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Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars
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.
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.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published November 28, 2023
About the author
Kliph Nesteroff
5 books97 followersKliph Nesteroff is a best-selling author regarded for his vast knowledge of show business. Vice Magazine has called Nesteroff "The Human Encyclopedia of Comedy," and Los Angeles Magazine profiled him as "The King of Comedy Lore."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
April 17, 2024
Comedians today will sometimes opine, "You can't say anything anymore without offending someone." Kliph Nesteroff is here to tell us all that you apparently could offend people since comedy started in his book Outrageous.
Nesteroff's narrative is chock full of entertainment anecdotes from the 1800s to today. Each page is littered with primary sources (my favorite!) and some background on various entertainment trends over 200 years. Whatever someone may think of this book they cannot say Nesteroff did not do his homework. His knowledge of show business is extensive and he gives the reader plenty of interesting nuggets of information.
However, this approach is also a problem. Nesteroff uses a lot of sources but it also leads the reader to ask what sources matter? Are they being cherry picked to make a point or did they really represent the majority or minority of Americans during the time period being discussed. One singular quote from a newspaper cited sparingly or never again does not make a convincing argument.
And what is Nesteroff's argument? At a high level, he is making the point that comedy and show business have been under attack since day 1. I believe Nesteroff convincingly proves this. However, there are other sections which veer into specific politics. He seems to be making other arguments which are not fully fleshed out. It makes the central conceit of the book feel a bit too surface level to be fully convincing. That said, any author who can seamlessly talk about minstrel shows and The Simpsons in the same book is clearly talented.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Abrams Press.)
Nesteroff's narrative is chock full of entertainment anecdotes from the 1800s to today. Each page is littered with primary sources (my favorite!) and some background on various entertainment trends over 200 years. Whatever someone may think of this book they cannot say Nesteroff did not do his homework. His knowledge of show business is extensive and he gives the reader plenty of interesting nuggets of information.
However, this approach is also a problem. Nesteroff uses a lot of sources but it also leads the reader to ask what sources matter? Are they being cherry picked to make a point or did they really represent the majority or minority of Americans during the time period being discussed. One singular quote from a newspaper cited sparingly or never again does not make a convincing argument.
And what is Nesteroff's argument? At a high level, he is making the point that comedy and show business have been under attack since day 1. I believe Nesteroff convincingly proves this. However, there are other sections which veer into specific politics. He seems to be making other arguments which are not fully fleshed out. It makes the central conceit of the book feel a bit too surface level to be fully convincing. That said, any author who can seamlessly talk about minstrel shows and The Simpsons in the same book is clearly talented.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Abrams Press.)
January 31, 2024
The more society changes, the more backwards people stay the same.
August 2, 2023
I am not sure how to feel after reading this book! On one hand, Nesteroff convincingly shows that the culture wars in America have been going on in a recognizable form for the whole scope of the book (this book covers from the 1800s to the early 2000s) with one side decrying entertainment as being unbecoming America because it offends morality and the other side saying we should be less racist/homophobic/sexist etc. Both sides protesting and both sides claiming the other side is trying to curtail free speech. On the other hand, it did make me feel a little better to see how societal mores have generally become more accepting and more sensitive to minority groups.
Basically angry trolls have been threatening the collapse of society because of entertainers for as long as entertainers have been performing. And old-timey trolls were just as vitriolic and violent as current day trolls - I think we just hear about them more with the prevalence of social media.
I am not sure if it is comforting or super depressing to see that not much has changed over 200 years, but regardless this book was really well researched and engaging to read (but also a bit horrifying)
Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Press for this advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Basically angry trolls have been threatening the collapse of society because of entertainers for as long as entertainers have been performing. And old-timey trolls were just as vitriolic and violent as current day trolls - I think we just hear about them more with the prevalence of social media.
I am not sure if it is comforting or super depressing to see that not much has changed over 200 years, but regardless this book was really well researched and engaging to read (but also a bit horrifying)
Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Press for this advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2024
Some things never change. Comedians have always been "cancelled" for being offensive, either to the conservative parts of society for being too edgy, or from the progressives for being too insensitive. The details change a lot, though, as society changes. Lenny Bruce was arrested for saying "Schmuck". Mae West was sentenced to 10 days hard labor (!!!) for one of her plays. (After she gets out, she unrepentantly stages a play with 40 gay men dressed as women.)
Social media makes it easy for every crazy person's voice to be heard. But before that they would call or write TV and radio stations and scare off advertisers due to whatever offended them, whether blackface, ethnic stereotypes, sexual allusions, or, god-forbid, black and white people on stage together.
