We Killed

July 9, 2012
Kohen, a contributing editor to Marie Claire, has assembled an engaging oral history of the evolution of women performing in comedy clubs and on television. The book is structured with italicized intros to excerpts from interviews with more than 140 standup comedians, writers, directors, producers, agents, club owners, and network executives. These interviews have been sliced and placed into chronological chapters. The book instead begins with Phyllis Diller (“the first female standup to garner mass, mainstream appeal”) and the “outré new voice” of Elaine May: “She was whip-smart and sexy; her sense of humor tended toward verboten aspects of modern life.” 1960s audiences saw Joan Rivers (“I was talking about things that were really true”) and the working-class characters of Lily Tomlin. Writer Merrill Markoe observed, “Women’s standup tended to be very self-deprecating,” noting that changed in the 1970s with the arrival of Elayne Boosler. While it’s disappointing to find only two brief quotes from Kristen Wiig, this is nevertheless an exhaustive, entertaining comedy chronicle.

October 1, 2012
Kohen's lively oral history traces female comedians in America during the last six decades, showing how women doggedly fought their way into what was considered a male arena and thrived. The chronicle begins with the late, great Phyllis Diller, whom Kohen interviewed before her death, in August. Diller turned her own life into comedy, offering up joke after joke about being housewife to a loutish husband. While Diller mastered rapid-fire stand-up, Joan Rivers got her start lamenting her single status, and Lily Tomlin created eccentric characters. When Saturday Night Live came on the scene in 1975, Gilda Radner's caricatures of public figures and original creations made an impression. Men largely dominated the show until the mid1990s, when Molly Shannon's hyperactive Catholic teen, Mary-Catherine Gallagher, became a sensation, paving the way for funny ladies Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig to make it big in the next decade. Filled with recollections from comedians, comedy-club owners, and writers, this remarkable oral history is a must-read for entertainment buffs.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2012
Marie Claire contributing editor Kohen uses Christopher Hitchens' infamous 2007 Vanity Fair article "Why Women Aren't Funny" as her pivot point for exploring the obstacles faced by women in the male-dominated comedy business. The author traces the path of female comedians beginning in the 1950s with Phyllis Diller, "the prototypical female stand-up," and "the mother of sketch comedy," Elaine May, through the current lineup of popular female comedians such as Sarah Silverman, Tina Fey, Chelsea Handler, Aubrey Plaza and Emily Spivey. Kohen successfully weaves the stories into an entertaining timeline illustrating women's increasing presence in American comedy. Writers, talent agents, club managers and comedians discuss a range of subjects, including the evolution of comedy styles, the role of TV, especially Saturday Night Live, and the different types of venues (including YouTube) and individuals who have helped or hindered women's rise in the business. Kohen notes that during the 1970s, the hiring of female TV writers led to lively female characters, such as the women of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. This shift fostered a period of mentoring of women writers by "the powerful men who spent the decade transforming the sitcom," including Norman Lear, Garry Marshall and Carl Reiner. Taken together, the interviews provide an inside look into the sometimes-turbulent relationships among the stand-up and sketch comedians, club owners, writers, producers and TV executives. Kohen intersperses illuminating bits of narrative among the oral history accounts, adding context and depth to her subject. "Stand-up is arguably the hardest form of comedy," she writes. "There are no props, magic tricks, partners or music to fall back on. It's just the comic, alone in front of the microphone under the spotlight. When they fail, they 'die, ' when they succeed, they 'kill.' "--as does this book. A fresh topic explored in a unique, satisfying manner.

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2012

Each chapter in this candid oral history of women in comedy is built on reminiscences, anecdotes, and observations by comediennes, their male counterparts, club owners, writers, and industry insiders. Beginning with such pioneers as Phyllis Diller, Joan Rivers, and Anne Meara, and moving on to Lily Tomlin, Paula Poundstone, Ellen Degeneres, Margaret Cho, and scores of others, Kohen (contributing editor, Marie Claire) provides informative background material and then, through an extensive number of carefully organized interviews, allows the players to speak for themselves, examining the components of stand-up routines, the creation of comedic characters, behind-the-scenes television (from That Girl to Saturday Night Live), comedy venues, cultural issues, and the essence of the comedienne's persona. They also honestly discuss the obstacles female comedians face, including how many times women have proven they are, indeed, funny (contrary to the opinions of men such as Johnny Carson and Christopher Hitchens). VERDICT A valuable social history that is humorous, touching, and revealing, this book will be an asset to both women's studies and entertainment collections. It will appeal to a wide general readership with an interest in the art of comedy.--Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.