{"product_id":"a-conspiracy-of-laughter-adam-szetela-9780262058728","title":"A Conspiracy of Laughter: How Ivy League Elites Got to Dictate What's Funny","description":"\u003cb\u003eHow Ivy League elites captured American comedy--and how they unwittingly provoked a populist backlash. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the critically acclaimed author of \u003ci\u003eThat Book Is Dangerous!\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen Sarah Silverman stepped foot inside the writer's room at \u003ci\u003eSaturday Night Live\u003c\/i\u003e, she didn't expect it to look like the Harvard Yard. After twenty-five weeks there, she never had a single sketch aired. The college dropout reflects, \"It had never occurred to me before that there was such a strong connection between elite schools and funniness.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUnbeknownst to many, the elite schools--Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown, Penn, and Cornell--have controlled American comedy since the late 1800s. From \u003ci\u003eSNL\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eThe Simpsons\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eThe Tonight Show\u003c\/i\u003e, a small handful of comedy writers have determined what is taboo and what is not, whom can be joked about and whom cannot. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn\u003ci\u003e A Conspiracy of Laughter, \u003c\/i\u003eAdam Szetela tells the story of how our comedy institutions came to reflect the perspectives of America's elites. But also, more unsettlingly, how this dominance provoked a populist backlash. From \u003ci\u003eThe Joe Rogan Experience\u003c\/i\u003e to Donald Trump, a new establishment has emerged. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDrawing on exclusive interviews with Ivy League alumni who have worked at \u003ci\u003eSNL\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Simpsons\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLate Night with David Letterman\u003c\/i\u003e, and other institutions, as well as comedians like Theo Von who have been denied entry into these institutions, \u003ci\u003eA Conspiracy of Laughter\u003c\/i\u003e is the untold story of what happens when elites capture American comedy--and what happens when they lose their grip.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Adam Szetela\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0262058723\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780262058728\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e MIT Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/09\/2027\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover","brand":"Adam Szetela","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":49002014703871,"sku":"9780262058728","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/a-conspiracy-of-laughter-adam-szetela-9780262058728","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}