"Melding intimate interviews with astute analysis, Behind the Laughs reveals how the exploitation of comedians is neither funny nor simple. This is a well-researched book that pulls back the curtains on the business of comedy, revealing fascinating stories and troubling inequalities."Nancy Wang Yuen, author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism "Comedy might be funny, but it's no laughing matter. It's a tough gig, as dependent on networks and connections as on talent and training. Who gets in the door and what happens inside is the subject of Behind the LaughsMichael Jeffries' smart, original, highly-readable new book about the 'show' and 'business' of comedy. A must-read for anyone interested in the interplay of culture, labor, power, and inequality in the contemporary culture industries."Laura Grindstaff, University of California, Davis