Sadly also constant is that as comedians get older they all seem to complain that 1) you can't say the things they used to be able to say without offending people and 2) new comedians are using too many dirty words.
Social media makes it easy for every crazy person's voice to be heard. But before that they would call or write TV and radio stations and scare off advertisers due to whatever offended them, whether blackface, ethnic stereotypes, sexual allusions, or, god-forbid, black and white people on stage together.
Sadly also constant is that as comedians get older they all seem to complain that 1) you can't say the things they used to be able to say without offending people and 2) new comedians are using too many dirty words.
January 29, 2024
Starts out a fascinating look at the beginnings of moral panics, ends up a horrifying look at our current times. The culture wars have always been a way for rich conservatives to seize power, and in the last 50 years they've managed to almost completely turn public opinion through their use. This is probably not news to you if you're reading this review, but checking this book out will give you more perspective into why and how things are this way.
June 19, 2024
We were always snowflakes.
February 27, 2024
Being familiar with Kliph Nesteroff's work, I knew that I would probably like this book. I knew it would be informative, but I had no idea how informative it would be. I figured that it would it would reinforce some of the knowledge that I had about the Right and their use of racism and other scare tactics, but I didn't know how far it went.
Comedy, culture, and politics are all discussed in this book. And the amount of research and detail that Nesteroff puts into his work in phenomenal.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
Comedy, culture, and politics are all discussed in this book. And the amount of research and detail that Nesteroff puts into his work in phenomenal.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
February 23, 2024
It felt like two books: one a century old listing of comedians being shouted down and the other about the propaganda power of John Birch’s progeny.
April 22, 2024
“Young people loved it. Old racists did not.” (p. 96)
This book, in eight words. As relevant as ever, and an important reminder that the cultural controversies we grapple with today are nothing new.
This book, in eight words. As relevant as ever, and an important reminder that the cultural controversies we grapple with today are nothing new.
December 19, 2023
This book highlights the culture wars and how each generation has tackled them. History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does often rhyme. We get to see how the culture wars, censorship, morality, and more play into forms of entertainment such as the movies, the radio, the theatre, and more. This is an interesting look at entertainment history to show how we really aren’t all that different today even though what is permissible today wouldn’t have been in years past. This book is proof that you cannot stop the train of progress, but you can throw obstacles in the road.
May 3, 2024
Interesting but did not tie together as well as “the comedians”
December 6, 2023
Cathartic & calming in a sense, though much is made in the contemporary culture war of how "you can't make a joke" like "kids these days" this is a take that is made in literally every single generation.
Nostalgia for a time when free expression was the norm is unfounded as no such era existed. From Vaudeville to cinema to radio to TV from the tango to jitterbug to shimmy jazz rock hip hop heavy metal the beatles Elvis moral panics around entertainment are incredibly stable and the arguments being made today online have absolutely nothing original about them, this is what people do when new art forms & technology come out.
This will calm culture warriors who earnestly believe "cancel culture is at an all time high" showing clearly they are caprive prisoners of the current moment & the narratives that dominate an algorithmically sorted internet are contextless & ignoring wide swaths of our messy history. See Bruce, Carlin, Cheech & Chongs arrest for stand up among countless other anecdotes demonstrating the thing we call "cancel culture" is in no way new & is as American as Apple pie
Nostalgia for a time when free expression was the norm is unfounded as no such era existed. From Vaudeville to cinema to radio to TV from the tango to jitterbug to shimmy jazz rock hip hop heavy metal the beatles Elvis moral panics around entertainment are incredibly stable and the arguments being made today online have absolutely nothing original about them, this is what people do when new art forms & technology come out.
This will calm culture warriors who earnestly believe "cancel culture is at an all time high" showing clearly they are caprive prisoners of the current moment & the narratives that dominate an algorithmically sorted internet are contextless & ignoring wide swaths of our messy history. See Bruce, Carlin, Cheech & Chongs arrest for stand up among countless other anecdotes demonstrating the thing we call "cancel culture" is in no way new & is as American as Apple pie
December 3, 2023
As it always was, so shall it always be
Kliph Nesteroff, probably the best comedy historian around, has written a book about how the culture wars are nothing new.
He begins in the 1800s and the fights over blackface and ethnic stereotyping through complaints in the 20s and 30s over sexual content (like the word 'pregnant') to Communism in the 1950s to today. The through line is that performers of every generation complain that their rights are being trampled, people are too sensitive and, as a result, comedy is dead.
