Satiristas! Bill Maher, George Carlin, And More Talk Satire And The State Of Comedy (PHOTOS)
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In the book iSatiristas!, comedian Doug Stanhope tells interviewer (and fellow comedian) Paul Provenza that to him, "funny" is sitting around a table with comics making each other laugh. This book is not necessarily a recreation of that, but instead feels like what would happen if 60 of the best satirists sat around a giant table and talk about being funny.
While the interviews conducted by Provenza are not presented as an oral history (a la Live From New York) it never feels like 60 separate sections. They all contribute to the goal at hand, working together to shed some light on the state of comedy and satire's effect (or lack thereof) on the world's view of itself.
The chapters flow together beautifully, giving you the feeing that you're a fly on the wall at a comedy summit. It's almost as if you're witnessing each comic actually build on each other's thoughts and even respond to one another. When Jay Leno talks about playing it safe because his main duty is to entertain, Janeane Garofalo fires right back, calling him out for not taking risks. But alas, as they're not actually sitting around a table, all the comics get the opportunity to speak their minds and justify their views.
Packaged together with the photographs of Dan Dion, the book is a must have for any comedy fan. Sorry for sounding like the back of a book jacket there, but it really is good. We've collected some of the best quotes from some of the best satirists featured for you - complete with Dion's fantastic photographs.
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Huffington Post Dan Abramson First Posted: 06/20/10 02:04 PM ET Updated: 05/25/11 05:50 PM ET