May 12, 2024  
2020-21 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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2020-21 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

US 264 Humor in Black & White: Multicultural Responses to Social Issues

A pie in the face makes everyone laugh. But if a joke is racist, sexist or homophobic, is it still funny? How far is too far in humor, and how much does that standard depend on your place in society? Humor isn’t just black & white, it’s all shades in between, and in the class we will laugh a lot as we explore how people of all backgrounds use humor to discuss social problems, taboos, and complications. We will study humor and comedy from Ben Franklin to Kevin Hart through various genres including literature, cinema, live stand-up performances, and web-based media. Students will be asked to research both the social issue and the humorous response through historical, psychological, and cultural lenses. Topics will include sexism, classism, substance abuse, gender identification, physical disabilities, international relations and homophobia.