It's more than that though. The author discusses the influence of right-wing interests, such as the Koch, Scaife and Bradley Foundations, on the media.
I don't, however, want to define the book as humorless. Far from it. Mr. Nesteroff is a gifted storyteller, and recounts such stories as the herpes tests Family Feud contestants had to undergo because of Richard Dawson's fondness for kissing guests on the mouth.
Read this and his other books.
Kliph Nesteroff, probably the best comedy historian around, has written a book about how the culture wars are nothing new.
He begins in the 1800s and the fights over blackface and ethnic stereotyping through complaints in the 20s and 30s over sexual content (like the word 'pregnant') to Communism in the 1950s to today. The through line is that performers of every generation complain that their rights are being trampled, people are too sensitive and, as a result, comedy is dead.
It's more than that though. The author discusses the influence of right-wing interests, such as the Koch, Scaife and Bradley Foundations, on the media.
I don't, however, want to define the book as humorless. Far from it. Mr. Nesteroff is a gifted storyteller, and recounts such stories as the herpes tests Family Feud contestants had to undergo because of Richard Dawson's fondness for kissing guests on the mouth.
Read this and his other books.
December 30, 2023
This is actually a three and a half star review. I am endlessly fascinated by culture warriors. These people make a lot of noise over very little in terms of substance. So I was very excited to read this book. I had read the author's previous book, The Comedians, and found it very interesting and insightful. I found this book to be interesting and insightful, especially in describing the early years of the culture wars. The second half of the book, while informative to those who may not know, was a rehash of many books I have read telling the rise of the modern right in America. Crew type. That's not a bad thing if you are unfamiliar with this information, and it provides a different perspective, but it became quite repetitive over the last several chapters.
February 20, 2024
A jaw-dropping chronological detailing of censorship in America as it relates to the entertainment industry. Some stories you’ll know, others you won’t. The hypocrites are exposed in glorious fashion. Loved this book.
October 11, 2023
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Abrams Press for an advance copy of this look at the world of entertainment, censorship, controversy both real and imagined, and how every new art form is looked at as a threat, by elders in entertainment, or by people making money on protest for both profit and power.
Being a comedian is almost impossible today, nobody likes jokes. The music is for degenerates from degenerates. Politicians should do something, or we will. God is Angry. These sound like bits that lead any network TV show, political mailer, and talking points on most debates about culture from last night. However like history these same arguments repeat themselves. Groucho Marx was complaining about how hard people were making it to be funny in the 1950's. Bing Crosby's crooning music was called to sexual by the Catholic Church in the 1920's. Crooning music. Religious groups and ethnic groups, along with politicians have always tried to keep control of people by making their taste the taste of the American people. and God has been angry at things far worse than blues music, or women wanting an end to wife jokes. Even the violence is the same. Autonomous threats through the mail, the FBI firebombing a black entertainment center, pipe bombs outside theaters to stop movies, or shows. Even beating entertainers for daring to be thought of as human. Kliph Nesteroff, cultural historian, writer and king of comedy lore has in Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars written a history of entertainment and the attempts to suppress it from a unique view, from both sides of the issue, detailing that what is happening today is just the latest battles in a war that will continue for as long as people want to be entertained.
The book begins with a study of the politics behind the culture war, from the John Birch Society to the many groups who seem to be maddened by everything that happens that they don't like. This will come up in this book quite a bit, but while the names of the organizations change, the names do not, showing the power of the culture wars grift in giving people power and even more important money. From there it is a chronological trip through entertainment, starting with blackface and dialects that were once so popular, and the history of Amos and Andy, which I never knew, through movies, comedy, stage shows, radio, television and more up to the present day. What I found again interesting was that again the names stayed the same. People hated Frank Sinatra's music for its debase sound, Sinatra in turn found rock music gross and wrong. Steve Allen was receiving death threats for the Commies he had on his show, as his fame faded and entertainment changed, suddenly he didn't like the new stuff, and complained about it. Danny Thomas didn't like that you couldn't do ethnic humor. Mort Sahl became misogynistic. And this being America, violence being our number one entertainment always seemed to the solution to everything.
A fascinating book, a book I found myself endlessly sharing with friends and coworkers. Hating Bing Crosby being the big shocker. But the story of the Frito Bandito, Groucho on not being funny. The violence. The same words used over and over from the blues, to rap to Bart Simpson. Nesteroff is a great writer, one with a gift for entertainment knowledge, and an ability to share it in a very informative interesting way. Nesteroff also has a very good grasp on the politics, what makes these political groups want to make waves, the control that people want, and of course the money. And the money and fame is why many entertainers gatekeep so much, complaining about the next generation while watching their opportunities fade. A book that was far more than I expected, and one I really enjoyed, and loved to share.
