"Mainstream comedy is frankly in a bit of a lull right now. Sitcoms and theatrical comedy movie are disappearing, few comic novels are getting published, and comedy podcasts are just comedians interviewing other comedians. It's perhaps of little surprise, then, that the best nonfiction comedy books released in 2025 were focused on the past - comedy's history, themes, and steadfast examples of greatness and insight."
"But even though the final product is invariably smooth and confident, all Charles's projects - Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Borat - bear the unmistakable voice and imprint of their maker. In his professional memoir, Comedy Samurai,Charles seems to be his true self. He's freewheeling while constantly trying to catch up with his own thoughts and daring impulses, a sensibility that informs his borderless and often experimental work."
Mainstream comedy is experiencing a lull, with sitcoms and theatrical comedy movies disappearing, few comic novels published, and comedy podcasts largely featuring comedians interviewing comedians. The strongest nonfiction comedy books of 2025 concentrated on the past, examining comedy's history, themes, and enduring examples of insight. Those books asserted judgments and mixed in nostalgia, arguing that formative comedic influences shape taste. Many sought to assess or reassess overlooked cultural artifacts that became legendary, often with a few personal anecdotes. Larry Charles's professional memoir presents his accidental role in pivotal comedies and a freewheeling, confessional voice that matches his experimental work.
Read at Vulture
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]