A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEDITIOUS HUMOR By Maegan Clearwood, Resident Dramaturg ou are about to witness the best performance the Spittitucci Troupe has ever given, and it isn’t because they invested in new costumes or a team of competent actors. They are merely pawns in an attempt to squelch the artistic voice of the common man; but as history proves, this very scenario can be a paradoxical incubator for artistic brilliance. As proof, we have compiled an abbreviated list of notable seditious and subversive humorists for you to enjoy:
Y
Aristophanes (446–386 BCE): One of Western literature’sfirst popular humorists, Aristophanes wrote dozens of plays within the genre of Old Comedy, focusing on topical issues and relatable characters rather than stock figures and predictable scenarios. Many of his plays ridiculed the government and influential political figures, and he was no stranger to accusations of slander from members of the elite. Lysistrata, for instance, focuses on the women of a war-weary Greece withholding sex from their husbands until they declare peace—and endures as a commentary on gender, pacifism, and power.
Aphra Behn (1640–1689): The first English woman to earn a living by writing, Behn composed a prolific collection of works, including numerous successful comedic plays. Behn’s conservative Toryism is balanced by progressive social opinions in her writing, particularly through her dominant female characters, allusions to sexual desire, and what some modern readers interpret as homoeroticism (look no farther than her 1688 poem, “To the Fair Clarinda, Who Made Love to Me, Imagined More Than Woman”).
Jonathan Swift (1667–1745): The satirist’s deadpan use of irony remains legendary, even warranting its own adjective—“Swiftian.” In A Modest Proposal, Swift mocks the British elite’s cruelty toward the poor by arguing that the impoverished Irish should sell their children as food to the wealthy, insisting that he was “assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled.”
Mark Twain (1835–1910): The seminal humorist’s penchant for satire and political quips is evidenced in much of his work, with such stinging lines as: “Reader, suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”
Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977): His screen persona itself — the iconic Tramp — exemplifies Chaplin’s artistic focus on subverting elitist values in favor of giving voice to the common man. No film of his is as explicitly seditious as the 1940 The Great Dictator, which satirized Hitler and fascism and starred the director/producer/writer as both the titular tyrant himself as well as a persecuted Jewish barber.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEDITIOUS HUMOR
The Marx Brothers (Active 1905-1949): The troupe’s mastery of satire is no more evident than in their 1933 masterpiece Duck Soup, a short but brilliant lampooning of blundering dictatorial leaders,Fascism, and authoritarian government. In one of the film’s show-stopping musical numbers, “Firefly” (Groucho) — the incompetent new leader of the imaginary nation of Freedonia — announces that in his administration: “If any form of pleasure is exhibited, report to me and it will be prohibited. I'll put my foot down, so shall it be. This is the land of the free.”
Richard Pryor (1940-2005): Richard Pryor’s name is now synonymous with sedition, and he was as admired for his wit and boldness as he was criticized for pushing comedic offense to its farthest limits. His comedic work delved into his experiences and anger as a black American to put race, sex, and obscenity at the forefront of his comedy. These taboos included what remains one of the country’s most difficult topics: police brutality. In one example, he explained: “I went to Zimbabwe. I know how white people feel in America now; relaxed! Cause when I heard the police car I knew they weren't coming after me!”
Molly Ivins (1944-2007): Newspaper columnist and political humorist Ivins took advantage of her Texas locale to criticize conservative politics, becoming especially notable for her frequent jabs at George W. Bush. Ivins was credited with coining the term “Great Liberal Backlash of 2003” as well as “Shrub” and “Dubdub” in relation to Bush, and no politician was safe from her witticisms, including Bill Clinton, who was “weaker than bus-station chili.”
The Simpsons (1989—): America’s favorite dysfunctional household has brought dozens of political topics to the small screen, with regular chagrin from the satirized parties. In 1992, George H.W. Bush made a campaign speech to the National Religious Broadcasters, dreaming of an America in which families were “a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons.” The Simpsons were shown watching Bush’s remarks on their iconic couch a few days later, eliciting Bart’s response: "Hey! We're just like the Waltons. We're praying for an end to the Depression, too.”
Amy Schumer (1981—): Social commentary and clever quips on gender are at the heart of Schumer’s sketch TV series, Inside Amy Schumer. Her third season premiere, for instance, parodies Hollywood’s objectification of the female body with a music video that begins as an all-too-familiar lineup of women singing that “big booty’s what they want and big booty’s what I got”—only to remind viewers that “this is where her poop comes out.”
Who are your favorite seditious humorists? Let us know on the survey inside this program, or email clearwood@avantbard.org, for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.