Recommended for fans of entertainment, and those who care about what is happening in the world. It is reassuring in a way to find that this has been going on since well the first man started riffing in front of fire in a cave. And yet seeing that representation in media scares so many people, saying you are ruining my movie, music, show, podcast with your woke agenda, is discouraging, as people are still being lead. A book that will really make one think about entertainment, and what to fight for.
Being a comedian is almost impossible today, nobody likes jokes. The music is for degenerates from degenerates. Politicians should do something, or we will. God is Angry. These sound like bits that lead any network TV show, political mailer, and talking points on most debates about culture from last night. However like history these same arguments repeat themselves. Groucho Marx was complaining about how hard people were making it to be funny in the 1950's. Bing Crosby's crooning music was called to sexual by the Catholic Church in the 1920's. Crooning music. Religious groups and ethnic groups, along with politicians have always tried to keep control of people by making their taste the taste of the American people. and God has been angry at things far worse than blues music, or women wanting an end to wife jokes. Even the violence is the same. Autonomous threats through the mail, the FBI firebombing a black entertainment center, pipe bombs outside theaters to stop movies, or shows. Even beating entertainers for daring to be thought of as human. Kliph Nesteroff, cultural historian, writer and king of comedy lore has in Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars written a history of entertainment and the attempts to suppress it from a unique view, from both sides of the issue, detailing that what is happening today is just the latest battles in a war that will continue for as long as people want to be entertained.
The book begins with a study of the politics behind the culture war, from the John Birch Society to the many groups who seem to be maddened by everything that happens that they don't like. This will come up in this book quite a bit, but while the names of the organizations change, the names do not, showing the power of the culture wars grift in giving people power and even more important money. From there it is a chronological trip through entertainment, starting with blackface and dialects that were once so popular, and the history of Amos and Andy, which I never knew, through movies, comedy, stage shows, radio, television and more up to the present day. What I found again interesting was that again the names stayed the same. People hated Frank Sinatra's music for its debase sound, Sinatra in turn found rock music gross and wrong. Steve Allen was receiving death threats for the Commies he had on his show, as his fame faded and entertainment changed, suddenly he didn't like the new stuff, and complained about it. Danny Thomas didn't like that you couldn't do ethnic humor. Mort Sahl became misogynistic. And this being America, violence being our number one entertainment always seemed to the solution to everything.
A fascinating book, a book I found myself endlessly sharing with friends and coworkers. Hating Bing Crosby being the big shocker. But the story of the Frito Bandito, Groucho on not being funny. The violence. The same words used over and over from the blues, to rap to Bart Simpson. Nesteroff is a great writer, one with a gift for entertainment knowledge, and an ability to share it in a very informative interesting way. Nesteroff also has a very good grasp on the politics, what makes these political groups want to make waves, the control that people want, and of course the money. And the money and fame is why many entertainers gatekeep so much, complaining about the next generation while watching their opportunities fade. A book that was far more than I expected, and one I really enjoyed, and loved to share.
Recommended for fans of entertainment, and those who care about what is happening in the world. It is reassuring in a way to find that this has been going on since well the first man started riffing in front of fire in a cave. And yet seeing that representation in media scares so many people, saying you are ruining my movie, music, show, podcast with your woke agenda, is discouraging, as people are still being lead. A book that will really make one think about entertainment, and what to fight for.
January 15, 2024
This was something of a disappointment. I read Nesteroff's last book, "We Had A Little Real Estate Problem" which was about American Indian comedians. It was a deeply reported study of an out of the way fascinating part of American culture. Nesteroff did some deep reporting and had some sharp analysis.
This is a survey of ideological and religious attacks on popular culture in America from the 1890s to the present. Nesteroff shows that right wing religious attacks and left wing "woke" attacks are nothing new.
Ministers and politicians attacked popular music, movies and books as sinful for all of last century. Mae West, Fatty Arbuckle and the Beatles were all attacked as sinful. Nesteroff collects an impressive pile of outraged preachers, racist and right wingers who are outraged. In the 1950s any program which was not 100% pro-American were attacked as Communist propaganda. "The Twilight Zone" was a favorite target.
