Outrageous A HISTORY OF SHOWBIZ AND THE CULTURE WARS

BY KLIPH NESTEROFF

There is a common belief that we live in unprecedented times, that nobody got offended in the past, that people are simply too sensitive today, that racism and sexism were once widely accepted without objection. The truth is precisely the opposite. With every step of our cultural history, minorities have pushed back against racist portrayals, women have fought for respect, and people have sought to change the world of entertainment and beyond through a combination of censorship, advocacy, and protest. Likewise, opposing forces have sought to sway public opinion and shape culture through violence and political and economic pressure.

Kliph Nesteroff, author of The Comedians and We Had a Little Real Estate Problem, presents a deep dive into the history of show business and illustrates both how our world has changed and how the fierce battlegrounds of today are reflected in our past. Outrageous is a crucial and timeless book filled with surprising details, remarkable anecdotes, and unforgettable characters, including figures we think we know, such as Mae West, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, and Stan Laurel (who tried to bury his wife alive but still wasn’t “canceled”), to others readers may never have heard of.

Kliph Nesteroff is the author of The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy, a definitive volume, and We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans and Comedy. His work has been praised by everyone from Judd Apatow, Mel Brooks, and Marc Maron to Lewis Black, Fred Willard, and Steve Martin. He lives in Los Angeles.

Selling Points

PROMINENT AUTHOR: Since the publication of his groundbreaking The Comedians in 2015, Nesteroff has become the leading authority on comedy (and a big voice on show business in general). He’s a frequent guest on WTF with Marc Maron, and has received rave reviews and coverage from the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and many other outlets.

HOT SUBJECT: Conversations over what we can and can’t say, can and can’t publish, and the consequences for those who do are as hot as they’ve ever been. Nesteroff shows how those questions have reverberated through American history, offering a crucial perspective.

FANTASTIC READ: Nesteroff is renowned for unearthing extraordinarily detailed stories about well–known and forgotten characters and weaving together an engaging narrative. This is an extremely entertaining and eye–opening read full of surprising chapters in showbiz history.

SPECIFICATIONS

* 356 pages

* WIDTH: 6" - 152mm

* HEIGHT: 9" - 229mm

* Hardcover with jacket

PUB MONTH: NOVEMBER 2023 NONFICTION

ISBN 978-1-4197-6098-3

US $30.00