Global Comedy and Humour Studies

Jordan A. Yamaji Smith is currently Associate Professor of International Humanities at Josai International University, Japan. He has taught in eleven departments at six other universities (including UCLA, California State University of Long Beach, Roger Williams University, UC Riverside, Pepperdine University, and Korea University), designing over fifty courses and earning three teaching awards.

Introduction: What is "Global Comedy"? Activity: Humor Rorschach Test. Chapter 1: Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and ‘Middle Comedy’ in Modern Context Aristophanes, Lysistrata Activity: Staging Comedy. Chapter 2: Plautus and ‘New Comedy’ Plautus, Mostellaria Connections: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Chapter 3: The Tao of Humor: Wisdom and Laughter in Zhuangzi and Liezi Selected Writings of Zhuangzi (Basic Writings) and Leizi. Chapter 4: Commedia dell’arte: Roots and Branches Mel Gordon, Lazzi (scenarios: "Pulcinella, The False Prince" and "Pulcinella, Physician by Force" Chapter 5: Humor and the Politics of Place: Shakespearean Love Comedy Abroad William Shakespeare, The Tempest Connections: Aimé Césaire, A Tempest. Chapter 6: Insanity, Absurdity and Parody Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote. Chapter 7: Shifting Targets of Humor: Negotiating the Objects of Ridicule Molière, Tartuffe. Chapter 8: Versatility of Humor in Senryu: Humorous Haiku of Edo Era Japan Assorted Senryu Connections: Senryu Today: Satirizing the "Salaryman" Life. Chapter 9: Humor and Gendered Morals: Thus Do All… Women? Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte, Cosi fan tutte. Chapter 10: Funny Money: Satires of Finance from Balzac to "Occupy Wall Street" Honoré de Balzac, Mercadet Connections: The Wolf of Wall Street. Chapter 11: Satirizing the East: The Politics of Intercultural Humor Gilbert and Sullivan, The Mikado Activity: Contemporary Comedic Stereotypes of Asia. Chapter 12: Fish Out of Water: Incongruities of Place Hagop Baronian, Honorable Beggars. Chapter 13: Oscar Wilde and the Raskin’s Semantic Script Theory of Humor (SSTH) Oscar Wilde, Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime. Chapter 14: Ridiculing the State: Satire and National Allegory in Modern China Lu Xun, "The True Story of Ah Q". Chapter 15: Vernacular Theater and the Ironic Burlesque Eduardo de Filippo, Christmas in Naples. Chapter 16: Postcolonial Tricksters and Comic Spirit Patrick Chamoiseau, Solibo Magnificent. Chapter 17: Satires of Polygamy: Culture Clash as Incongruity Set Ola Rotimi, Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again. Chapter 18: "Ya Mama": Abjection as Social Power Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, Mule Bone The Pharcyde, "Ya Mama" Activity: Humor in Intra-group Dynamics. Chapter 19: Macabre Humor: Framing and Contextualizing for Acceptance Edward Gorey’s Amphigorey Collections Ken Tanaka, Everybody Dies Activity: Why do people laugh at "sick" jokes? Chapter 20: Humor and Children: Dr. Seuss vs. Shel Silverstein Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham Shel Silverstein, Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book Chapter 21: Comedic Manga in Japan Yakitate Ja-pan!! and Cross-Cultural Parody. Chapter 22: New Media Humor and the Ethics of Inclusion Activity: Is it ever "just a joke"? Chapter 23: Stand-up Comedy in History and Transnational Perspective Trevor Griffith’s Comedians Activity: Stand-up Brainstorming Activity: Diagramming Stand-up Jokes. Chapter 24: Film Humor from Screenplay to Theaters Part I: Human Nature, Charlie Kaufmann Part II: Dogma, Kevin Smith