Nesteroff also tracks the attacks on culture from the left. "Gone With The Wind" and "Amos and Andy" were attacked as racist. Stock Jewish characters were attacked by the Anti-Defamation League as antisemitic. Red Skelton considered "All in the Family" to be "out and out Communism from start to finish."
I was disappointed with the book because it seems to be mostly a cut and paste collection of attacks. Many of the quotes are from newspaper letters to the editors, which is just a step ahead of quoting anonymous internet posts as a representation of popular opinion. There is almost no new or in depth reporting here. It is basically one example after another.
The second disappointment is that there is no attempt to judge whether some of the attacks were justified and some were not. "Gone With the Wind" was racist. There were many antisemitic stock characters on the 1930 radio shows. Neither "The Twilight Zone" nor "All in the Family" were Communist propaganda, nor were the Rolling Stones.
Nesteroff seems to argue that because there has always been attacks on popular culture and, in retrospect, many of them are silly, then we can dismiss any current attacks as silly. I was not convinced. There are many silly attacks these days but there is also some popular culture which should be criticized. Nesteroff doesn't address how we draw that line, nor does he address the difference between appropriate attacks and inappropriate attacks.
This is a survey of ideological and religious attacks on popular culture in America from the 1890s to the present. Nesteroff shows that right wing religious attacks and left wing "woke" attacks are nothing new.
Ministers and politicians attacked popular music, movies and books as sinful for all of last century. Mae West, Fatty Arbuckle and the Beatles were all attacked as sinful. Nesteroff collects an impressive pile of outraged preachers, racist and right wingers who are outraged. In the 1950s any program which was not 100% pro-American were attacked as Communist propaganda. "The Twilight Zone" was a favorite target.
Nesteroff also tracks the attacks on culture from the left. "Gone With The Wind" and "Amos and Andy" were attacked as racist. Stock Jewish characters were attacked by the Anti-Defamation League as antisemitic. Red Skelton considered "All in the Family" to be "out and out Communism from start to finish."
I was disappointed with the book because it seems to be mostly a cut and paste collection of attacks. Many of the quotes are from newspaper letters to the editors, which is just a step ahead of quoting anonymous internet posts as a representation of popular opinion. There is almost no new or in depth reporting here. It is basically one example after another.
The second disappointment is that there is no attempt to judge whether some of the attacks were justified and some were not. "Gone With the Wind" was racist. There were many antisemitic stock characters on the 1930 radio shows. Neither "The Twilight Zone" nor "All in the Family" were Communist propaganda, nor were the Rolling Stones.
Nesteroff seems to argue that because there has always been attacks on popular culture and, in retrospect, many of them are silly, then we can dismiss any current attacks as silly. I was not convinced. There are many silly attacks these days but there is also some popular culture which should be criticized. Nesteroff doesn't address how we draw that line, nor does he address the difference between appropriate attacks and inappropriate attacks.
August 31, 2024
Kliph Nesteroff has a knack for sorting through a mountain of information and making it easy reading. The downside is that a lot of his findings highlight terrible behavior, with a lot of it funded by the same people using the same playbook for decades. The scariest part is that in spite of how transparent this is, it still works.
I would say that the strongest material is in the first half of this book, which proves that the current argument we're hearing from comedians- "you can make fun of anything anymore!"- has been voiced for over 100 years. It turns out that it isn't a solid argument at all, just a contrarian pushback on how culture evolves.
But then the second half kicks in, straying beyond comedy and into show business in general, which becomes a pretty depressing and repetitive ride. It turns out that before the Internet made it possible to shit on celebrities as well as any stranger who disagrees with you, just about anyone could find themselves drowning in hate mail or threatening phone calls. The difference these days is that there is no privacy and less gatekeeping than ever before. This adds to my belief that forums, social media and "comments" sections might be some of the worst inventions of the 20th century.
By the end this was a pretty disheartening and exhausting read, but I can't fault Nesteroff on what he is reporting here. It's heavy but needs to be put out there. But maybe he should have just stuck with comedy as the focus, tracking the patterns of "political correctness" and "cancel culture" into the 21st century. I was surprised that he didn't include the story of the Smother Brothers in here, because they are an example of what really gets people canceled: going against corporate interests. That material was strong enough to put in the second half of the book and prove a point, and maybe beyond that there wasn't much more to say.
I would say that the strongest material is in the first half of this book, which proves that the current argument we're hearing from comedians- "you can make fun of anything anymore!"- has been voiced for over 100 years. It turns out that it isn't a solid argument at all, just a contrarian pushback on how culture evolves.
