From Library Journal
Barreca, editor of Last Laughs: Perspectives on Women and Comedy (Gordon & Breach, 1988), explores the relationship of women and humor. She discusses the differences between men and women in how they use humor, what they think is funny and how they are perceived when telling jokes. Giving the book a strong feminist bent, Barreca theorizes that women are not encouraged to be funny and are even perceived as "bad girls" if they are funny. She quotes extensively from other researchers in the field, as well as from comediennes, authors, and cartoonists. Her coverage is extensive, ranging from Mae West to Sandra Bernhard, Emily Bronte to Erica Jong, "I Love Lucy" to "Designing Women." The added bonus is the wealth of humor included as examples in the book. Recommended.-- Kathy Ingels Helmond, Indiana Univ. ( )