American (Jewish) Humor Conference: Talks

Welcome and opening: Federica K. Clementi (University of South Carolina)
Session I: Humor in Social Context
Session Chair, Harvey Starr (University of South Carolina)
9:00 – 9:30 Lawrence Mintz (University of Maryland)
Defining and Deconstructing Jewish Humor

9:30 – 10:00 Regina Barreca (University of Connecticut)
Why Does the Membership of the Friars Club Still Look Like a
Manifest from Ellis Island? Why Jews, Italians, and Other Ethnic
Types are Funny
10:00 – 10:30 Joseph Boskin (Boston University) presented by Joseph Dorinson
The Comedic Zeitgeist: ‘there’s good news & bad news’
10:30 – 11:00 Discussion led by Harvey Starr (University of South Carolina)

Session II: Jewish Humor and Popular Culture
Session Chair, Catherine Keyser (University of South Carolina)
11:30 – 12:00 Lauren Rebecca Sklaroff (University of South Carolina)
The Dynamic Humor of Sophie Tucker
12:00 – 12:30 Federica K. Clementi & Christian Anderson (U of South Carolina)
Jewish Professors on Film
12:30 – 1:00 Joseph Dorinson (Long Island University)
Jewish Humor: Kvetching and Shpritzing
1:00 – 1:30 Discussion led by Catherine Keyser (University of South Carolina)

Session III: Humor and Identity
Session Chair, Qiana Whitted (University of South Carolina)
3:00 – 3:30 Lanita Jacobs (University of Southern California)
Authenticating Apologies in Black Standup Comedy
3:30 – 4:00 Russell Kaschula (Rhodes University)
Intercultural Global North-South Comedy: The Trevor Noah Effect
4:00 – 4:30 Rebecca Krefting (Skidmore College)
Constructing People Through Comedy:
How We (Can) Joke About Marginalized Identities
4:30 – 5:00 Discussion led by Qiana Whitted (University of South Carolina)