But then the second half kicks in, straying beyond comedy and into show business in general, which becomes a pretty depressing and repetitive ride. It turns out that before the Internet made it possible to shit on celebrities as well as any stranger who disagrees with you, just about anyone could find themselves drowning in hate mail or threatening phone calls. The difference these days is that there is no privacy and less gatekeeping than ever before. This adds to my belief that forums, social media and "comments" sections might be some of the worst inventions of the 20th century.
By the end this was a pretty disheartening and exhausting read, but I can't fault Nesteroff on what he is reporting here. It's heavy but needs to be put out there. But maybe he should have just stuck with comedy as the focus, tracking the patterns of "political correctness" and "cancel culture" into the 21st century. I was surprised that he didn't include the story of the Smother Brothers in here, because they are an example of what really gets people canceled: going against corporate interests. That material was strong enough to put in the second half of the book and prove a point, and maybe beyond that there wasn't much more to say.
February 29, 2024
I enjoy Kliph Nesteroff's The Comedians quite a bit. It's a perfect book about comedians and had so many great stories.
With Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars, Nesteroff shows that "cancel culture" has been around much, much longer than we'd think. With chapters covering fascinating tales centred around the extremely racist "Birth Of A Nation" film, the tumultuous time surrounding the John Birch Society and the controversial ad character, the Frito Bandito.
There are a lot of interesting sidebars here as well. For example, Steve Allen was once the target of censorship and became a vanguard of sorts for free speech, but during the boom of '80s stand-up with acts like Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay and Eddie Murphy, Allen became a proponent of censoring comedians.
The only main criticism I have here is that the book is just that -- it's all accounts. Even in the epilogue, where perhaps you might expect a summation of these stories to provide some personal thoughts after much in-depth research, we instead get a mini-story about a cop who insisted on doing blackface Al Jolson cosplay. Again, it's interesting, but it didn't meet my expectations. When the audiobook ended, I found myself saying aloud: "That's it?"
I also would have liked more current instances of "Outrage" to show how it's either grown or remained much of the same.
The book is worth buying, reading and putting on your shelf, particularly if you are someone who is either outraged at comedy or if you're fearful of outrage. It's nothing new. As a people, we will continue to outrage and be outraged.
With Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars, Nesteroff shows that "cancel culture" has been around much, much longer than we'd think. With chapters covering fascinating tales centred around the extremely racist "Birth Of A Nation" film, the tumultuous time surrounding the John Birch Society and the controversial ad character, the Frito Bandito.
There are a lot of interesting sidebars here as well. For example, Steve Allen was once the target of censorship and became a vanguard of sorts for free speech, but during the boom of '80s stand-up with acts like Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay and Eddie Murphy, Allen became a proponent of censoring comedians.
The only main criticism I have here is that the book is just that -- it's all accounts. Even in the epilogue, where perhaps you might expect a summation of these stories to provide some personal thoughts after much in-depth research, we instead get a mini-story about a cop who insisted on doing blackface Al Jolson cosplay. Again, it's interesting, but it didn't meet my expectations. When the audiobook ended, I found myself saying aloud: "That's it?"
I also would have liked more current instances of "Outrage" to show how it's either grown or remained much of the same.
The book is worth buying, reading and putting on your shelf, particularly if you are someone who is either outraged at comedy or if you're fearful of outrage. It's nothing new. As a people, we will continue to outrage and be outraged.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2023
It would be easy to dismiss show business history as trivia, but we’ve always loved, gossiped, and fantasized about show people more than most presidents and princes. In his latest book, Nesteroff digs up a fascinating time capsule of showbiz personalities, some who suffered racism and had to degrade themselves in black face minstrel shows to earn a living. In the face of narrow-mindedness and provincial attitudes, some comedians either had to sanitize their acts or find themselves in jail. It would have been comforting to read this book as the history of another time which our enlightened attitudes have transcended, but we’re living in an era of regression where book burning and censorship have had an unwelcome resurgence. In short, crappy times are here again. This gives OUTRAGEOUS a timely relevance that even Nesteroff might not have fully realized when writing it. Frank Zappa, we learn, warned decades ago that our country could be headed towards a fascist theocracy—hello Speaker Mike Johnson. While it would be impossible to physically burn today’s digital music, phonograph LP’s were highly flammable and even Perry Como got burned, though I’m dying to know how “Mr. Relaxation” ended up in the same pyre as KISS! Though censorship and racism in showbiz is not an unknown topic, fortunately, we have Kliph Nesteroff to rummage through the yellowed pages of the trades to dig up fresh stories about worthy and influential entertainers who’ve slipped into obscurity.
