In On the Joke: The Original Queens of Stand-up Comedy

Shawn Levy does it again, this time bringing his impeccable research, engaging story-telling, and expansive taste to the telling of the early queens of standup comedy, the women who broke barriers and opened doors for those that followed. Recommended By Doug C., Powells.com

Shawn Levy does it again, this time bringing his impeccable research, engaging storytelling, and expansive taste to the telling of the early queens of standup comedy, the women who broke barriers and opened doors for those that followed.  Recommended By Doug C., Powells.com

From bestselling author Shawn Levy, a hilarious and moving account of the trailblazing women who broke down walls so they could stand before the mic.

Today, women are ascendant in stand-up comedy, even preeminent. They make headlines, fill arenas, spawn blockbuster movies. But before Amy Schumer slayed, Tiffany Haddish killed, and Ali Wong drew roars, the very idea of a female comedian seemed, to most of America, like a punch line. And it took a special sort of woman — indeed, a parade of them — to break and remake the mold.

In on the Joke is the story of a group of unforgettable women who knocked down the doors of stand-up comedy so other women could get a shot. It spans decades, from Moms Mabley’s rise in Black vaudeville between the world wars, to the roadhouse ribaldry of Belle Barth and Rusty Warren in the 1950s and ’60s, to Elaine May’s co-invention of improv comedy, to Joan Rivers’s and Phyllis Diller’s ferocious ascent to mainstream stardom. These women refused to be defined by type and tradition, facing down indifference, puzzlement, nay-saying, and unvarnished hostility. They were discouraged by agents, managers, audiences, critics, fellow performers — even their families. And yet they persevered against the tired notion that women couldn’t be funny, making space not only for themselves, but for the women who followed them.

Meticulously researched and irresistibly drawn, Shawn Levy’s group portrait forms a new pantheon of comedy excellence. In on the Joke shows how women broke into the boys’ club, offered new ideas of womanhood, and had some laughs along the way.

“[A] riveting cultural history....Written with a vibrance that excellently captures the larger-than-life personalities of Levy's subjects, these stories coalesce to reveal the resilience and chutzpah that went into shaping stand-up as it's known today.” Publishers Weekly

“An insightful and impeccably researched examination of the inspirational and fearless female comedians who first trod the unconventional path I gratefully followed. In reading Shawn Levy's book, I discovered almost every woman changed her original name; in tribute, I'm changing my name to Lady HaHa.” Rita Rudner

“A seminal (eew gross I hate that word but it applies here and I love this book) work on the incredible journey of women in comedy, past and present, for all of us hope there will be many more of us in the future.” Margaret Cho

“Dying is easy, but comedy is hard; for women, until about ten minutes ago, it was almost impossible. But only almost. In his ground-breaking history of women in stand-up, Shawn Levy brilliantly weaves together history, politics, and culture to tell the epic saga of those bold and fearless trailblazers who dared to tell jokes while being female. Well-researched, profound, and laugh out loud funny, In on the Joke is simply fabulous. I loved it!” Karen Karbo, author of In Praise of Difficult Women and How to Hepburn

Shawn Levy is the bestselling author of The Castle on Sunset, Rat Pack Confidential, Paul Newman: A Life, and Dolce Vita Confidential. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, Sight & Sound, Film Comment, and American Film. He jumps and claps and sings for victory in Portland, Oregon.