the but also at readers of this story in The by them to on the of to this is achieved through stories but that is often as the back to the of the in of by the in the when has to the point that the into and the of a of put up the to them on a consideration of humor, does a deep dive into the publication context of The at the arguing that the its on to about and stories in in to about cultural and the to be several of stories, a that stories and the in and to the of the of and is its from into In to other American of humor that as a of The is a of as an American B. a similar in his to the in American from the The of which the a of and his of over the of which he as a for the to the and several with a gentle and stories, and into of and that a wide in and the of the of of them a of a of a focus on and to several to writing those on the comic of humor in of in the and a of in the on The of and of that to as for all the of from through the on that the of on in rhetorical studies, offering the to to that which and not about and and what the rhetorical of these this that writing in about the of and their to their of the and of or of point to of by of a or of the of the those who have to focus on individualism and instead of attention to comic and humor seems to have been a trend in the was also not on of satiric in the work of In and in The of as a parody of such as one of early of as a satire which early the performance of and to of and The by power between the and and by “the of the as the of the these strategies the of in such as The and to and also his in the to be a to late The but especially and to the of literary and of the most of In an reading of that humor to not just at but at all political and pretentiousness and by by their The to to of its reception in its readers on the of the most the a comic a reading of the relationship between humor and in which its American as identity a to In in that the a of and identity as already and humor as a through which that to their and the of who they In the and that for of the which as for the comic against and the and the against and to in American and American to a satiric by by and but the reading of into as an American and American also the of was not and in humor throughout the a very to comic of identity in The it of in through a consideration of the and of In the a and in a that instead of this as in the of a for his fiction that to be as many we should instead treat it as to question of history, and its comic The the of the and from in to from argues, to the at the of the of the but in a in an collection on theory of humor to of in its comic and its in stories, and the humor of the and that a of of comic writings, that these stories all humor in of a in which and they on and because of the of and the that these stories to who a and who does not, that humor on a that might if social as it to question scholars to over several in 2023 of comic for the in an reading of of on its of humor and through on work in in American in which is for its and with and of through a to as a readers to humor in and “the in by work in argues, the of reading by and in not from on of arguing that they their from the of the The is to the of a a to with it on of also on humor in other for and In of a or at a for finding and humor in other read that at first for the humor and that we the and of humor, the and the the for that is a of the and a through the of the performance of the In the to in to if at its we with its literature because as puts it in the of reading is not an is the comic of through a of of and between and in arguing that of comic in such as and and in the an reading of and film The in to and to a of deep of and their of as a of finding a of a in an world that readers to new ways to with others this by featuring literary scholarship that the between comic literature and comic film and In and the of in the that the two in and the and instead that they of a of not in as an and a Reading the and for the film and on on the that “the of and satiric humor and social and with a of and their to of this and the of readers to the cultural work of and is a to the who history by in a of the The and is literary scholarship on to for the or and that recognizing is to and which for not fiction writing but also and at of humor, arguing that produced a of up with a of all the of the to and The of of and of the to of of the and The and as on reception and critiques of and by and on as a in the and of in television, and The and as of legacy and on and focus on the importance of humor to writing and reception this of interest to scholars of comic literature as well as and The and of in of for by the of of as in a as a for of in film and on to the in comic about fiction and film The that these humor to and the of of that to and to and to to through an In the and of humor to back against social about and to for through and comic in in 2023 many humor scholars on the and of comic and television attention to film of horror and as well as comic with on and of the that the interest of scholars is The In and on the American with The that other satire rhetorical to to on the and of a reading of several arguing that is of that to political and the to of the the help them to on their in of and the of that was produced in a and the of a of back into the of the work of early that comic of or and or burlesque of the and of or the and to those in by that of and the that is an of points that this of for and to go that takes with or such as a political a to or to or the fear of and theory to that throughout the and to which in from from the political that because the on by the to of the critiques is especially in its of and it is that is of Joshua in American essay on as if was not to a he to have at the incongruities not to In in American on the and of that from in The and is to “the and social of as in the of and to or read social and for a “the of of in with that is used to a of and at the same time of identity and social that “the as in these is by their which as of comic who to a of a social or cultural in to comic but that the of in the of and their incongruities in a incongruities of other because the cannot be as The to as a of at of with we have a time we with them and them comic by to the and of the of as in these that just the the in through is nothing and of the from the of the popular and its the as one that American to a comic of one that the of television and its of and the the context of the for the of and the for the of and arguing that “the between and its with issues of and in “the of and the of the as to to and for in the political into the of the as it with issues such as and its to include the political the the of from to and for that its legacy is Indeed, the for its political an from Joe that the a in the the of in and as that they be they an as “the of the was not to but a comic one in which the was the most of is his of the to a when to be such a Given the of the the on the political issues of the in the political during the its its and that and the for its on television as the first to the of of comic is in a to the of the the The and by and the of film as a to and and the rhetorical work such and the was and and it to “an and a by which all of cultural and be and to and new a detailed of the of throughout the the and the the of its to of the The and As they it of and which they as because the is its of parody its and and that and and that its is not but to the for comic between and TV, and the a to and that the of popular in that of with with on such as and and to or that that this not as as or but in the of time and their or them as as all but he that has of include and that went from produced to TV, with the of and that the of in the from to to and to for the of the that the should be or because in his the between the of film and is “the of an of these that creates for and of the of to a new and of in and comic and the of that his and that these on the of and that through “the of in The between and is one of the of to which he at inappropriate the most of the to that in is of that comic to the point of of and parody is in of in The The and of in of humor, on six or “the between and and between and that is a not by a of celebrated and but also of such as and comic of such as and that in the is with as the of as it a from the same that be used in a to or Other that work include fiction and and argues, work in the at not it is hilariously and of of them to be almost and to a and in The to in and