May 29, 2024
4.5/5 A very packed book of history and sources about comedy shows, radio, movies, music, and TV in America. The intro lets you know up-front what will be in the book: a look at 19th-20th century United States history on what content in pop culture gets a negative reaction, from who, about what, when, and in what fashion. Covers one aspect of how things have evolved regarding racism, civil rights, and media over that time-span.
On a personal note, I think of growing up and my pastor in Catechism class talking about TV: his analogy of TV being a person you invite to the dinner table every night and being one of the people the family talks to. Later on, this book puts forward a theme of American parents not having the full skill set to talk honestly with their kids about stuff they see on TV. For example, the Family Viewing Hour standards for 7-9pm in the 70s showed that people were divided about shows written by Norman Lear (RIP):
"CBS president Arthur Taylor believed the Family Viewing Hour was the only solution to the hate mail: 'We want American families to watch television in that time period without ever being embarrassed.' But what was embarrassing for one family may not have been to another."
The book skews intense more often than funny. I will give people the nod that it can be one-note with a lot of examples and not much argument, but it's a good reference to events and sources.
On a personal note, I think of growing up and my pastor in Catechism class talking about TV: his analogy of TV being a person you invite to the dinner table every night and being one of the people the family talks to. Later on, this book puts forward a theme of American parents not having the full skill set to talk honestly with their kids about stuff they see on TV. For example, the Family Viewing Hour standards for 7-9pm in the 70s showed that people were divided about shows written by Norman Lear (RIP):
"CBS president Arthur Taylor believed the Family Viewing Hour was the only solution to the hate mail: 'We want American families to watch television in that time period without ever being embarrassed.' But what was embarrassing for one family may not have been to another."
The book skews intense more often than funny. I will give people the nod that it can be one-note with a lot of examples and not much argument, but it's a good reference to events and sources.
December 29, 2023
Wonderful book. Kliph did it again.
I've been anxiously waiting for this latest release from Kliph Nesteroff since the day it was announced, and it did not disappoint. This feels like such a natural next step in his work chronicling the history of comedy in America. This time, we're looking at the "culture wars" and the belief that "you can't joke about anything anymore," which stretches back as far as Americans have been telling jokes and stories for money.
What got me, beyond the fact that the idea of a culture war has always been ridiculous, is that the talking points have been verbatim since the beginning. You have Mort Sahl and Anita Bryant in the 70s crying about losing their careers over "radical liberals" when they refuse to adapt to changing tastes (or go all-in on "groomer" conspiracies). Yet, while the culture warriors decry the loss of ethnic jokes, they're backed by John Birchers and the Coors family to harangue comedians and shows that poke fun at elites, or dare to show a world with a faint whiff of equality. It's the same story, down to a handful of housewives challenging books and TV across the country!
I've been anxiously waiting for this latest release from Kliph Nesteroff since the day it was announced, and it did not disappoint. This feels like such a natural next step in his work chronicling the history of comedy in America. This time, we're looking at the "culture wars" and the belief that "you can't joke about anything anymore," which stretches back as far as Americans have been telling jokes and stories for money.
What got me, beyond the fact that the idea of a culture war has always been ridiculous, is that the talking points have been verbatim since the beginning. You have Mort Sahl and Anita Bryant in the 70s crying about losing their careers over "radical liberals" when they refuse to adapt to changing tastes (or go all-in on "groomer" conspiracies). Yet, while the culture warriors decry the loss of ethnic jokes, they're backed by John Birchers and the Coors family to harangue comedians and shows that poke fun at elites, or dare to show a world with a faint whiff of equality. It's the same story, down to a handful of housewives challenging books and TV across the country!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2024
This was a great read that shows we’ve always been polarized in the US, and for much of our history there’s been a Koch or two behind the curtain, pulling the strings.
I grew up about 2 miles from a small, unassuming John Birch Society billboard. I’m glad I had no idea what that was until I was older. This book points out that one side of the culture wars has been recycling ideas from the John Birch playbook for decades. People are still falling for it.
A large part of the book talks about events I lived through. There were some names I had forgotten-- Lyndon LaRouche, Michael Medved-- and many I wish I could forget.
Turns out vaudeville comedians did not cause the fall of Western civilization. Neither did Elvis’s hips, allowing black and white people to casually touch each other on variety shows, putting gay characters in sitcoms, the lyrics of Eighties music, or even-- gasp-- The Simpsons. “Don’t have a cow, man,” is truly a slogan for the ages.
