It isn’t wrong to laugh at coronavirus comedy. Rather a chortle here and there will help us through the crisis, and it may even help spread vital information and give comfort to those in need.
Charlie Hebdo’s often biting and dark humour frequently troubles people in France, and many reactions to the attack in France were not in keeping with the values of the publication.
Mr Bean made its television debut on January 1 1990. Thirty years on, the pilot episode still captures all that is great about Rowan Atkinson’s character.
There is nothing funny about the prospect of environmental collapse. But comedy can highlight the errors that led us to the crisis, and encourage us to act in the face of hopelessness.
A new study highlights the importance of the ‘intergroup sensitivity effect’ in comedy, which gives people license to tell certain jokes, but not others.
‘Two polar bears walk into a bar …’ is an unlikely opener for a joke, but memes and parodies are surprisingly effective ways to get people talking about climate change.
The first serious scholarly account of the works of comedian John Clarke has just been published. Here, we consider the creative genius of his command of language.
An ethnomusicologist traces the origins of the practice, from early 20th century ‘air conductors’ to Joe Cocker’s air riffing at Woodstock to the rise of international competitions.
As parody goes, this infamous Monty Python film is a pretty gentle, even, respectful sort. It is now more likely to be criticised for breaching the boundaries of ‘political correctness’.
Hannah Gadsby’s groundbreaking stand-up show Nanette was always going to be hard to follow. Her new show is a deftly executed, brilliant comedy about women and autism.