The Revolution will be Hilarious by Caty Borum

The impact of Comedy for Social Change and Civic Power is discussed at length in THE REVOLUTION WILL BE HILARIOUS by Caty Borum, published by New York University Press. I have had student researchers in the past who are quite interested in this topic and I think they would find Borum’s work to be both enlightening and thought-provoking. For example, she explains that “contemplating comedy for social change means that we believe in the vital importance of humor as a formal mechanism to help strengthen democracy and build an equitable society…” She continues: “Comedy is often uniquely able to broach taboo and painful topics that are otherwise polarizing.” Borum, an Associate Professor at the American University School of Communication, is also Executive Director of the Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI), a creative innovation lab. She often gives talks on entertainment storytelling and social justice. THE REVOLUTION WILL BE HILARIOUS is an impressive work of scholarship; Borum interviewed close to eighty people (listed in an appendix), each for at least an hour. She also devotes roughly ten percent of the text to notes and bibliography.