Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars -- Kliph Nesteroff, Hardcover

From the preeminent historian of modern comedy comes an expansive history of showbiz and the culture wars

There is a common belief that we live in unprecedented times, that people are too sensitive today, that nobody objected to the actions of actors, comedians, and filmmakers in the past. Modern pundits would have us believe that Americans of a previous generation had tougher skin and seldom complained. But does this argument hold up to scrutiny?

In Outrageous, celebrated cultural historian Kliph Nesteroff demonstrates that Americans have been objecting to entertainment for nearly two hundred years, sometimes rationally, often irrationally. Likewise, powerful political interests have sought to circumvent the arts using censorship, legal harassment, and outright propaganda. From Mae West through Johnny Carson, Amos 'n' Andy through Beavis and Butt-Head, Outrageous chronicles the controversies of American show business and the ongoing attempts to change what we watch, read, and hear.

Author: Kliph Nesteroff
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Published: 11/28/2023
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.30w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9781419760983

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 08/21/2023
Kirkus Reviews 10/15/2023
Library Journal 11/01/2023 pg. 64
Shelf Awareness 12/01/2023

About the Author
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.