Judging from my social media feeds and news coverage, no one has learned a thing from history, and outrage is still… all the rage.
January 5, 2024
Well researched, organized, and interesting! I read this book right after finishing Dark Money by Jane Mayer and cannot recommend the combination enough for anyone interested in a dual commentary of special interests in politics. I think the most interesting takeaway from this book was how it outlines the cyclical nature of civil rights -> hate speech -> free speech -> political bias -> civil rights which is recycled again and again in popular culture, be the vessel theatre, radio, television, or social media. Art & Entertainment, it seems, is not just a mirror reflecting our cultural reality, but a medium through which we attack, demonize, humanize, and ultimately push ourselves to consider the ramifications of content creation in modern society.
April 20, 2024
A reminder that we’ve been here before. Many times.
When I hear “woke” or “cancel culture” these days, it’s always a sad reminder that it’s usually spoken by the historically ignorant doing nothing but parroting the words of their cable news talking head of choice. Kliph Nesteroff does a good job pointing out that there’s nothing new under the sun when it comes to censorship. I dock him one star because some of his facts are a little off, i.e. “The Simpsons” originally aired on Sunday night before going head up against “The Cosby Show” on Thursday.
There will always be an angry mob ready to turn on someone who says something with which they don’t agree. We’re an easily offended nation.
When I hear “woke” or “cancel culture” these days, it’s always a sad reminder that it’s usually spoken by the historically ignorant doing nothing but parroting the words of their cable news talking head of choice. Kliph Nesteroff does a good job pointing out that there’s nothing new under the sun when it comes to censorship. I dock him one star because some of his facts are a little off, i.e. “The Simpsons” originally aired on Sunday night before going head up against “The Cosby Show” on Thursday.
There will always be an angry mob ready to turn on someone who says something with which they don’t agree. We’re an easily offended nation.
January 18, 2024
American comedy and show business have been mired in anger and pushback from the jump. Much of Outrageous echoes what we see today. That’s especially the case regarding anger about how you supposedly “can’t say anything anymore”. Nesteroff doesn’t make overt comparisons to cancel culture, even explaining in the introduction that he is not going to delve into “social media age” controversies (Dave Chappelle). He doesn’t have to make the comparison because it’s right there...
Full review is at PopMatters.
Full review is at PopMatters.
March 13, 2024
Very interesting history of the culture wars. Not surprisingly, quite a few evangelical names pop up- interesting crossover with Jesus & John Wayne. Only slight critiques- didn’t quite stick the landing - there wasn’t much of a conclusion, also for so much smart writing throughout the book, the cheap shot at Barbara and/or George W. was lazy - they’re public figures and fair game but make a better joke than that if you’re going to do it. Finally, I was shocked by the lack of Lenny Bruce, really figured he be highlighted more. Those are very minor quibbles. The book was great and well written and contributes more to the country’s cultural history conversation.
June 30, 2024
outrageous is a well written and examined book that shows us that the complaint that ppl are too sensitive and that comedy is being ruined by people who can't take a joke has been the case since literally the beginning of comedy, while balancing that with the specific idea that comedy evolves and as it does leaves the past in the past as an always reaching hand grasps for a more sensitive future. it's well written. But also, arguably, it can be boiled down to "hey, it's always been this way." Each chapter, segment, piece of research deals pretty specifically the exact same information, showing how only minor details change from gen to gen in its telling. kliph is great tho.
April 2, 2024
Uptight citizens protested Milton Berle dressing in drag on national television. Nesteroff proves that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Outrageous lays out a compelling history of how what's "okay" for comedians to say has always been up to social mores and tastes. The book loses a little focus as it becomes something more -- a look at how what we once wrote off as uptight citizens laid the groundwork for the political schism we suffer today. It didn't come out of nowhere; we just didn't see it coming.
January 9, 2024
I like the book, but after reading it, I didn't quite see the point. I felt it got a bit conspiratorial but would be happy to see the author maybe go more into depth with the passages that seem that way.
Mr. Nesteroff is very talented and a great storyteller, but I found his forays into the political beneath him. Give me more stories about Richard Pryor going rogue at a Gay Rights Benefit and less talk of the Kochs and Birchers.
Mr. Nesteroff is very talented and a great storyteller, but I found his forays into the political beneath him. Give me more stories about Richard Pryor going rogue at a Gay Rights Benefit and less talk of the Kochs and Birchers.
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