Laughing Fit to Kill: Black Humor in the Fictions of Slavery

by Glenda Carpio

Reassessing the meanings of "black humor" and "dark satire," Laughing Fit to Kill illustrates how black comedians, writers, and artists have deftly deployed various modes of comedic "conjuring"--the absurd, the grotesque, and the strategic expression of racial stereotypes--to redress not only the past injustices of slavery and racism in America but also their legacy in the present. Focusing on representations of slavery in the post-civil rights era, Carpio explores stereotypes in Richard Pryor's groundbreaking stand-up act and the outrageous comedy of Chappelle's Show to demonstrate how deeply indebted they are to the sly social criticism embedded in the profoundly ironic nineteenth-century fiction of William Wells Brown and Charles W. Chesnutt. Similarly, she reveals how the iconoclastic literary works of Ishmael Reed and Suzan-Lori Parks use satire, hyperbole, and burlesque humor to represent a violent history and to take on issues of racial injustice. With an abundance of
illustrations, Carpio also extends her discussion of radical black comedy to the visual arts as she reveals how the use of subversive appropriation by Kara Walker and Robert Colescott cleverly lampoons the iconography of slavery. Ultimately, Laughing Fit to Kill offers a unique look at the bold, complex, and just plain funny ways that African American artists have used laughter to critique slavery's dark legacy.

Genres: Literary Criticism

287 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2008

Reviews

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A scholarly book on the use of humor in representations of slavery by African-American humorists -- performers, painters, and writers. Beautifully written and breathtakingly astute and capacious, Carpio's account unites these artists in their use of conjure to bring to life stereotypes and then to illuminate their vivid and distressingly persistent life in contemporary culture. She is at once careful and imaginative in her readings, and her critical voice displays wit, versatility, and mourning. A pleasure to read and conceptually illuminating.

[Rebecca Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I am currently working on a dissertation studying the use of humour in Black American fiction, I turned to Carpio's analysis of humour. While Carpio focusses specifically on representations of slavery, this text is helpful to those more interested in the way that black America has used (and currently uses) humour more generally. She primarily examines fiction, visual art, theatre, and stand-up comedy.

Carpio's text is extensively researched and insightful, making it a great academic resource. However, is is still an accessible and informative read for those who simply want to learn more about this subject matter. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on stand-up comedy, in which she discusses Richard Pryor and The Chappelle Show, and the chapter on Ishmael Reed's Flight to Canada. The inserts of artwork from Robert Colescott and Kara Walker and their respective chapter were interesting as I had studied little in the way of Black American visual art.

[Jade Pham Gift · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing of this book is wonderful; however, it is a "text" book like with too much commentaries.
I couldn't settle myself while I was reading this book, knowing real suffering of the people who were bought into slavery. This was not a fun read; at least not for me. One thing I wish this book was on large print and the type setting was a bit more user friendly. I may revisit this book again when I am retired.

[Elizabeth]

As heard on Code Switch: https://play.podtrac.com/npr-510312/n...