Satire and Politics
The Interplay of Heritage and Practice
Editors: Milner Davis, Jessica (Ed.)

About This Book
This book examines the multi-media explosion of contemporary political satire. Rooted in 18th century Augustan practice, satire’s indelible link with politics underlies today’s universal disgust with the ways of elected politicians. This study interrogates the impact of British and American satirical media on political life, with a special focus on political cartoons and the levelling humour of Australasian satirists.

About The Authors
Jessica Milner Davis FRSN is a member of Clare Hall Cambridge, UK, and a research associate at the University of Sydney and Brunel University’s Centre for Comedy Studies Research. Twice president of the International Society for Humor Studies, she co-ordinates the Australasian Humour Studies Network.

Reviews
“A fascinating collection showcasing satire in all its guises from those parts of the world where poking fun at people in power is a sacred cultural tradition. A wonderful read, combining rich textual and visual analysis, theoretical progress and sharp insight into the effects of political satire – as well as excellent jokes and a dash of offensiveness.” (Giselinde Kuipers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Author of Good Humor, Bad Taste: A Sociology of the Joke, 2006)

“The Aussie larrikin and The Conchords take their place next to Aristophanes and Swift in this wide-ranging, interdisciplinary book on the history and value of political satire – or the interplay of “licensed fools and elected knaves”. Expertly selected and edited, these essays offer timely and essential insight into satire as a global phenomenon transcending genre and medium. Could become the standard work for understanding satire’s important role today.” (Moira Marsh, Indiana University Bloomington Illinois, USA. Author of Practically Joking, 2015)

“Undoubtedly a significant volume on the study of the interplay between politics and satire. Highlighting satire’s open meanings and manifestation in untold forms, the book is informed by an impressive level of historical analysis.” (Alex Sutton, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at University of Chichester, UK)

“Places political humor in compelling contexts. A must-read for students of global satire in the Digital Age.” (Paul Lewis, Professor of English at Boston College, USA, and author of Cracking Up: American Humor in a Time of Conflict, 2006)

Bibliographic Information
Book Title
Satire and Politics
Book Subtitle
The Interplay of Heritage and Practice
Editors
Jessica Milner Davis
Series Title
Palgrave Studies in Comedy
Copyright
2017
Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
Copyright Holder
The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s)
eBook ISBN
978-3-319-56774-7
DOI
10.1007/978-3-319-56774-7
Hardcover ISBN
978-3-319-56773-0
Edition Number
1
Number of Pages
XXIII, 292
Number of Illustrations and Tables
31 b/w illustrations
Topics
Popular Culture