Skip to Main Content

Krefting's new book examines stand-up comedy

November 18, 2014
Beck Krefting's book

Beck Krefting, assistant professor of American Studies, is the author of a new book, All Joking Aside—American Humor and Its Discontents, published by Johns Hopkins University Press.

According to the publisher’s web site, Krefting’s examination of stand-up comedy “establishes a new genre of comedic production, ‘charged humor,’ and charts its pathways from production to consumption.”

Stand-up comics have used charged humor “to reveal social, political and economic stratifications,” according to the publisher. Krefting’s history of charged comedy over the past nearly 70 years highlights the work of a number of comics, including Dick Gregory, Robin Tyler, Moz Jobrani, and Hari Kondabolu.

In an interview with Tracy Wuster of the blog Humor in America, Krefting—herself a comic who has done stand-up and improve—tries to determine “What words would create the greatest comedic effect and in what order?” With serving as host each year to the National College Comedy Festival, Krefting said she “gets to teach, mentor, and debate with students who are comedyphiles just like me.”

Click to read the Humor in America interview. Visit the publisher’s web site .

Related News


The+first+five+Miranda+Fellows+at+Skidmore+pose+in+a+theater+studio+with+a+black+curtain+as+a+backdrop
The Miranda Family Fellowship at is more than a launchpad for arts careers — it's a lasting community of mentors, collaborators, and changemakers.
Dec 9 2025

A+student+looks+at+the+leaves+in+Skidmore%27s+North+Woods
The first-year special interest housing option through Residential Life and Sustainability offers a living-learning experience that allows friendships and campus connections to bloom.
Dec 8 2025

Barbara+Reyes-Conner+and+President+Marc+Conner+
‌President Marc Conner and Barbara Reyes-Conner extend their heartfelt appreciation to the community for a year enriched by creativity, connection, and accomplishment. They offer their warmest wishes for a new year filled with health, happiness, and renewal.
Dec 8 2025