Sketch Comedy: Identity, Reflexivity, and American Television

by Nick Marx

In Sketch Identity, Reflexivity, and American Television , Nick Marx examines some of the genre's most memorable―and controversial―moments from the early days of television to the contemporary line-up. Through explorations of sketches from well-known shows such as Saturday Night Live , The State , Inside Amy Schumer , Key & Peele , and more, Marx argues that the genre has served as a battleground for the struggle between comedians who are pushing the limits of what is possible on television and network executives who are more mindful of the financial bottom line. Whether creating new catchphrases or transgressing cultural taboos, sketch comedies give voice to marginalized performers and audiences, providing comedians and viewers opportunities to test their own ideas about their place in society, while simultaneously echoing mainstream cultural trends. The result, Marx suggests, is a hilarious and flexible form of identity play unlike anything else in American popular culture and media.

180 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2019

Reviews

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tried my best to read this with an open mind since I’ve written hundreds of pages on sketch comedy over the years and there’s an alternate universe where I wrote of version of this book or was at least included in the bibliography, perhaps.

I agree with most everything in here, but the whole thing is less cohesive than I would have preferred. While offering a rough chronology via the four case studies, it feels somewhat disjointed, like four articles stitched into a book (based on the copyright page, that seems to be somewhat of the case with two of the chapters). I’m also not sure if I grasped what “reflexive flexibility” truly meant other than what it sounds like, which, despite its meaning not fully sinking in for me, seems to accurately describe sketch comedy.

All that sound, Marx captures the unique aspects of sketch comedy, from its brief and fleeting moments to brilliance to its ability to tackle subjects and styles that are ignore or unachievable in other genres. I’m glad he has champion sketch comedy as well as comedy in general, and look forward to checking out some of his other work, including the Comedy Studies Reader.

[Shant · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too jargony, but I liked the division by generations. I finished it two weeks ago (and read another book in between), so I don't remember most of it that well, but yeah, that's sort of a problem. I liked the chapter on the MTV show The State, if only because I knew nothing about the show before this book. I feel like there could have been a chapter on In Living Color, seeing as how the book's cover was inspired by them, and it could have been a contrast to MTV's pandering to the alternative crowd at the same time.