Author Description
Few People Associate Law Books With Humor. Yet The Legal World--in Particular The American Legal System--is Itself Frequently Funny. Indeed, Jokes About The Profession Are Staples Of American Comedy. And There Is Actually Humor Within The World Of Law Too: Both Lawyers And Judges Occasionally Strive To Be Funny To Deal With The Drudgery Of Their Duties. Just As Importantly, Though, Our Legal System Is A Strong Regulator Of Humor. It Encourages Some Types Of Humor While Muzzling Or Punishing Others. In A Sense, Law And Humor Engage A Two-way Feedback Loop: Humor Provides The Raw Material For Legal Regulation And Legal Regulation Inspires Humor. In Guilty Pleasures, Legal Scholar Laura Little Provides A Multi-faceted Account Of American Law And Humor, Looking At Constraints On Humor (and Humor's Effect On Law), Humor About Law, And Humor In Law. In Addition To Interspersing Amusing Episodes From The Legal World Throughout The Book, The Book Contains 75 New Yorker Cartoons About Lawyers And A Preface By Bob Mankoff, The Cartoon Editor For The New Yorker.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the complex, reciprocal relationship between the American legal system and humor, examining how law regulates comedy while simultaneously serving as a source of it. Laura Little, a legal scholar, utilizes a framework that analyzes the intersection of legal doctrine and comedic expression. She explores how the legal profession uses humor as a coping mechanism for professional drudgery and how the law acts as a censor or arbiter of public discourse. The text synthesizes legal analysis with cultural observation to explain the two-way feedback loop between these two seemingly disparate fields.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of legal constraints on humor and free speech
- Examination of humor within judicial opinions and legal practice
- A collection of 75 New Yorker cartoons featuring legal themes
- Historical and contemporary examples of legal regulation of comedy
Scope Limits
- Does not provide a comprehensive history of American comedy
- Does not serve as a legal textbook for practicing attorneys
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts and readers note that the book provides a unique, accessible entry point into the intersection of law and cultural studies. The inclusion of New Yorker cartoons is frequently highlighted as a successful method for balancing academic rigor with the lighthearted nature of the subject matter.
Page Count:
272
Publication Date:
2018-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190625775
ISBN-13:
9780190625771
Humor
Non-Fiction
Law
Sociology
Legal Studies