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Queens of Comedy
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Plot Summary of Queens of Comedy
"Lucille Ball, Phyllis Diller, Carol Burnett, and Joan Rivers are Queens of Comedy. Each created a career that lasted over a quarter of a century. Each put her own twist on traditional female comic types and broke new ground for younger, more radical comediennes. And each is a very funny lady. For more than twenty-five years, these Queens of Comedy have been getting big laughs and big hands--winning hands, because they are in fact, top cards. Through candid, personal interviews with these top stars, Dr. Horowitz explores how gifted performers turn their lives into comedic art; how they break down barriers in the traditionally male territory of comedy; how they define conventions that stigmatize funny women as "unfeminine"; and how popular female artists reflect society's gender roles -- even as they explode ideas about what women should -- or can do. "Queens of Comedy" offers an entertaining, insightful glimpse into private lives and public personae and places today's top female comediennes like Ellen DeGeneres, Joy Behar, and Whoopi Goldberg in the grand tradition of Mae West, Sophie Tucker, Moms Mabley, and Totie Fields."
Susan Horowitz, Ph.D., Resident Scholar




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Review Analysis of Queens of Comedy
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Job/profession/poverty story Yes
Story of entertainer? - Comedian
Period of greatest activity? - 1950+

Subject of Biography
Profession/status: - actor/actress/producer
Age: - 60's-90's
Biography of famous person? Yes
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - American (!)
How sensitive is this person? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other people
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 3 ()
United States Yes
Misc setting - resort/hotel
Century: - 1960's-1970's

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Book makes you feel? - encouraged
Is book humorous? Yes
If humorous, kind of humor - eccentric personalities
Commentary on society? Yes
Unusual Style: - a lot of play on words
Writer's slant towards subject: - very favorable
Story of entire life, or part? - story of set of events during life
Is this a biography of several people? Yes
How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more dialog than descript
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 76%-100% of book
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Bert Williams: A Biography of the Pioneer Black Comedian by Eric Ledell Smith
W.C. Fields and Me by W.C. Fields


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Susan Horowitz Resident Scholar Profiles

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Susan Horowitz, Ph.D.  

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